Tennessee
Tennessee man pleads guilty to killing Eliza Fletcher, a mom of 2 jogging in Memphis
Cleotha Abston pleaded guilty Monday to abducting and later killing Fletcher during a morning jog on Sept. 2, 2022. The guilty plea allows him to avoid the death penalty.
A Tennessee man pleaded guilty Monday to kidnapping and killing Memphis mother Eliza Fletcher during her morning jog in 2022.
Cleotha Abston, 40, was able to avoid the death penalty with the guilty plea to first-degree murder and will face life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Fletcher, who was 34 at the time of her death, was abducted while out on a run in the early hours of Sept. 2, 2022. Her body was not found until three days later.
“No legal resolution and no sentence can diminish the anguish of Liza’s murder,” Fletcher’s family said in a statement sent to the news media. “We accept the outcome that her murderer has pled guilty to all charges, will wake up in prison for the rest of his life and cannot harm anyone else. We are very grateful for the determination and professionalism of law enforcement and the district attorney’s office.”
When was Abston arrested?
Abston was arrested on Sept. 3, 2022, a day after Fletcher’s abduction launched a multi-day, multi-agency manhunt across Memphis. He was initially charged with especially aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence.
Footage from the University of Memphis campus, where Fletcher was taken while on a morning run, showed someone in a dark SUV approach Fletcher and force her into the vehicle after a brief struggle.
First-degree murder and first-degree murder in perpetration of a kidnapping charges were added to Abston’s case a day after Fletcher’s remains were found.
Why did Abston plea guilty?
Abston pleaded guilty to Fletcher’s killing to avoid the death penalty, his attorney, Juni Ganguli, told USA TODAY.
Ganguli and attorney Lauren Pasley both advised Abston to plead guilty due to the mounting evidence against him. Ganguli added that a jury would have likely imposed the death penalty during a sentencing hearing.
“I’ve had other death penalty cases where the prosecution had agreed to sentences of life without parole following the guilt phase of trials,” Ganguli said in his statement. “There was overwhelming publicity and public outcry in this case.”
What was Abston previously convicted of?
Abston was convicted of a 2021 rape over six months before entering the plea on Monday. That rape went unsolved until DNA taken in a rape kit matched Abston.
The trial spanned three days in April, when Abston was indicted for three different counts, aggravated rape, especially aggravated kidnapping and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. The jury convicted him of aggravated rape and convicted felon in possession of a handgun, and found him guilty of the lesser charge of aggravated kidnapping.
Who was Eliza Fletcher?
Fletcher was the mother of two children and a teacher at St. Mary’s Episcopal School. Before working joining St. Mary’s, she taught Kindergarten at Promise Academy in Nashville and also coached soccer.
In 2006, she graduated from Hutchison School in Memphis, according to the all-girl’s school’s website, and later earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise science at Baylor University. She earned her masters of art in teaching with an emphasis in elementary education at Belmont University, according to a post from St. Mary’s.
She is also remembered as an avid runner, having run completed the St. Jude marathon in Memphis with a time of 3:26:09. She finished 22nd place out of all the women running the St. Jude marathon that year. Her placement allowed her to qualify for the elite Boston Marathon.
George Robertson, the senior pastor at Second Presbyterian Church, said Fletcher was “full of life.” She married Richard Fletcher III at the church in 2014, according to a 2015 report by Memphis Magazine. The couple shared two sons.
“She and her husband Ritchie are both very active and great leaders in our congregation,” Robertson told the Commercial Appeal, part of the USA TODAY Network. “They have two little boys who have come up to me every week and give me a hug.”
In a statement, her family addressed Abston:
“We have no idea what happened to you to turn you into someone so filled with a desire to hurt people. Whatever it was, it does not excuse or explain what you have done. You have changed our lives forever, and nothing will ever be the same,” they said. “Your actions were evil. There is no other word for it. You murdered Liza, even though she did nothing to deserve it.”
The Tennessee Volunteers have had their fair share of bad news as of late when it comes to the college baseball transfer portal, but luckily, they have received some great news.
The great news that they have received is that they will be returning one of their breakout stars from this past college baseball season, as he has no intentions of entering the college baseball transfer portal.
Trent Grindlinger Will Return to Tennessee
The player who is set to return to Tennessee is Trent Grindlinger, who was electric this season and is expected to be a future top 10 MLB draft pick. This is expected for the first draft that he is eligible for, which is the 2027 MLB Draft rather than this upcoming draft that will feature multiple Vols, including Tennessee ACE, Tegan Kuhns.
Grindlinger finished last season with a batting average of .345, while hitting eight home runs and only striking out 28 times. This would be an electric season for the talented Volunteers’ batter, and he is set for a season that could and should be even better than that, which would be good enough to consider for some major college baseball end-of-the-season awards. He is just one of the few players who opted to stay and return rather than enter their name into the college baseball transfer portal, but if they were going to return anyone, he is the player they would want to return in the field.
