but it was already too late for eliza fletcher. >> do you believe that if your case had been processedt eliza would be alive today? >> yeah. i definitely believe she would have still been alive today if the police did what they were supposed to do. it wouldn't have gotten to that point. they had more than enough evidence that night when they interviewed me to get him off the streets. but they didn't. >> reporter: survivors, advocates, and lawmakers say this is one more tragic example of the memphis police department and state of tennessee's history of mishandling sexual assault cases. >> our priorities when it comes to protecting women in our state, now the nation's eyes are focused on the state of tennessee and what we're doing and how we're going to fix this. and this is something that we absolutely need to fix, and we need to fix immediately. >> reporter: alicia franklin says this nightmare all began with an online dating app. it was september 2021. after recently escaping what she says was an abusive relationship, the then 21-year-old was finally ready to date again. what drew you

it's only 15 seconds long but you can tell immediately what sort of person eliza fletcher was. >> hey, gi girls. it's miss fletcher. i'm at home with my kids missing you guys wishing we were at st. maries but i wanted to say hi. >> hey, girls, it's mrs. fletcher. every year on their wedding anniversary her husband where he her a love note on instagram and if makes you cry. her love and decent seizure y shrineshines through. a man grew up in the city of memphis but could not have been a more different sort of person. he devoted his life to preying on people weaker than he was. he was a predator, he was an evil man. at a young age, he was arrested for stealing, aggravated assault, weapons charges, carjacking and rape. in 2000 convicted of kidnapping a man in local downtown and throwing him in the trunk of his car. the city reported more than 100 kidnappings. he was never fully punished for what he d. nor is he in hi way reformed by his experience behind bars. abston was well known in his apartment complex for terrifying his neighbors and nobody in the justice system seemed to have inter

neighborhood in south memphis monday evening is that of memphis school teacher and mother of two eliza fletcher additionally police also confirming new charges for cleotha abston henderson in connection to fletcher's death. he is now charged with first degree murder and first degree murder in -- and evidence tampering charges. we got a first look at abston henderson in court not long ago. he told a judge he was unable to afford an attorney. public defender was appointed to defend him. the state request abston henderson $500,000 bond be revoked. because of the new murder and kidnapping charges were not on the docket today the judge kept the bond in place and asked the prosecutors to submit a formal motion that is expected to be taken up in court at a hearing we believe at 9:00 a.m. wednesday morning. all of this unfolding now after police say they discovered fletcher's body in a residential neighborhood, as i mentioned, in south memphis monday night. the body was located about a mile away from the apartment complex where abston-henderson was allegedly seen cleaning the floors of a gmc terrain. t

. >> carley: fox news alert, man accused of killing eliza fletcher is heading into the courtroom today, set to be arained on murder charges one day after investigators found the body of the mother behind a vacant apartment. you're watching "fox and friends first," i'm carley shimkus. >> todd: i'm todd piro. the suspect being charged had a very violent history of rape, assault and kidnapping dating back to the time he was just 11 times. cleotha abston was 16 when he began a prison term. brooke singman has breaking details on this case. brooke. >> brooke: good morning, human remains have been confirmed to be those of missing heiress and mother of two, eliza fletcher. >> memphis police department discovered remains of a body, further forensic investigation by the mpd positively identified the body was in fact eliza fletcher. >> fletcher's body was located in an abandoned home seven miles from where she was kidnapped and one mile away from where cleotha abston was seen cleaning the floors of his suv. her family is demanding justice saying we are heartbroken and devastated by this senseless

cleotha henderson was arraigned wednesday in the death of 34-year-old eliza fletcher. he did not enter a plea. fletcher was jogging around 4:20 a.m. last friday when surveillance video showed a man jump out of this suv and force her inside. her body was found monday a few miles away. >> we have no reason to think this was anything other than an isolated attack by a stranger. >> reporter: court records now reveal henderson in 2020 was released from prison four years early in a prior kidnapping case, and years before that conviction, he was convicted the rape. fletcher's murder has sparked an outcry from runners around the country, particularly females, speaking out about the safety of the sport they love. >> what's being taught to us is that it doesn't matter what time of day you run. it doesn't matter what clothing you wear. we are still targets. >> reporter: and the podcaster known as "ali on the run" saying this on instagram. "this morning was the first morning in my 14 years as a runner that i was too afraid to get up and run in the dark." hundreds plan to gather in

