The mother of accused killer Cleotha Abston is speaking out.
Abston stands accused of the murder of 34-year-old Eliza Fletcher, who was abducted while running near Memphis on September 2. He is charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, and tampering with evidence. A judge has refused him bail ahead of his September 19 hearing.
Now Virgie Abston, the mother of the accused, is saying that she believes her son is innocent. She has been in hiding since his arrest.
She insisted that he is a "kind" and "good person." Abston was previously convicted of an abduction, which the felon's mother referenced. She says he is once again being "railroaded" for a violent crime.
The mother of the accused told Daily Mail that she has been in contact with her son. "I talked to him and he said he didn't do it," she told the outlet. "He said [to me]: 'They're trying to put me in some stuff, mom.'"
There is ample evidence in the case, all of which points to Abston. Witnesses claimed they saw him washing the inside of his car after the abduction. There is also video evidence, as well as DNA evidence from Fletcher's smashed cellphone, which was found near the scene of the abduction.
Abston is also facing separate charges related to a September 2021 rape of a woman, Alicia Franklin. She spoke out recently, telling The Daily Memphian that she met Abston on a dating app and that be blindfolded her, put a gun to her head, and raped her. While she was given a rape kit, she says investigators didn't process it for 11 months.
"I was just an average Black girl in the city of Memphis, you know…. I just think it wasn’t a priority," she told The Daily Memphian.
In spite of the multiple charges against him, as well as his previous crimes, Abston's mother is standing by him. "I believe him," she continued. "I don't believe he did it. If it comes out of his mouth, that's what I believe."
Still, the felon's mother insists he is not a monster and that he is a "lovable" person. She also said that he has spent much of his life in prison. In 2020, he was released after serving two decades for the abduction of Memphis lawyer.
"He left me when he was 16," she said, criticizing the criminal justice system. "They took 20 years of my son's life. They need to fix that prison [system]."
Eliza Fletcher was found dead after being reported missing when she didn't return home from her morning run. Abston allegedly forced her into his SUV after a violent struggle. Four days later, the mother and kindergarten teacher's body was discovered.
