A Tennessee man has been found guilty of raping a woman a year before he was charged with kidnapping and killing a school teacher who was on an early morning run. A jury in Memphis convicted 40-year-old Cleotha Abston of kidnapping and raping the woman in September 2021.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Tennessee man has been found guilty of raping a woman a year before he was charged with kidnapping and killing, the jury’s Friday decision found Abston guilty on three counts of aggravated rape, especially aggravated kidnapping and unlawful possession of a weapon. Jurors had heard testimony from witnesses Tuesday and Wednesday, and then closing arguments on Thursday.
Abston allegedly held her at gunpoint, covered her face with a T-shirt, walked her outside the apartment and raped her in the backseat of his girlfriend’s vehicle.from a street near the University of Memphis on Sept. 2, 2022, and forcing her into an SUV. Her body was found days later near a vacant duplex.
The killing of Fletcher, a 34-year-old kindergarten teacher and mother of two, shocked the Memphis community and led to a flood of support for her family. Runners in Memphis and several other cities held an early-morningAbston was arrested after police detected his DNA on sandals found near the location where Fletcher was last seen, an arrest affidavit said. AnFletcher died of a gunshot wound to the head. She also had injuries to her right leg and jaw fractures.
Abston’s lawyer, Juni Ganguli, had filed a change of venue motion seeking to have jurors from the Nashville area hear the rape case, but a judge denied the request. Ganguli had said that heavy media coverage and social media commentary threatened Abston’s ability to receive a fair trial if Memphis-area jurors are used.
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