that obviously we're worried about and just great lady, really just the best mom. >> reporter: eliza fletchers an heiress whose late billionaire grandfather ran a memphis based distributor in the field of home improvement. wmc posted a video statement from eliza's family members saying they have met with police and shared all the information they have. the family is offering a $50,000 reward for crime stoppers for information leading to her safe return. >> more than anything we want to see liza returned home safely. the family has sofrd a reward for any information that leads to her safe return. we believe someone knows what happened and can help. >> reporter: brianna, this chilling note this guy abston was found guilty back in 2000 of a kidnapping, kidnapping an attorney here in memphis, a man who was able to escape. he ended up serving about 22 years in prison. he was released from prison in november of 2020, a little less than two years ago. meanwhile, the search for this wife, mother and teacher continues. brianna? >> so terrible. gary tuchman, thank you for that report. >>> former trump

for us. >>> soon the man accused of kidnapping and killing a 34-year-old mother and teacher, eliza fletcher, he will be arraigned in a memphis courtroom. cleotha abston is charged with first degree murder, premeditated murder and murder in the perpetration of a kidnapping. officials found fletcher's body monday behind a vacant duplex. >> this investigation moved so quickly. gary tuchman has been following the story. he's in memphis with the latest. court appearance this morning. what do we expect to see? >> reporter: well, jim and poppy, the man accused of killing eliza fletcher will have a second arraignment in two days. today's will be on these two first degree murder counts. yesterday he was arained on a kidnapping count and tampering with evidence. the reason the counts weren't together and when arraignment is because her body was found on monday evening. it wasn't identified yet during yesterday's arraignment. the prosecutor told the judge we are adding two murder counts because shortly before yesterday's arraignment, the positive identification of eliza fletcher came. during the arrai

as police identify the body of eliza fletcher. this is what we're watching at this hour. >> thank you so much for being here, everyone. i'm kate bolduan. it is a big break and a tragic outcome in the case of a missing woman in tennessee. police are just identified the body of eliza fletcher, a school teacher and mother of two children. she was abducted while jogging early friday and now the man charged with first degree murder just wrapped his first court appearance. gary tuchman is live at the courthouse in memphis with more on this. what's the very latest? >> kate, ten minutes before this arraignment was scheduled for an accused kidnapper, it ultimately became an arraignment for accused murderer. we were informed by the memphis police that the body that was recovered last night was identified as eliza fletcher. such a sad outcome. this woman who was kidnapped on friday had been missing since then. before her body was found, the arraignment was scheduled in the court for cleotha abston. we saw him coming in. he was wearing a mask

a video statement was posted from eliza fletcher's family members saying they have met with police andanything, we want to see eliza returned home safely. the family has offered a reward that leads to her safe return. we believe someone knows what happened and can help. >> reporter: eliza and her family are very distinguished. they're very loved in this community. all day long, people here in memphis, including us, have been hoping for a miracle. this doesn't bode well. but once again, we don't know for sure the identity. we do know for sure that a body has been found three blocks away, 20 minutes away from the college where she was kidnapped. >> again, that development just happening now. gary, i know you'll keep us posted on that. i understand in the meantime, there's a chilling backstory about the suspect. what have you learned there? >> reporter: right. so this suspect, who right now is arrested and charged with this kidnapping, back in 2000, he was found guilty of another kidnapping. he kidnapped a man who was a lawyer, who got to escape. he got out of it. and he ended up going to

>> clay: awful story on eliza fletcher.with our inability to put people violent behind bars and number of innocent people that continue to be victims. she is a metaphor of a larger issue with crime going on in the country. people can't get enough of it, steve. >> steve: clay travis thank you very much, hear you later today with buck on the radio. >> >> clay: appreciate you. >> steve: david limba a book he wrote with his daughter faith series, they are up next. first dana has a preview. >> dana: thank you so much. steve. authorities piecing together what happened to eliza fletcher. suspect expected back in court today and a live update from the local prosecutor there. >>> heat turning up on the midterms, cassie garcia can she flip the seat. bill bar, how does he think the mar-a-lago investigation ends. how is bill doing second day after the end of summer, see you at 9:00. so how many vaccines have you given to people? me? about 1000. walgreens...millions. ♪ i cannot miss her big debut. with your booster, i think you'll be th

so there are far too many tragic stories like eliza fletcher's being written every day and every week across our country. entire neighborhoods have become unwalkable and in many places public transit has become nearly unusable. a few months ago, "the washington post" profiled one day in the life of a female immigrant bus driver in denver who gets screamed at and threatened by lunatics on a daily basis. just yesterday, a 49 year old was stabbed in the back while riding the subway in new york city after he asked another passenger just to quiet down. our democratic friends like to talk about fairness and compassion. there's nothing fair, compassionate about letting cities descend into violence and chaos. there's nothing fair or compassionate about legislating career criminals deserve fifth and sixth chances more than young mothers deserve the right to go out for a morning jog and come back alive. stable prices, reliable energy, secure borders, and basic public safety are four of the most basic duties that any government in a civilized country owes its citizens. these days are the absolut

i also want to add my condolences and the condolences of my office to the family of eliza fletcher.o young and so vital is a tragedy in and of itself. to have it happen this way with this senseless act of violence, it's unimaginable. we're praying for them. i'm praying for eliza and praying for the family. with respect to the family, both law enforcement and our office was in contact with the family throughout this long weekend. they have been fully cooperative throughout that entire process, and in contrast to whatever baseless speculation you might have seen, we have no reason to think this was anything other than an isolated attack by a stranger. with respect to the family, we were in touch with him, as i said, throughout the course of the weekend. i visited with the family personally over the weekend. i also visited them this morning when we had terrible news to deliver to them. i have a message from the family that i want to express to all of you, the public, but also the media. please respect their privacy. please allow them to grieve. at an appropriate time, they will be maki

