A body has been found in the search for billionaire heiress Eliza Fletcher who was abducted while on a morning jog last Friday. The remains were found in the south of Memphis but have not yet been identified, Memphis Police Department said.
There is currently a large police presence, including a helicopter, where the body was found roughly 20 minutes from the University of Memphis. The crime scene with at least a mile radius has been sealed off near an abandoned school, the Mirror reports.
Memphis Police Department shared in a tweet : "At 5:07 pm, officers in the 1600 block of Victor located a deceased party. The identity of this person and the cause of death is unconfirmed at this time.
"The investigation is ongoing. Once additional information is available, we will provide an update."
Cleotha Abston, 38, has been charged with aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence following Mrs Fletcher's disappearance. Police arrested Abston on Saturday after police detected his DNA on a pair of sandals near to where Fletcher was last seen, according to an arrest affidavit.
Mrs Fletcher, a teacher and mother-of-two, was abducted after going for a run in Memphis at 4.30am on Friday and has not been seen since. Surveillance video showed Fletcher running along a road wearing a pink top and blue shorts shortly before the incident.
Abston was identified by police as the owner of the black SUV which they claim Mrs Fletcher was "abducted and forced into" while out for a morning jog near the University of Memphis. The 34-year-old mum was taken on the street and the shocking incident was captured on CCTV, with a grainy image of the car that took her visible.
The pre-kindergarten teacher's phone and water bottle were found close by having been hurled to the floor and broken, according to a report from Action News 5. Mrs Fletcher, an heiress to a family fortune from the Orgill hardware company, is a teacher at St Mary’s Episcopal School.
Headteacher Albert Throckmorton said younger pupils had not been told about the kidnapping but the school was supporting older students who understood the situation. The school released a letter to parents, saying counsellors and chaplains were available to support students.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
