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JoJo Fletcher Reveals She and Husband Jordan Rodgers Are Talking About ‘Building a Family Together’

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JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers

MediaPunch/Shutterstock JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers

JoJo Fletcher is opening up about her plans for the future with husband Jordan Rodgers.

The Bachelorette alum, 32, revealed that she and the sports announcer, 34, are hoping to grow their family after getting married in May.

“I loved our life together before as an engaged couple,” she told Ok! “But there is this excitement now of talking about building a family together in the near future that is really special.”

RELATED: Jordan Rodgers Finally Tries Escargot in Paris as a Honeymoon Request from Wife JoJo Fletcher

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Rick Diamond/Getty Jordan Rodgers and JoJo Fletcher

The reality star added that she has noticed a shift in the couple’s relationship since tying the knot.

“After having to postpone it in 2020, and then again in 2021 due to the pandemic, we were so happy to finally be able to celebrate and get married this past May,” she shared. “It was truly the best weekend of our lives.”

“Nothing major in our day to day lives has changed, but I would say there is this feeling you get once married that just feels a bit different,” she added. “It’s hard to explain but there is a deeper feeling of connection.”

RELATED: JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers’ Relationship Timeline

Despite their busy schedules, the pair still prioritizes making time for each other.

“This time of the year is always crazy — with Jordan being in full football swing and traveling every week to me working on all my projects,” she explained. “We really have had to make a point to put a priority on our alone time we spend together and being intentional about it.””

“Thankfully, we are always together when we are in the same place but having those uninterrupted mini date nights together is super important and something we look forward to,” she continued. “Whether it’s something small as an evening walk together or cooking our favorite meal at home, making sure we are both fully present is a great way to reconnect after a hectic work week.”

RELATED VIDEO: The Bachelorette Newlyweds JoJo and Jordan Say Having Kids Is ‘At the Forefront’

RELATED: JoJo Fletcher Has 3 Gorgeous Wedding Bands Following Ceremony to Jordan Rodgers — See Each Ring!

Following their big day in May, Fletcher told PEOPLE that having kids is a priority.

“We were supposed to get married in 2020 and then we were going to wait a year or two before having kids,” she said at the time. “Now that we’ve had the couple of years, I think the conversation of starting to plan our family is at the forefront of our lives. I’m a new aunt and Jordan is about to be a new uncle and the idea of kids is something that’s really exciting to me.”

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Fletcher and Rodgers, who met on season 12 of The Bachelorette in 2016, tied the knot at the Sunstone Winery in Santa Ynez, California, in an intimate ceremony after after a six-year engagement and two pandemic-induced postponements.

“It would have been very easy in the first year to just do it and get married,” Rodgers said. “We could have pulled the trigger. But instead, we worked on our relationship until the point that we were absolutely ready for a wedding.”

“The evolution of our relationship from start to finish has been crazy,” Fletcher added. “There were ups and downs and difficult moments. But we’ve grown and we’ve evolved. Time has been our friend and it’s made us even stronger.”

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Troy Fletcher arrested: Suspect wanted in deadly shooting near Roxborough High School turns self in to Philadelphia police

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PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Philadelphia police have taken another suspect into custody following the deadly shooting near Roxborough High School last month.

Troy Fletcher, 15, surrendered to Homicide Detectives on Monday afternoon, according to a tweet from Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore. Fletcher is charged with murder and related offenses.

Police are still searching for 16-year-old Dayron Burney-Thorn, who is also charged with murder in the case.

On Monday, the U.S. Marshals Service said it is now offering up to a $5,000 cash reward for information leading to the arrest of Burney-Thorn.

Supervisory Deputy Marshal Robert Clark says the reward will be paid out immediately after an arrest.

Burney-Thorn is 6’3″ and weighs about 215 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. His last known address was in the 2900 block of Bambrey Street in Philadelphia.

The teen should be considered armed and dangerous.

Two additional suspects have been arrested in this case.

Yaaseen Bivins, 21, and Zyhied Jones, 17, were arrested last week.

The fatal shooting happened on September 27 around 4:30 p.m. on the 4700 block of Pechin Street just as a junior varsity football scrimmage ended between three schools: Roxborough High School, Northeast High School and Boys Latin Charter School.

The shooting killed 14-year-old Nicolas Elizalde of Havertown, Pa. and left four other teenagers wounded.

Elizalde was a freshman at Saul High School but played football for Roxborough.

Police have said Elizalde is not believed to have been one of the intended targets.

According to investigators, the suspects waited for six minutes before jumping out of the SUV and firing more than 60 shots.

Between the original reward of $45,000 and the new U.S. Marshals Service cash reward, $50,000 is up for grabs for the arrest and conviction of Burney-Thorn.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2022 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.



