Photo Courtesy: Eliza Fletcher’s Facebook Page
By: Autumn Klein
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (UATV) – Today marks one week since the tragic death of Eliza Fletcher and the community gathers to show their support. Fletcher was abducted Friday, September 2 around 4:20 a.m. while jogging near the University of Memphis campus.
A search party was issued and, a few days later, Fletcher’s body was found near East Person Avenue and Victor Street according to the affidavit. Her alleged killer was identified as Cleotha Abston, 38. Abston faces multiple charges, but is set to appear in court again Sept. 19.
Eliza Fletcher was only 34 years old. She was a mother of two, as well as a kindergarten teacher. She never got to finish her 8.2-mile run and so today, hundreds in Memphis gathered to complete the route for her.
Participants gathered just before 4:20 a.m., the time surveillance captured Fletcher getting abducted. The Memphis Police Department assisted with traffic and security for the participants. The details for the event were provided through a Facebook group called Let’s Finish Liza’s run.
Danielle Heineman, one of the organizers of the group, said in a Facebook post “I would like to add that this is not a memorial run. This is about finishing a run Liza couldn’t. This is about women not being shamed for running at 4am.”
The run was initially planned to just be about 15 to 20 women from the local community, but approximately 2,500 people were in attendance. Another 3,000 said they were interested in the event. Fletcher was an avid runner having completed the St. Jude marathon in a time fast enough to qualify for the Boston Marathon.
Communities from all across the country are joining in on finishing Eliza’s run. Groups ran today in Nashville, Chattanooga, Pittsburgh, Bristol and many other cities and towns all over the country. Organizers of the Let’s Finish Eliza’s Run Facebook page say “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.”
There has not yet been a run set to happen in Northwest Arkansas, but stay tuned for updates.