. >>> also tonight the tragic discovery, a identified as missing jogger eliza fletcher. as her suspected killer makes his first court appearance, new details on his violent past. >>> the doj weighing an appeal after a judge ordered a special master in the mar-a-lago search battle and the new video pro-trump operatives escorted into a georgia election office. the same day the voting system there was allegedly breached. >>> the emotional return, uvalde studentsigoing back to school the colorful show of support across the state. >>> the alarming new report of that nuclear plant in ukraine why u.n. inspectors say they are gravely concerned. >>> queen elizabeth's first publicuk's new prime minister. >>> the on-air health scare for a news anchor, her sudden symptoms and her warning to others. >>> and missing in america. after seeing our report, one family's 30-year-old mystery finally solved >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt >> good evening. the american west is scorching tonight under a smooth ring heat dome that won't giving producing temperatures nev

eliza fletcher is the mother of two small boys. she's a wife. in memphis, tennessee. three days ago she was jogging on a path behind me right next to the university of memphis. when she got to this intercession, she was kidnapped. a man has been charged. he's not speaking about what might have happened to eliza. officially eliza is still missing, but the worst is being presumed. >> we want to find her. >> reporter: a major break, but still no sign of eliza fletcher. police have arrested a 38-year-old man in connection with the tennessee teacher's disappearance. he's now charged with kidnapping and tampering with evidence. it's unclear if he has an attorney. the arrest comes after u.s. marshals tracked down what a criminal complaint affidavit says is the suv seen in this surveillance video. it shows 34-year-old eliza fletcher early friday morning before dawn jogging next to the university of memphis campus when the driver of this suv forced her into the passenger side of the vehicle. the affidavit obtained by cnn reveals the suv remained in the p

we know eliza fletcher, her body has been confirmed to be the one that they found at 507 p.m.ember in the courtroom there. the suspect, cleotha abston, has appeared. he is there -- very difficult to hear, one, because of the audio quality but also because of the masks. we're trying our best to figure it out. phillip. can you help us understand what just happened in regards to the bond? >> sure. dana. this appears to be the parties, the prosecutor and now the public defender's office appointed to this. appears they are clearly up housekeeping matters. as best as i can tell and the audio was a little poor but i think i could tell the murder charge is not actually before this court at this time. the judge has said he didn't want to take up any kind of oral motions. he wanted everything to be in writing. so the prosecutor wanted maybe there to be no bond on both charges. the judge said we'll leave things the way they are right now and i'll wait until the other case gets properly before me and make sure the clerk of court sends both cases to the same judge. it doesn't make sense to

couy >>> police say a body found in memphis is mom and teacher eliza fletcher, who was abducted in theng hours last friday. this comes as the suspect in her kidnapping is set to be arraigned tomorrow on new charges. our gary tuchman has details. >> reporter: today is a very sad day in the city of memphis. >> reporter: the memphis police chief confirming the worlths, that eliza fletcher was dead, her body found behind an abandoned duplex. this man, cleotha abston, has been charged with murdering her. he was arraigned on the initial kidnapping charges today. he had been arrested over the weekend and charged with the kidnapping. surveillance images showing eliza fletcher being attacked by a man while she was jogging near the university of memphis campus. he forced her into his suv and then drove away. that man, say police, is abston. according to authorities, he wasn't talking to them about what happened to the 34-year-old wife and mother. >> you are charged with especially aggravated kidnapping. >> reporter: but with today's identification of her body, the prosecutor informed the judge -

. >> memphis police say the abduction of eliza fletcher was violent and caught on surveillance video.suspect cleotha abston is the man seen in that video who violently forced eliza fletcher into an suv. the two struggled during the incident. several people later reported that they saw cleotha abston clean out his suv with floor cleaner and behaving oddly. they believe he was trying to clean blood out of his vehicle. also trying to get away from u.s. marshals yesterday when they found him in his suv. he was taken into custody. he has now charged with tampering with custody and an especially aggravated kidnapping fletcher is a billionaire heiress in a private school teacher. she was jogging near the university of memphis campus when she was attacked. cleotha abston has declined to provide investigators her location. this is not the first time he has been accused of kidnapping. twenty-two years ago he was convicted of kidnapping and aggravated robbery for forcing a prominent memphis attorney into the trunk of his car at gunpoint enforcing this lawyer to withdraw money at different atms t