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Eliza Fletcher: Memphis teacher died from a gunshot wound to the back of her head, autopsy reveals

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CNN
 — 

Eliza Fletcher, the Memphis teacher who was abducted while on an early morning jog earlier this month, died from a gunshot wound to the back of her head and blunt force injury, according to an autopsy report obtained by CNN affiliate WHBQ.

“Autopsy examination revealed a perforating gunshot wound of the head,” the report from the West Tennessee Regional Forensic Center said. “Based on all the currently known and available information, the cause of death is gunshot wound and blunt force injury of the head and the manner of death is homicide.”

Police say that 38-year-old Cleotha Henderson allegedly passed by the 34-year-old teacher in an SUV while she was jogging in a neighborhood near the University of Memphis on September 2.

Authorities allege Henderson got out of the vehicle and chased Fletcher, eventually forcing her into the passenger seat around 4 a.m. in the morning. Fletcher’s body was discovered four days later behind a vacant complex.

Henderson has been charged with Fletcher’s murder. He remains in the Shelby County jail on no bond.

Fletcher, a mom of two, was a junior kindergarten teacher at Memphis’ St. Mary’s Episcopal School. She was an avid runner who routinely ran 8.2 miles in the predawn hours before her final run ended tragically unfinished.

A week to the day she vanished during her workout, members of Fletcher’s community gathered to symbolically complete her last run. More than 2,100 people signed up to run Fletcher’s route in an event dubbed, “Let’s Finish Liza’s Run.”

Her obituary, published by local news site The Daily Memphian, described her as “a light to all who knew her.”

“Her contagious smile and laughter could brighten any room,” it read. “Liza was pure of heart and innocent in ways that made her see the very best in everyone she met.”

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Oscar-winning Louise Fletcher dead at 88

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Louise Fletcher, an Oscar-winning actress from Alabama, died in her home in France on Friday, according to her agent. She was 88.

Fletcher died in her sleep at her Montdurausse estate surrounded by her family, her agent David Shaul told The Associated Press. He did not provide the cause of her death.

The Birmingham native was a pioneer in Hollywood and defined what it meant to be a villain in a feature film after her riveting performance as Nurse Ratched in 1975’s “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” for which she won an Academy Award.

American actress Louise Fletcher as Nurse Ratched in ‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest’, directed by Milos Forman, 1975. 
(Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)

In the Milos Forman-directed film, Fletcher starred opposite Jack Nicholson in a role that was turned down by prominent stars including Anne Bancroft, Ellen Burstyn and Angela Lansbury.

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Fletcher was little known at the time but was chosen for her standout performance in 1974’s Robert Altman-directed “Thieves Like Us.”

“I was the last person cast,” she said during a 2004 interview. “It wasn’t until we were halfway through shooting that I realized the part had been offered to other actresses who didn’t want to appear so horrible on the screen.”

Her cruel and methodical performance propelled “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” to become the first film since 1934′s “It Happened One Night” to win best picture, best director, best actor, best actress and best screenplay.

During her acceptance speech at the 1976 Oscars ceremony, Fletcher recalled how viewers “all hated me” over the role.

TAYLOR SWIFT TURNED DOWN SUPER BOWL HALFTIME OFFER: REPORT

She also used sign language to personally address her deaf parents.

“I want to thank you for teaching me to have a dream. You are seeing my dream come true,” she said in sign.

Her comments were met with thunderous applause.

Fletcher, who was in her 40s at the time, went on to star in “Mama Dracula,” “Dead Kids,” “The Boy Who Could Fly,” “The Cheap Detective,” “Natural Enemies,” “Cruel Intentions,” and “Exorcist II: The Heretic.” She also starred in several TV series, including “Joan of Arcadia, “Picket Fences,” and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.”

Despite her success and iconic roles, Fletcher was a late-bloomer in Hollywood as she married producer Jerry Bick in the early 1960s and put off her acting career to raise her two sons.

“I made the choice to stop working, but I didn’t see it as a choice,” she said during the 2004 interview. “I felt compelled to stay at home.”

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Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher pose for photographers outside The Dorchester Hotel to promote their new film ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, 9th February 1976. 
(Kent Gavin/Mirrorpix/Getty Images)

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She and Bick divorced in 1977 and he died in 2004.

She is survived by their two sons, John and Andrew Bick.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
 

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Louise Fletcher dies at 88: Oscar-winning actress played Nurse Ratched in ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’

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LOS ANGELES — Louise Fletcher, a late-blooming star whose riveting performance as the cruel and calculating Nurse Ratched in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” set a new standard for screen villains and won her an Academy Award, has died at age 88.

Fletcher died in her sleep surrounded by family at her home in Montdurausse, France, her agent David Shaul told The Associated Press on Friday. No cause was given.

