The man accused of kidnapping yet another missing Memphis teacher served time in prison for an aggravated kidnapping more than 20 years ago, court records show. Cleotha Abston, 38, pleaded guilty in November 2001 to a charge of aggravated kidnapping. He was released from prison in November 2020, according to court records. The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office told WREG Abston was convicted of kidnapping a local attorney in 2000. Abston is currently facing the same charge of aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence in the kidnapping of Eliza “Liza” Fletcher. Three additional charges have been added to Abston since his arrest Saturday, according to Shelby County Jail records. Those charges include identity theft, theft of property $1,000 or less and fraudulent use/unlawful possession of a credit or debit card $1,000 or less, according to records. The charges recently filed against Abston are unrelated to Fletcher’s kidnapping, according to an affidavit obtained by CNN affiliate WHBQ. The new charges are connected to a theft report filed Thursday by a woman who said someone was using her CashApp card and Wisley Card at gas stations without her knowledge. CNN has reached out to the Shelby County District Attorney and Memphis police about the additional charges. Fletcher, a 34-year-old mother of two, was jogging around 4 a.m. Friday when a black GMC Terrain SUV drove past her, according to surveillance footage taken of the incident. A man was then seen exiting the vehicle and “aggressively ran” towards Fletcher and forced her into the passenger side of the SUV. Once both men were inside the SUV, the vehicle remained in a parking lot for about four minutes before driving away, according to the video cited in an affidavit obtained by CNN. The affidavit said police found “physical evidence that he suffered serious injury.” Abston was arrested Saturday after police found the GMC Terrain in a parking lot near his residence, according to the affidavit. The vehicle had the same distinct damage and partial license plate recognition seen in surveillance footage from Fletcher’s abduction. Abston tried to run away after U.S. Marshals spotted him nearby, the affidavit said. The suspect is being held in the Shelby County Jail on $500,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday, according to jail records. It is unclear if he has an attorney. DNA recovered from a pair of sandals found near where authorities believe Fletcher was abducted helped investigators locate and arrest Abston, according to the affidavit. Surveillance footage captured from a local theater the day before Fletcher disappeared showed Abston wearing what authorities believe are the same pair of Champion slide sandals found at the crime scene, according to the affidavit. Additional surveillance footage combined with statements from Abston’s employer confirmed that the vehicle in question is owned by a woman associated with Abston’s home address. Cell phone records also place Abston at the scene during Fletcher’s abduction Friday morning, the affidavit said. Fletcher’s damaged phone was found near where she was abducted, Crime Stoppers Executive Director Buddy Chapman said, according to a news release obtained by CNN affiliate WHBQ. According to the affidavit, a witness said she saw Abston at his brother’s house after the abduction. Both the witness and his brother said Abston was acting strangely as he cleaned the interior of his SUV and washed his clothes in the sink. Photos released by police show Fletcher running through the neighborhood near the University of Memphis. She was last seen wearing a pink jogging top and purple running shorts, police said in an alert. Fletcher is White, 5 feet 6 inches tall, with brown hair and green eyes, police said. It weighs 137 kg. Her family is offering a $50,000 reward through Crime Stoppers for information leading to an arrest in the case, WHBQ reported. “We look forward to Eliza’s safe return and hope this award will help police catch those who committed this crime,” her family said in a statement released by Chapman. In a post on Twitter, St. Mary’s Episcopal School said Fletcher is a kindergarten teacher. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said in a tweet that it is assisting Memphis police in the investigation.