Had he entered the transfer portal, there wouldn’t be a single college in the nation that wouldn’t want to add him, as every college would want to add the elite prospect. Not only that, but he would become the nation’s No. 1 player on the portal more than likely.
Luckily for the Vols, though, they don’t have to worry about that.
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Tennessee
Franklin police ticket 13-year-old after e-bike crash, and a new Tennessee law brings more changes July 1
WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — Franklin police cited a 13-year-old following a crash involving a motorized bike, and a new Tennessee law taking effect July 1 will bring additional restrictions for young riders.
On April 21, Franklin officers responded to a fender bender at the Interstate 65 off-ramp at the Goose Creek Bypass involving a 13-year-old on a motorized bike and a vehicle. Both the teen and the adult driver were waiting for officers when they arrived. The woman behind the wheel was visibly shaken and told officers the bike came out of nowhere while she was attempting to turn right on red.
The bike turned out to be more powerful than a standard e-bicycle. Under the law, it is not considered a bicycle at all — it is classified as a motor scooter, which falls under different laws than Class 1, 2, and 3 e-bikes.
“Downside is kids are about to get a bunch of tickets. He can’t ride that e-bike because it’s not just an e-bike — too much voltage, it’s a motor scooter,” Officer Spry with the Franklin Traffic Unit said.
“He can’t be on a sidewalk, he has to be in a bike lane, and it can’t be more than 28 miles an hour,” Spry said.
The driver of the car was cited for failure to exercise due care. The 13-year-old was cited for several violations, including not having a driver’s license, insurance, or registration. Franklin police say the citations issued to the teen are all appropriate under current law. Officers told the teen’s parent the citations would need to be answered in juvenile court. The family promised to trade the bike in for something safer.
Spry made clear this is not an isolated case.
“You’re not the only one that I’ve written this ticket to,” Spry said.
“This is probably one of the greatest opportunities for us to provide safety and save a life that we’ll ever see,” Franklin Alderman Greg Caesar said.
Starting July 1, only those 16 years and older will be legally allowed to ride Class 3 e-bikes, which can reach speeds of 28 miles per hour. The new law changes the age of those allowed to operate Class 3 e-bikes and does not affect the motor scooter classification that applied in this case.
Franklin city leaders are debating changes to local e-bike laws. Alderman Greg Caesar described it as a nuanced problem but said educating parents should start now.
“It needs to be considered, as some of these e-bikes and riders can do real and significant damage,” Caesar said.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Amanda.Roberts@NewsChannel5.com
This story was reported on-air by Amanda Roberts and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Students help relaunch donation drive for Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt
Young or old, we all love to play board and card games! Those games become even more important when you are indoors and don’t have the ability to get outside, like patients in a hospital. Austin Pollack shares the story of students in a Nashville family who have helped re-launch the Red Wagon project to collect games for patients at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
– Lelan Statom
The Tennessee Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 2, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from June 2 drawing
15-26-43-48-60, Mega Ball: 12
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 3 numbers from June 2 drawing
Morning: 0-0-1, Wild: 3
Midday: 9-7-5, Wild: 4
Evening: 7-6-1, Wild: 0
Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 4 numbers from June 2 drawing
Morning: 8-9-1-2, Wild: 9
Midday: 2-9-3-3, Wild: 2
Evening: 6-6-1-6, Wild: 7
Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Daily Tennessee Jackpot numbers from June 2 drawing
02-03-05-36-38
Check Daily Tennessee Jackpot payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from June 2 drawing
16-33-41-50-52, Bonus: 01
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Tennessee Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599.
For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Tennessee Lottery offices. By mail, send a winner claim form, winning lottery ticket, a copy of a government-issued ID and proof of social security number to P.O. Box 290636, Nashville, TN 37229. Prize claims less than $600 do not require a claim form. Please include contact information on prizes claimed by mail in the event we need to contact you.
To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a winner claim form and deliver the form, along with the ticket and government-issued ID and proof of social security number to any of these locations:
Nashville Headquarters & Claim Center: 26 Century Blvd., Nashville, TN 37214, 615-254-4946 in the (615) and (629) area, 901-466-4946 in the (901) area, 865-512-4946 in the (865) area, 423-939-7529 in the (423) area or 1-877-786-7529 (all other areas in Tennessee). Outside Tennessee, dial 615-254-4946. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Knoxville District Office: Cedar Springs Shopping Center, 9298 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37922, (865) 251-1900. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $199,999.
Chattanooga District Office: 2020 Gunbarrel Rd., Suite 106, Chattanooga, TN 37421, (423) 308-3610. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $199,999.
Memphis District Office: Chiles Plaza, 7424 U.S. Highway 64, Suite 104, Memphis, TN 38133, (901) 322-8520. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $199,999.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://tnlottery.com/.
When are the Tennessee Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
- Cash 3, 4: Daily at 9:28 a.m. (Morning) and 12:28 p.m. CT (Midday), except for Sunday. Evening game daily, seven days a week, at 6:28 p.m. CT.
- Daily Tennessee Jackpot: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
- Tennessee Cash: 10:34 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
- Powerball Double Play: 10:30 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Tennessean editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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