The Tennessee man accused of kidnapping and killing a Memphis trainer in 2022 was discovered responsible on Friday of kidnapping and raping a distinct girl a yr prior.
Cleotha Abston, 40, was convicted by a Memphis jury on three counts of aggravated rape, particularly aggravated kidnapping and illegal possession of a weapon, in accordance with The Every day Memphian through The Related Press.
The crime happened on Sept. 21, 2021, after the girl agreed to fulfill Abston at his condominium after connecting with him on a courting web site. She reported that he held her at gunpoint, coated her face with a T-shirt and walked her outdoors to a car the place he raped her within the backseat.
The sufferer reportedly testified on Tuesday that she complied as a result of she “did not need to die.”
Abston, who’s charged within the homicide of 34-year-old Eliza Fletcher after allegedly kidnapping her throughout her morning run on Sept. 2, 2022, was not charged within the 2021 rape case till he was charged in Fletcher’s loss of life due to a delay in processing the primary girl’s sexual assault package.
The sufferer within the 2021 case sued the town of Memphis on allegations that its police division didn’t examine her case correctly, however the lawsuit was dismissed by a choose, the AP reported.
The Tennessee legislature handed a regulation after Fletcher’s loss of life requiring that the state Bureau of Investigation concern quarterly stories on sexual assault package testing instances.
TENNESSEE WOMAN ELIZA FLETCHER DIED FROM GUNSHOT TO THE HEAD: AUTOPSY
Previous to Abston’s trial for the 2021 rape, his lawyer, Juni Ganguli, filed a change of venue movement asking that jurors from the Nashville space hear the case as an alternative of jurors from Memphis due to heavy media protection, prompting issues Abston would not obtain a good trial.
Shelby County Decide Lee Espresso denied the request in January.
Abston has pleaded not responsible to kidnapping and killing Fletcher, who was a kindergarten trainer, a spouse and mom of two, and an avid runner.
A trial date has not but been set.
The Related Press contributed to this report.