After putting her career on hold for years to raise her children, Fletcher was in her early 40s and little known when chosen for the role opposite Jack Nicholson in the 1975 film by director Milos Forman, who had admired her work the year before in director Robert Altman’s “Thieves Like Us.” At the time, she didn’t know that many other prominent stars, including Anne Bancroft, Ellen Burstyn and Angela Lansbury, had turned it down.

“I was the last person cast,” she recalled in a 2004 interview. “It wasn’t until we were halfway through shooting that I realized the part had been offered to other actresses who didn’t want to appear so horrible on the screen.”

“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” went on to become the first film since 1934s “It Happened One Night” to win best picture, best director, best actor, best actress and best screenplay.

Clutching her Oscar at the 1976 ceremony, Fletcher told the audience, “It looks as though you all hated me.”

She then addressed her deaf parents in Birmingham, Alabama, talking and using sign language: “I want to thank you for teaching me to have a dream. You are seeing my dream come true.”

A moment of silence was followed by thunderous applause.

Later that night, Forman made the wry comment to Fletcher and her co-star, Jack Nicholson: “Now we all will make tremendous flops.”

In the short run, at least, he was right.

Forman next directed “Hair,” the movie version of the hit Broadway musical that failed to capture the appeal of the stage version. Nicholson directed and starred in “Goin’ South,” generally regarded as one of his worst films. Fletcher signed on for “Exorcist II: The Heretic,” a misconceived sequel to the landmark original.

Far more than her male peers, Fletcher was hampered by her age in finding major roles in Hollywood. Still, she worked continuously for most of the rest of her life. Her post-“Cuckoo’s Nest” films included “Mama Dracula,” “Dead Kids” and “The Boy Who Could Fly.”

She was nominated for Emmys for her guest roles on the TV series “Joan of Arcadia” and “Picket Fences,” and had a recurring role as Bajoran religious leader Kai Winn Adami in “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.” She played the mother of musical duo Carpenters in 1989’s “The Karen Carpenter Story.”

Fletcher’s career was also hampered by her height. At 5-feet-10, she would often be dismissed from an audition immediately because she was taller than her leading man.

Fletcher had moved to Los Angeles to launch her acting career soon after graduating from North Carolina State University.

Working as a doctor’s receptionist by day and studying at night with noted actor and teacher Jeff Corey, she began getting one-day jobs on such TV series as “Wagon Train,” “77 Sunset Strip” and “The Untouchables.”

Fletcher married producer Jerry Bick in the early 1960s and gave birth to two sons in quick succession. She decided to put her career on hold to be a stay-at-home mother and didn’t work for 11 years.

“I made the choice to stop working, but I didn’t see it as a choice,” she said in the 2004 interview. “I felt compelled to stay at home.”

She divorced Bick in 1977 and he died in 2004.

In “Cuckoo’s Nest,” based on the novel Ken Kesey wrote while taking part in an experimental LSD program, Nicholson’s character, R.P. McMurphy, is a swaggering, small-time criminal who feigns insanity to get transferred from prison to a mental institution where he won’t have to work so hard.

Once institutionalized, McMurphy discovers his mental ward is run by Fletcher’s cold, imposing Nurse Mildred Ratched, who keeps her patients tightly under her thumb. As the two clash, McMurphy all but takes over the ward with his bravado, leading to stiff punishment from Ratched and the institution, where she restores order.

The character was so memorable she would become the basis for a Netflix series, “Ratched,” 45 years later.

Estelle Louise Fletcher was born the second of four children on July 22, 1934, in Birmingham. Her mother was born deaf and her father was a traveling Episcopal minister who lost his hearing when struck by lightning at age 4.

“It was like having parents who are immigrants who don’t speak your language,” she said in 1982.

The Fletcher children were helped by their aunt, with whom they lived in Bryant, Texas, for a year. She taught them reading, writing and speaking, as well as how to sing and dance.

It was those latter studies that convinced Fletcher she wanted to act. She was further inspired, she once said, when she saw the movie “Lady in the Dark” with Ginger Rogers.

That and other films, Fletcher said, taught her “your dream could become real life if you wanted it bad enough.”

“I knew from the movies,” she would say, “that I wouldn’t have to stay in Birmingham and be like everyone else.”

Fletcher’s death was first reported by Deadline.

She is survived by her two sons, John and Andrew Bick.

Copyright © 2022 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.



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Cops Botched Rape Case That Could’ve Saved Eliza Fletcher, Suit Claims

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On the day schoolteacher and heiress Eliza Fletcher was abducted, DNA evidence from another case that could have put her suspect behind bars was sitting in a Tennessee testing facility, unentered into the national law enforcement system. Now, the woman in the first case has filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming the police department could and should have arrested the suspect sooner.

“They knew who it was, they did nothing, and as a result, Eliza Fletcher winds up murdered when [the suspect] should have been in jail,” the woman’s lawyer, Gary Smith, told The Daily Beast. “If they had done their job, she’d be alive.”

