Why the Tragic Death of Eliza Fletcher Was Entirely Preventable
Eliza Fletcher was a 34 year-old mother and teacher in Memphis, Tennessee, a city that used to be vibrant and full of life, but has turned into a crime ridden hell-scape. Fletcher was out early one morning for a run when she was abducted, thrown into a van, abused, murdered, and left behind an abandoned house in the city. It is a gruesome and tragic picture, but becomes even worse when we realize that it was a preventable loss.
The man who murdered her, Cleotha Abston, is what many would consider a career criminal. He was first arrested at 11 years old for theft. According to Action News 5, Abston was “detained 16 times for charges ranging from aggravated assault to rape” over 5 years following his first arrest. At 16-years old, Abston was arrested for kidnapping a man and holding him at gunpoint for several hours, this incident was also an attempted robbery. After pleading guilty, he was sentenced to 24 years in prison.
“From October 1995 to May 2000, Abston was convicted of rape, aggravated assault and unlawful possession of a weapon . . . Abston served 20 years of his 24-year sentence for the Durand kidnapping, 85% of his term, and was released from Trousdale Turner Correctional Facility in November 2020.”
Action News 5
Due to the left’s soft-on-crime policies and decriminalization tactics, Abston was released into the community after serving less The man was obviously a net negative on society and should never have been on the streets given his past. Many believe had he at least served his full sentence, Fletcher would still be alive.
This is a devastating phenomenon affecting multiple left wing cities across the country, criminals are caught and released back into the communities they terrorized in the name of equity and justice reform.
