MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee man has been found guilty of raping a woman a year before he was charged with kidnapping and killing a school teacher who was on an early morning run.
A jury in Memphis convicted 40-year-old Cleotha Abston of kidnapping and raping the woman in September 2021.
According to The Daily Memphian, the jury's Friday decision found Abston guilty on three counts of aggravated rape, especially aggravated kidnapping and unlawful possession of a weapon. Jurors had heard testimony from witnesses Tuesday and Wednesday, and then closing arguments on Thursday.
The Memphis news outlet reports that the victim reported she had been raped on Sept. 21, 2021, after meeting Abston on a social dating site and agreeing to meet him at his apartment.
Abston allegedly held her at gunpoint, covered her face with a T-shirt, walked her outside the apartment and raped her in the backseat of his girlfriend's vehicle.
“I didn’t want to die,” she testified Tuesday, explaining why she complied.
Abston was not charged in the 2021 rape case until after being charged with snatching Eliza Fletcher from a street near the University of Memphis on Sept. 2, 2022, and forcing her into an SUV. Her body was found days later near a vacant duplex.
Abston was not arrested on the rape charges before Fletcher’s killing because of a long delay in processing the sexual assault kit, authorities have said. He has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors say they will pursue the death penalty if Abston is convicted of first-degree murder in Fletcher's death, but no trial date has been set in that case.
The killing of Fletcher, a 34-year-old kindergarten teacher and mother of two, shocked the Memphis community and led to a flood of support for her family. Runners in Memphis and several other cities held an early-morning running events in her honor a week after she was abducted. A second run honoring Fletcher was held last year.
Abston was arrested after police detected his DNA on sandals found near the location where Fletcher was last seen, an arrest affidavit said. An autopsy report showed Fletcher died of a gunshot wound to the head. She also had injuries to her right leg and jaw fractures.
After Fletcher’s death, the Legislature passed a law requiring the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to issue a quarterly report on sexual assault kit testing times.
Abston’s lawyer, Juni Ganguli, had filed a change of venue motion seeking to have jurors from the Nashville area hear the rape case, but a judge denied the request. Ganguli had said that heavy media coverage and social media commentary threatened Abston’s ability to receive a fair trial if Memphis-area jurors are used.
Ganguli had said social media comments about news stories in the Fletcher case have been overwhelmingly negative and toxic.
The rape victim in the 2021 case has since sued the city of Memphis on allegations that the Memphis Police Department did not properly investigate her case, but the lawsuit was dismissed by a judge.
FILE - Cleotha Abston sits during a court appearance at the Shelby County Criminal Court, July 6, 2023, in Memphis, Tenn. A jury in Memphis convicted Abston, Friday, April 12, 2024, of kidnapping and raping the woman in September 2021.(Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal via AP, File)/The Commercial Appeal via AP)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Roman Josi and Alexandre Carrier scored goals and the Nashville Predators kept their season alive with a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series on Tuesday night.
Filip Forsberg assisted on both goals and Juuse Saros made 19 saves as the Predators narrowed their deficit in the best-of-seven matchup to 3-2.
Nikita Zadorov scored for the Canucks and rookie goalie Arturs Silovs stopped 20 shots.
The series returns to Nashville for Game 6 on Friday night.
Predators coach Andrew Brunette said his top players knew they needed to step up.
“All year they’ve kind of done it. Proud of them, the resiliency they showed. It was tough,” he said. “It’s been a tough series to create a whole lot, they’re offensive guys. But they stuck with it, and the message was it might take forever to get it, but keep pounding on the door, and I thought they did a really good job just staying true to themselves."
The Canucks had a chance to earn a few days rest, but instead, the team is taking another trip to Tennessee.
“It just sucks. We had a chance to close them out at home with a lead,” said Canucks forward J.T. Miller.
“The margins are obviously close and every little mistake is going to cost you this time of year. It is what it is. It’s going to be a hard-fought series. We didn’t think coming in that it was going to be a five-gamer. And (the Predators) played well tonight.”
Vancouver poured on the pressure early, creating a flurry of chances in the game’s opening minutes.
Ryan McDonagh tried to beat the 23-year-old Silovs with a drag move midway through the first period, but the goalie reached up and snatched the puck out of the air.
Vancouver’s best chance of the first came in the final seconds when Miller bolted out of the penalty box, collected the puck for a breakaway, and sent a wrist shot just wide of the net.
The Predators came into the second with a burst of offensive force, and outshot the home side 11-4 in the period.
Cole Smith unleashed a one-timer from the middle of the faceoff circle 33 seconds into the frame, hitting the top of Silovs’ blocker. The goalie watched the rebound drop to the ice and pounced to cover it up.
Midway through the second, Nashville got another prime chance, this time while down a man.
With Anthony Beauvillier in the box for hooking, Kiefer Sherwood streaked down the ice on a short-handed breakaway but his shot hit the post.
Vancouver went 0 for 2 on the power play Tuesday while Nashville was 1 for 4.
The Canucks broke through 3:11 into the third period when Zadorov fired a sharp-angle shot under the crossbar from just above the goal line.
The Predators evened the score with a power-play goal 7:15 into the third after Dakota Joshua was called for boarding.
Silovs stopped Josi on a breakaway, freezing the puck under his body, only to be pushed into the net, with the puck squirting lose and skittering across the goal line.
Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said he thought about challenging for goaltender interference but wasn’t confident the call would go his way.
The goal snapped the Canucks’ streak of 17 successful penalty kills.
Nashville took the lead 12:46 into the third when Carrier, using a screen from Ryan O’Reilly, blasted a shot past Silovs from just inside the blue line.
“He’s a heart and soul kid, highly competitive. Love him,” Brunette said of Carrier. “Nice to see him get rewarded in a big-time moment and a big-time play.”
__
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet, back center, Carson Soucy (7), Conor Garland (8) and Teddy Blueger (53) watch from the bench after the team was called back out to play the final 0.6 seconds during the second period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series against the Nashville Predators, in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Canucks' Nikita Zadorov celebrates his goal against the Nashville Predators during the third period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Canucks' Nikita Zadorov (91) celebrates his goal with teammates, from left to right, Pius Suter, J.T. Miller, Ian Cole and Brock Boeser as Nashville Predators' Tyson Barrie skates by during the third period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Canucks' Nikita Zadorov celebrates his goal against the Nashville Predators during the third period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Nashville Predators goalie Juuse Saros, bottom, stops Vancouver Canucks' Brock Boeser, middle, as he is checked by Nashville Predators' Alexandre Carrier during the third period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Nashville Predators' Alexandre Carrier, from left to right, Ryan O'Reilly, Roman Josi, Gustav Nyquist and Filip Forsberg celebrate Carrier's goal against the Vancouver Canucks during the third period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Nashville Predators goalie Juuse Saros (74) celebrates with Kiefer Sherwood (44) and the rest of the team after defeating the Vancouver Canucks in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Nashville Predators players celebrate with goalie Juuse Saros (74) as Vancouver Canucks' Elias Lindholm (23) and Brock Boeser (6) skate off the ice after Nashville defeated Vancouver in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Canucks' Pius Suter (24) celebrates a goal by Nikita Zadorov, not seen, against Nashville Predators goalie Juuse Saros (74) during the third period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Nashville Predators' Alexandre Carrier (45) celebrates his goal against the Vancouver Canucks during the third period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