Alicia Franklin, 22, says she met Cleotha “Cleo” Abston on Sept. 21, 2021—almost a year before Fletcher’s abduction and murder. In her complaint, she says the two met on a dating app and made a plan to meet at the apartment complex where he worked before going to dinner.

Instead, she alleges, Abston drew a gun on her and forced her into an empty apartment, blindfolding her with a T-shirt and threatening to kill her. He walked her through the apartment and to his car, where, she says he forced her into the back seat and raped her. Franklin says she was pregnant at the time, and told Abston as much, to which she says he responded: “All you bitches say that.”

At the time, Abston had recently been released from prison after serving 20 years for kidnapping and aggravated robbery in 2001. According to the suit, this meant his DNA and other information was available in an FBI database for comparison if he committed other crimes. Franklin reported the incident to law enforcement immediately, providing them with the suspect’s first name, phone number, a description of his car, and information about the dating app where they met. She also completed a rape kit, which, when tested, would ultimately connect the crime back to Abston.

But the rape kit was not completed for another nine months, until June 24, according to the suit. A final report was not issued until Aug. 29, and the DNA information was not entered into the national law enforcement system until Sept. 5—three days after Fletcher was abducted on her morning run.

The abduction of Fletcher—the granddaughter of the founder of multibillion-dollar hardware distributor Orgill, Inc.—spurred national headlines and a multi-agency search. The 37-year-old mother of two was last seen running near the University of Memphis campus Sept. 2; her body was later found in an abandoned house nearby. Surveillance footage from the area of the abduction showed a man forcing Fletcher into his car and struggling with her inside.

According to the complaint, police ordered a “rush order” on the DNA from a pair of sandals found near the scene of the abduction, and quickly matched it to the genetic material entered after Abston’s 2001 conviction. They also obtained surveillance footage of Abston wearing the sandals, located his car, and followed him to his residence. He was arrested and indicted for Fletcher’s abduction on Sept. 4, and with her murder shortly after her body was found.

Abston was also indicted on charges of aggravated rape, especially aggravated kidnapping, and unlawful possession of a weapon in connection with Franklin’s rape on Sept. 8. But in her complaint, Franklin argues that Fletcher’s murder could have been prevented had her rape kit been processed sooner, or other leads investigated more thoroughly. She notes that police even showed her a photo of Abston in a lineup of suspects at the time she reported, but that she was unable to identify him at the time. (She alleges police offered to get a more recent photo of Abston to show her, since the photo in the lineup was more than a decade old, but never did.)

Franklin also alleges that she called to follow up on her case a month later and was told there were no updates.

“They was like, ‘Well, just keep in mind that it can take anywhere from a year or two to process a rape kit,’ she told The Daily Memphian. “So at that point, I gave up.”

A police department spokesperson said the department does not comment on pending litigation.

Smith, Franklin’s attorney, currently represents a number of women in a proposed class-action lawsuit against Memphis over a backlog of rape kits. The women are some of the 12,000 victims whose kits were discovered by Memphis police to be untested back in 2013. That case is still awaiting class action certification from a judge.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation told a local Fox station that its turnaround time for testing rape kits was anywhere from 33 to 49 weeks. The lab in Jackson, where Franklin’s kit was tested, received an average of almost 350 sexual assault evidence requests per month, according The Tennessean, causing wait times to stretch to the top of that range. TBI Communications Director Josh DeVine told The Tennessean that his agency had the highest number of submitted cases analyzed per scientist of the six surrounding states.

The bureau requested funding for 40 more forensic scientists during the last budget cycle, according to local news outlet WKRN, but received only half of what they asked. They are in the process of hiring new candidates who will start at the end of October.

In her suit, Franklin claimed that if police had followed any of her leads or ordered a rush test of the rape kit, Fletcher’s murder may never have happened.

“They had more than enough evidence that night when they interviewed me to get him off the streets. But they didn’t,” Franklin told Good Morning America. She added: “I’m angry. Not a day goes by that I didn’t think about this.

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Eliza Fletcher: Memphis funeral draws hundreds as slain mother remembered for ‘bringing light’ to the world

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Loved ones and hundreds of mourners from the Memphis community gathered on Saturday morning to bid a final farewell to Tennessee teacher and mother Eliza Fletcher, who was honored for “bringing light to this day and the world.”

Over 300 mourners were estimated to have attended funeral services held at the Second Presbyterian Church, in Memphis, Tennessee, where 34-year-old Fletcher first met her husband of eight years, Richard. Attendees waited in lines to enter the building, with mourners arriving steadily over the 90 minutes preceding the ceremony. 

Fletcher’s family arrived in two funeral vehicles and a large bus around 9:45 a.m. local time. The ceremony was live-streamed via the church’s YouTube page. Among songs and hymns performed by Second Presbyterian Church’s choir was, “This Little Light of Mine,” which Fletcher was seen in heart-wrenching video singing to her young students during the coronavirus pandemic.

