Ted Williams: Evidence shows Memphis officials have the right man 'without a doubt'
Former D.C. homicide detective Ted Williams discusses the details of Eliza Fletcher's abduction following a Memphis police press briefing.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Memphis police and several other law enforcement agencies found "tire marks" and smelled an "odor of decay" during their search for the body of Eliza Fletcher on Monday evening.
A new affidavit released Tuesday states that a law enforcement officer found the tire marks in high grass and an odor of decay at 1666 Victor St. in Memphis, which then led them to a rear driveway where a body later identified as Eliza Fletcher was found.
Authorities revealed on Tuesday that they discovered Fletcher's remains at 5:07 p.m. Monday in the "rear of a vacant duplex apartment" near the area where she was abducted.
Police have so far hit Cleotha Abston-Henderson, 38, with a slew of 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.
ELIZA FLETCHER: MEMPHIS TEACHER ABDUCTED, KILLED IN SUSPECTED 'ISOLATED ATTACK BY A STRANGER'
Police at the crime scene in the case of Eliza Fletcher. (Michael Ruiz for Fox News Digital)
In the back of the home, officers "noticed a set of steps just north of the rear driveway. Immediately to the right of the steps, [one of the officers] located an unresponsive female lying on the ground," the affidavit states.
Investigators then canvassed the surrounding area and spotted "a discarded trash bag" roughly 0.3 miles away on South Orleans Street, the affidavit states.
ELIZA FLETCHER ABDUCTION: TIMELINE OF THE MEMPHIS TEACHER'S DISAPPEARANCE
A police van is parked outside the house where the body of Eliza Fletcher was found lying on the ground. (Michael Ruiz for Fox News Digital)
"The bag contained purple Lululemon running shorts that were consisted (sic) with the ones Eliza Fletcher was last seen wearing," the affidavit goes on.
Fletcher, 34, was abducted around 4:30 a.m. Friday while she was running near the University of Memphis. At the time, she was wearing a pink top and purple shorts.
Tire tracks approaching the house where the body of Eliza Fletcher was found lying on the ground. (Michael Ruiz for Fox News Digital)
Surveillance footage showed a black GMC Terrain "passing and then waiting for the victim to run by," according to a Memphis Police Department affidavit. "A male exited the black GMC Terrain, ran aggressively toward the victim, and then forced the victim Eliza Fletcher into the passenger side of the vehicle … there appeared to be a struggle."
The backyard of the house where the body of Eliza Fletcher was found. (Michael Ruiz for Fox News Digital)
The affidavit later added: "The vehicle then sat in the parking lot with the victim inside for approximately four minutes before it drove off."
The "violent" abduction was caught on video and allegedly showed Abston-Henderson "waiting for, then rushing toward the victim, then forcing the victim into the vehicle."
Eliza Fletcher's body was found by police on Sept. 5, 2022. Cleotha Abston-Henderson appears before a judge in Memphis on Sept. 6, 2022. (Memphis Police Department/ Adam Sabes for Fox News Digital)
Agents with the U.S. Marshals Service arrested Abston-Henderson on Saturday after matching his DNA to a pair of sandals found near the scene, police documents state.
Officials have said it was too early to determine the place and method of Fletcher's death. A police department spokesperson would not comment to Fox News Digital when asked about any significance or connection between Abston-Henderson and the vacant building near where Fletcher was found.
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People who knew Abston-Henderson reported that they saw him just before 8 a.m. Friday behaving oddly and cleaning the interior of his GMC Terrain with floor cleaner. They also reported that he washed his clothes in the sink of their home.
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