One year after her death, runners once more 'Finish Liza's Run' in Memphis

Memphians gathered in Midtown Friday, running and walking to remember local teacher Eliza Fletcher, who was abducted and killed during an early morning run one year ago.

Fletcher's disappearance garnered national attention and the video footage showing a clear abduction triggered a massive, multi-agency response from area law enforcement.

For four days, Memphians waited anxiously for Fletcher's return. Her body was finally found in an abandoned lot in a South Memphis neighborhood after tire tracks alerted an officer to possible activity.

Why are people running for Eliza Fletcher?

In her life, Fletcher — a mother to two young children — was an avid runner, one year posting a time of 3:26:09 at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's annual marathon.

When she was abducted, Fletcher was in the middle of an early morning run that started well before sunrise.

In 2022, after her body was found, thousands of women signed on up to run the rest of the route Fletcher would have completed the day of her disappearance. One year later, more than 1,000 people took to the streets at 4:20 a.m. to “Finish Liza’s Run," once again completing the last 8 miles Fletcher wasn’t able to last year. As the sun came up, joggers cheered each other across the finish line outside the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Central Avenue.

The event, which partially closed traffic on some nearby streets, wrapped up by 7 to allow for school drop-off.

Where does the case against Eliza Fletcher's alleged killer stand?

Cleotha Abston-Henderson, the man charged with Fletcher's abduction and murder, is next due in court on Sept. 15 for a status report on the case.

According to recent criminal court filings, his public defender was dismissed from the case on Aug. 3 and Juni Ganguli, a private attorney, is now representing Abston-Henderson.

Ganguli has represented several high-profile defendants in Shelby County, including Sherra Wright — the ex-wife of Memphis basketball legend Lorenzen Wright.

Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy has said his office will seek the death penalty in Abston-Henderson's case, due to the brutality of the crime.

What changed in Memphis after Fletcher's death?

Fletcher's death put a tragic point on an issue already impacting Memphians — crime. More specifically, the murder of Fletcher called into question how the Tennessee justice system deals with repeat offenders.

At the time, Abston-Henderson had recently rejoined society in 2020 following a 20-year prison sentence for kidnapping.

After his arrest in relation to Fletcher's killing, he was also indicted for the 2021 kidnapping and sexual assault of Alicia Franklin, a young woman who met Abston-Henderson through a dating app.

More: Judge will not re-open Cleotha Abston-Henderson rape civil case against Memphis police

Advocacy groups have asked for a special investigator to look into various agencies for possible "failings" by law enforcement and state prison officials in the wake of Fletcher's death, once it became clear that Memphis police may have had a chance to apprehend Abston-Henderson in the wake of Franklin's assault.

In the time since Fletcher's death, the University of Memphis received $5 million in state funding to go towards enhanced security measurements around the area where Fletcher was abducted. The first phase of implementing those enhanced measures is underway, the university said.

Micaela Watts is a reporter for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at micaela.watts@commercialappeal.com.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Eliza Fletcher: 1 year later, where does trial stand for her alleged killer?