ELIZA FLETCHER FUNERAL: SLAIN MEMPHIS JOGGER REMEMBERED AS FAMILY BIDS FINAL FAREWELL

Eliza Fletcher’s husband, Richard Fletcher, photographed outside the Second Presbyterian Church on September 10, 2022.
(Matt Symons for Fox News Digital)

Senior pastor Dr. George W. Robertson told mourners “everything in this service has something to do directly with Eliza Fletcher’s life.”

Mourners gather at the Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis, Tennessee, on September 10, 2022, for the funeral service for Eliza Fletcher.
(Matt Symons for Fox News Digital)

“Surely, you recognize the children’s song, ‘This Little Light of Mine,’ she recorded for her kindergartners to encourage them to keep their light shining, even in the tough times of COVID. And you recognize perhaps those who came to her wedding. These were her favorite humans. She was a light. She also was a joy,” Robertson said, according to the live stream. “Eliza’s name is Hebrew … It means joy.”

Eliza Fletcher’s father leans against a wall as mourners gather at the Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis, Tennessee, on September 10, 2022, for the funeral service for Eliza Fletcher.
(Matt Symons for Fox News Digital)

ELIZA FLETCHER FUNERAL: SLAIN MEMPHIS JOGGER’S MEMORIAL SERVICES ANNOUNCED

He spoke about Fletcher’s love of designing her own Nike tennis shoes and how she “was very proud of those shoes.”

Eliza Fletcher’s father, James Beasley, and mourners gather at the Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis, Tennessee, on September 10, 2022, for her funeral service.
(Matt Symons for Fox News Digital)

“‘This little light of mine,’ Liza said, ‘I’m gonna let it shine.’ Liza didn’t have the resume of a world changer, as we count world changers,” Robertson went on “But when Jesus is your light – no matter how small, no matter the world’s dismissal of you for not having perhaps what it says you want to have – with Jesus as your light, no matter how small you are, it shines brightly. This little light, born 34 years ago, is bringing light to this day and the world”

Eliza Fletcher’s mother, Adele Wellford, and husband, Richard Fletcher, seen with mourners as they gather at the Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis, Tennessee, on September 10, 2022, for the funeral service for Eliza Fletcher.
(Matt Symons for Fox News Digital)

Photographs from outside Saturday’s ceremony show mourners, including Fletcher’s mother, father and husband among other family members, consoling each other before the services began. 

ELIZA FLETCHER ABDUCTION: TIMELINE OF THE MEMPHIS TEACHER’S DISAPPEARANCE AND MURDER

Eliza Fletcher’s father, James Beasley Wellford, and mourners gather at the Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis, Tennessee, on September 10, 2022, for the funeral service for Eliza Fletcher.
(Matt Symons for Fox News Digital)

Fletcher, 34, was running near the University of Memphis campus around 4:30 a.m. on Sept. 2 when she was abducted and killed, allegedly at the hands of a stranger named Cleotha Henderson. Henderson, who has a violent criminal past, has since been hit with several charges, including first-degree murder, premeditated murder and murder in perpetration of kidnappings, in addition to other counts that include aggravated kidnapping and tampering with/fabricating evidence.

Loved ones and the Memphis community will gather on Saturday morning to bid farewell to Tennessee teacher and mother Eliza Fletcher. 
(Matt Symons for Fox News Digital)

Hundreds, if not thousands of people gathered in the pre-dawn hours of Friday morning to finish Fletcher’s run after it was tragically cut short.

Mourners gather at the Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis, Tennessee, on September 10, 2022, for the funeral service for Eliza Fletcher.
(Matt Symons for Fox News Digital)

“We’re out here today to honor Liza and to finish her run,” event organizer Danielle Heineman told the participants.

Mourners gather at the Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis, Tennessee, on September 10, 2022, for the funeral service for Eliza Fletcher.
(Matt Symons for Fox News Digital)

“We’re just here today to run in honor of Liza, and also to show that women in this city have a right to run at 4 o’ clock in the morning or 10 at night or any time of the day,” Heineman said. “And we don’t have to completely cover our bodies while we run. There should be no excuses.”

Fletcher was a married mother of two and a descendant of the Orgill fortune. She was a junior kindergarten teacher at St. Mary’s Episcopal School and had previously taught at the Promise Academy.

An obituary released in her memory describes her as having been “devoted” to her work and her students. 

Eliza Fletcher with her family in an undated photograph provided by the funeral home; Eliza Fletcher poses for a selfie. 
(Canale Funeral Directors; Liza Fletcher/Instagram)

“As with everything Liza took on, she nurtured and cared for her students with her whole heart,” the obituary states. “A strong believer in the importance of personal growth, she was not afraid to be vulnerable. To the contrary, she embraced it.”

