NewsNation

Eliza Fletcher abduction may have been planned: Expert

(NewsNation) — Eliza Fletcher is still missing after she was reportedly abducted during her morning routine jog in Memphis on Friday.

New details emerged Sunday, leading to the arrest of 38-year-old Cleotha Abston who has been charged with Especially Aggravated Kidnapping and Tampering with Evidence in Fletcher’s abduction.


NewsNation spoke with a private investigator to see where the investigation seems to be at, and what can be expected moving forward.

TJ Ward, a private investigator with 40+ years as a certified law enforcement officer, said he believes Fletcher’s abduction was not random.

Q: Do you think that with what was found in and around the vehicle, in addition to people who live in and around that neighborhood where she was last seen jogging, could investigators put this case together and put charges squarely on this suspect?

Ward: Yes, I believe so. And this was a very, very quick investigation that I knew from beginning was not random. This, this was a planned kidnapping. And right now, we don’t know who else is involved. But the witnesses that that’s gotten the information and given it to the police was helpful. And the information from the DNA that they got, from knowing which vehicle he was in, now they can start pulling some other things together.

Ward said he normally has to look at the worst possible outcome in order to find helpful information. He suggested the investigators will most likely pull out cadaver dogs in hopes of finding any related evidence or information.