It also describes the young mom as a “born athlete.”

“Liza’s passion for sports extended from childhood teams to collegiate competition to excellence in marathons in adulthood,” according to the obituary. “She found great joy in her morning runs with friends. She channeled her competitive nature into enthusiastic participation in all that she undertook.”

Fletcher was someone who “modeled the Christian life and trusted in her unwavering faith.”  

The page adds: “Her impact is extraordinary, as is witnessed in the prayer groups, vigils held at the homes of friends and family, church and school gatherings, and memorial runs and walks held in her honor. The outpouring of love and grief would have surprised Liza, who never thought or acted as if she were something special – though she certainly was.”

MEMPHIS JOGGER SUSPECT CLEOTHA HENDERSON’S LAWYER SEEKS GAG ORDER AS ELIZA FLETCHER’S FAMILY RELEASES OBITUARY

Liza Fletcher, a 34-year-old teacher and mother of two who was killed during her morning jog last week, will be laid to rest Saturday.
(Jennifer Sink/Facebook, Memphis Police)

But her “most cherished role,” the obituary states, “was that of wife and mother.”

ELIZA FLETCHER MURDER SUSPECT CLEOTHA ABSTON’S VIOLENT HISTORY OF RAPE, ASSAULT AND KIDNAPPING EXPLAINED

“Liza was a light to all who knew her,” it goes on. “Her contagious smile and laughter could brighten any room. Liza was pure of heart and innocent in ways that made her see the very best in everyone she met. To know her was to love her and to be loved by her.”

Eliza Fletcher’s husband, Richie Fletcher III, works as a dealership manager for a Memphis boat center and was previously a Coast Guard mechanic.
(Liza Fletcher/Instagram)

Details regarding the tragedy that befell Fletcher have been scant, and police have not released information regarding how she died or the motive behind the attack.

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Deputy Attorney General Steve Mulroy said Tuesday that investigators had “no reason to think this was anything other than an isolated attack by a stranger.” He did not divulge a possible motive.

Fletcher’s family has asked that any memorials be made in the form of contributions to the Liza Wellford Fletcher Memorial Fund at St. Mary’s Episcopal School, Christ Methodist Day School, and Second Presbyterian Church.

Stephanie Pagones is a Digital Reporter for FOX Business and Fox News. Story tips can be sent to stephanie.pagones@fox.com and on Twitter: @steph_pagones. 

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Cleotha Abston, accused of killing Eliza Fletcher, faces additional ‘unrelated’ charges

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The man accused in the kidnapping and murder of Memphis mother Eliza Fletcher has been charged with an additional count of aggravated kidnapping and rape in an “unrelated” case, a report said.

Cleotha Abston, 38, is facing the additional charges, Memphis police confirmed to Fox News, without providing much information other than confirmation that the new counts aren’t tied to Fletcher’s case.

Abston, who served 20 years in prison for especially aggravated kidnapping in 2000, has been charged with murdering Fletcher, the granddaughter of a late billionaire.

Fletcher was jogging around 4:20 a.m. on Sept. 2 when she was forced into a dark GMC Terrain, Memphis police said. Her smashed phone and water bottle were also found nearby.

It’s unclear at this time how Eliza Fletcher was killed.

Surveillance footage had shown Fletcher, a 34-year-old wife and mother of two, being shoved into the car.

Abston was busted the next day after DNA linked him to a pair of slides left near the kidnapping scene. He refused to tell detectives where she was. 

Her body was found Monday in the “rear of a vacant duplex apartment” in an area close to where police say Abston was seen in surveillance footage vigorously cleaning out the GMC Terrain.

Memphis police on the scene where Fletcher’s body was discovered.
AP
A video showing the moment accused kidnapper and murderer, Cleotha Abston, cleaned out his SUV after Fletcher’s kidnapping.
WREG-TV

The suspect’s brother — who was separately charged with drug and gun offenses — was among those who claimed Abston was acting “strange” and scrubbing his clothes hours after the abduction, according to an affidavit.

Authorities said Tuesday the alleged attack appears to be random, explaining that Abston and Fletchers were strangers. 

It’s unclear where Fletcher died and how she was killed.

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Hundreds finish run of slain teacher Eliza Fletcher in Memphis

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Fletcher, a 34-year-old wife, mother and teacher, was violently abducted last week in Memphis, Tennessee; her body was found Monday behind a vacant complex.
A week to the day after she vanished during her workout, members of Fletcher’s community gathered Friday morning to symbolically complete her last run. More than 2,100 people signed up to run Fletcher’s route in an event dubbed “Let’s Finish Liza’s Run.” The run was organized on Facebook, and another 3,200 people there responded they’re “interested” in attending.
“I’m so impressed with the turnout. It’s very emotional,” resident Margaret Craddock told CNN affiliate WHBQ at the run. “I’ve known Eliza slightly a long time ago. It’s a real tribute to her and just the fact that women should be able to get out early in the morning or whenever and do this. It’s so good for our city at this time to have everyone pull together.”

On the Facebook page, event organizers said, “We created this run as way to honor Liza and cope with our own feelings. Our goal is to stand up for the women in the Mid South and emphasize that women should be able to safely run any time of day.”

Memphis, already stunned by Fletcher’s abduction and killing, also is reeling from a shooting rampage Wednesday that left four people dead and three wounded. A 38-year-old man with a prior kidnapping conviction has been charged in Fletcher’s death, while a 19-year-old man accused in the shooting spree is set to appear Friday in court, according to jail records.
The Memphis Police Department planned to support the Friday morning event honoring Fletcher with “an increased presence in the area,” it tweeted.

Fletcher, a mom of two, was a junior kindergarten teacher at Memphis’ St. Mary’s Episcopal School, where faculty and staff lit candles this week in her memory.

Fletcher’s funeral is set for Saturday at 10 a.m., according to her obituary.

“Liza was a light to all who knew her. Her contagious smile and laughter could brighten any room. Liza was pure of heart and innocent in ways that made her see the very best in everyone she met,” her obituary, posted Thursday by Canale Funeral Directors, read.

Suspect in Fletcher’s killing makes court appearance

The man accused of abducting and killing Fletcher has been identified as Cleotha Henderson. He faces a charge of first-degree murder in perpetration of kidnapping, plus initial charges of kidnapping and tampering with evidence.

It is unclear what sentence prosecutors would pursue if Henderson is convicted.

“It is premature for us to discuss right now what punishment we’re going to seek,” Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said Wednesday. In Tennessee, a first-degree murder conviction carries a sentence of life in prison — with or without parole — or the death penalty.

Also unclear is whether Henderson’s kidnapping conviction more than 20 years ago would have an impact in this case. Henderson pleaded guilty to kidnapping an attorney in 2000 and was released in 2020, Mulroy’s office told local news outlet WREG.

Henderson appeared Thursday in a Shelby County court after he filed a motion for a change of attorney because of an alleged conflict of interest. The Shelby County Public Defender’s Office, which was appointed this week to Henderson’s case, had represented him in the prior kidnapping case, Judge Louis Montesi Jr. said.

Montesi said Henderson’s prior attorney would not be involved in his current case and ruled there were no “grounds or basis for the public defender to be disqualified as counsel.”

Henderson will remain in the Shelby County Jail without bond for the murder charge against him, the judge said.

Henderson allegedly passed by Fletcher in an SUV while she was jogging September 2 in a neighborhood near the University of Memphis. Henderson got out of the vehicle and chased Fletcher until he forced her into the passenger seat around 4 a.m., authorities say.

Search began when Fletcher didn’t return from run

The search for Fletcher began last Friday after her husband reported she didn’t return home from her routine morning jog, authorities said in an affidavit.

Police later found surveillance video of that area that showed a black GMC Terrain pass her, according to the affidavit. A man is seen in the footage getting out of the SUV and “aggressively” running toward her before forcing her into the vehicle’s passenger seat, according to the affidavit. The SUV drove away about four minutes after both people were inside, the affidavit states.

Police also analyzed a pair of sandals that were found at the abduction site, near the victim’s phone. DNA found on the shoes matched Henderson’s DNA, according to the affidavit.

Henderson’s employer told investigators he drove a GMC Terrain and verified his phone number. Cell phone records showed Henderson was near the abduction site at the time of the kidnapping, according to the affidavit.

Members of a US Marshals task force found a GMC Terrain that matched details seen in the surveillance video near Henderson’s home Saturday morning, the affidavit reads. The task force detained Henderson near his home Saturday, the court document said.

Two witnesses — including Henderson’s brother — told police they saw Henderson acting strangely at the brother’s Memphis house after the abduction, according to the affidavit. Both said Henderson cleaned the interior of the GMC Terrain with floor cleaner and that he washed his clothes in the sink of the home, the affidavit states.

CNN’s Aya Elamroussi and Holly Yan contributed to this report.



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Eliza Fletcher: Suspect in Memphis teacher’s abduction and death to be arraigned on murder charges today

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Abston, arrested over the weekend on the kidnapping allegations, faces new charges including first-degree murder after authorities announced that a body found near a vacant Memphis duplex Monday was Fletcher’s.

“To lose someone so young and so vital is a tragedy in and of itself, but to have it happen in this way, with a senseless act of violence, it’s unimaginable,” Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said Tuesday.

The teacher’s death, which authorities say was violent, still is surrounded by questions about where and how she was killed, and why.

Still, investigators “have no reason to think this was anything other than an isolated attack by a stranger,” Mulroy told reporters Tuesday.

As the investigation unfolds, Fletcher’s community is mourning the junior kindergarten teacher and mother of two.

She was “a joy to everyone who knew her,” her family said in a statement obtained by CNN affiliate WHBQ.

“We are heartbroken and devastated by this senseless loss. Liza was a such a joy to so many — her family, friends, colleagues, students, parents, members of her Second Presbyterian Church congregation, and everyone who knew her,” the statement reads.

“Now it’s time to remember and celebrate how special she was and to support those who cared so much for her. We appreciate all the expressions of love and concern we have received. We are grateful beyond measure to local, state and federal law enforcement for their tireless efforts to find Liza and to bring justice to the person responsible for this horrible crime,” Fletcher’s family said.

At St. Mary’s Episcopal School, the faculty and staff started the day in chapel and lit candles in Fletcher’s memory, the school said Tuesday in a Facebook post.

“We are heartbroken at the loss of our beloved teacher, colleague, and friend Liza Fletcher,” the St. Mary’s Episcopal School said.

Fletcher was the granddaughter of hardware magnate Joseph Orgill III, who died in 2018 at the age of 80. Tennessee-based Orgill has annual sales of $3 billion, according to the company.

Abston, 38, was arraigned Tuesday on his initial charges: Especially aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence. He was being held in a county jail on those charges with bond set at $510,000.

A judge Tuesday appointed a public defender to represent him after he told the court he didn’t have an attorney or the money to post bond.

Abston is set to be arraigned Wednesday on charges of first-degree murder, premeditated murder and murder in the course of the perpetration of a kidnapping, Mulroy said.

How the four-day search for the victim unfolded

Fletcher had been jogging in a neighborhood near the University of Memphis around 4 a.m. Friday. Her husband told police Friday morning that she’d not returned, authorities said in an affidavit, which initially was filed Sunday and amended Tuesday.

Someone found her phone in a street that morning, and it was given to one of Fletcher’s relatives, who gave it to investigators, the affidavit reads.

Police then found surveillance video of that area, which shows a black GMC Terrain pass by her, according to the affidavit. A man is seen in the footage getting out of the SUV and “aggressively” running toward her before forcing her into the vehicle’s passenger seat, according to the affidavit.

The SUV remained in a parking lot for about four minutes after both people were inside and then drove away, the affidavit states.

Police also analyzed a pair of sandals that were found at the abduction site, near the victim’s phone. DNA found on the shoes matched Abston’s DNA, the affidavit reads.

Investigators interviewed Abston’s employer, who said he drove a GMC Terrain and verified his phone number. Investigators checked Abston’s cell phone records, which showed he was near the abduction scene during the time of Fletcher’s kidnapping, according to the affidavit.

Members of a US Marshals task force found a GMC Terrain near Abston’s home on Saturday morning — and it had the same distinguishable damage seen in the surveillance footage, and the license plate matched the partial plate information gleaned from the video, the affidavit reads.

The task force detained Abston near his home Saturday, the court document said.

Police gathered details from two witnesses — including Abston’s brother — who say they saw him acting strangely at the brother’s Memphis house after the abduction, according to the affidavit.

Both said Abston cleaned the interior of the GMC Terrain with floor cleaner, and that he washed his clothes in the sink of the home, according to the affidavit.

Body found near vacant home; clothing found discarded nearby

On Monday, searchers, acting on information from an FBI team that analyzes cell phone data, found Fletcher’s body just after 5 p.m., according to the affidavit.

The searchers, using the cell phone data, had focused on an area near an intersection less than a mile from the brother’s home. The team smelled an odor of decay coming from an area near a vacant home, saw vehicle tracks in the grass near the driveway and eventually found a body on the property, according to the affidavit.

“The scene investigation revealed that the female fit the description of missing person, Eliza Fletcher,” the affidavit states.

That property was in the 1600 block of Victor Street, authorities said. That’s about a half-mile drive from the address that authorities gave for his brother’s home, a 7.5-mile drive from the alleged abduction site and about a 15.5-mile drive from Abston’s home.

A little more than an hour after the body was found and about three tenths of a mile away, a detective found a trash bag with purple running shorts — consistent with the ones Fletcher was wearing when she was abducted, the affidavit reads.

Suspect also faces charges not related to Fletcher

Abston is also facing charges unrelated to Fletcher’s case, including identity theft, theft of property $1,000 or less and fraudulent use/illegal possession of a credit or debit card $1,000 or less, Shelby County jail records show.

Those charges are connected to a theft report filed last week by a woman who reported someone was using her Cash App card and Wisely Card at gas stations without her knowledge.

CNN has reached out to the Shelby County district attorney and Memphis police regarding the theft charges.

CNN’s Melissa Alonso, Anne Clifford, Jamiel Lynch, Chuck Johnston, Tina Burnside, Hannah Sarisohn and Jennifer Feldman contributed to this report.

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