. >> carley: and slain mother of two eliza fletcher laid to rest over the weekend. there are shocking new details coming up next. since i retired , i've had trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. you know, insomnia. before i found quviviq, an fda-approved insomnia medication for adults. you would not believe the things i used to think about when i couldn't sleep. hey, linds. i need you to sign this business contract. all 114 pages. lindsey, lindsey!! hey, lindsey! it's workout time. hey, big man, we're in the middle of something here. yeah, it's called physical fitness. just a couple dozen more questions, lindsey. don't forget to pack your phone charger for tomorrow morning's flight. it's plugged in right over there. insomnia can impact both my days and my nights. that's why i take quviviq nightly. quviviq can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer, and more sleep at night may mean feeling less tired during the day. quviviq works differently than medication you may have taken in the past. quviviq is thought to target one of the biological causes of i

the suspect in the murder of eliza fletcher is facing. , the mother of two, kidnapped and killed out for an early morning jog on september 2 in memphis. senior correspondent laura ingle has the latest. >> gillian, the list of crimes involving the manic use of the kidnapping and murder of eliza fletcher continues to grow. a suspect who returned to a courtroom monday on new, less serious charges that occurred around the same time mick kindergarten teacher was violently abducted off the streets of memphis. >> this is a new charge. this is your first appearance on this case? misdemeanor offense. >> 38-year-old cleotha henderson appeared for a brief hearing monday on charges stemming from stolen cash cards. the alleged crime taking place one day before eliza fletcher was kidnapped during her early morning run september 2. as new details on henderson's criminal history continue to mount an alarming case from last year has those in criminal law asking questions. last week new accusations from 2021 involving a different woman were revealed through

>> reporter: well, the accused kidnapper of eliza fletcher is now the accused murder of eliza fletcher. we were told this morning that a body that was recovered yesterday late in the afternoon behind a vacant duplex is indeed the body of the 34-year-old mother of two, wife, and schoolteacher. already before this happened, before the confirmation, a hearing was going to be held in the courtroom 13 here in the shelby county courthouse. an arraignment on the kidnapping charge. that arraignment did take place. the suspect came inside. he was wearing a mask, so it was hard to see his emotion. but his eyes, there didn't seem to be any emotion. her family members were inside, not her husband or parents. but other family members, and they sat there quietly and respectfully. and at the end, the prosecutor told the judge, we also want to add another charge, first degree murder, and the judge said we'll take that up tomorrow. he currently has a $500,000 bond he can't afford. the prosecutors want that bond invoked, and that's what they'll do tomorrow during that hearing. we can tell you this guy i

as police identify the body of eliza fletcher. much for being here, everyone. i'm kate bolduan. it is a big break and a tragic outcome in the case of a missing woman in tennessee

fletcher's abduction. a women's group in memphis is organizing an event called let's finish eliza's run asking female runnersfinish what fletcher started that morning to help the community heal. mike. >> laura ingle tonight. thanks very much >> a cruise ship passenger has been killed in a shark attack in the bahamas. rob o'neill says the 58 woman was snorkeling when a bull shark attacked her. she died after arriving at a local hospital >> pennsylvania lieutenant governor john fetterman the democrat candidate for a senate seat says he will debate his opponent dr. mehmet oz. he declined to take part in a debate this week but in a statement released wednesday he leaves the door and date open saying a debate will take place sometime in the middle to the end of october >> this 150 million year old dinosaur fossil can be yours, and what's the story with this alligator? the day's best viral videos next. ♪ we got the house! you did! pods handles the driving. pack at your pace. store your things until you're ready. then we deliver to your new home - across town or across the country. pods, your personal moving and st

. >> carley: the man accused of killing eliza fletcher is heading pack into the courtroom today, one day after authorities found the body of the mother behind a vacant apartment. i'm carley shimkus. >> todd: i'm todd piro. the suspect had violent history of rape, assault and kidnapping dating back to the time he was 11 years old. cleotha abston only 16 when he began a 20-year prison term. let's turn to brooke singman with the latest. >> brooke: police have confirmed the body found is the body of eliza fletcher. >> the memphis police department and law enforcement discovered remains of a body, forensic investigation positively identified the body was in fact eliza fletcher. >> carley:'s fletcher's body was located seven miles from where she was kidnapped and a mile away from an apartment complex where cleotha abston was seen cleaning the floors of his suv. her family says they are heartbroken and devastated and grateful to federal law enforcement for tireless efforts to find her and bring justice to the person responsible for this horrible crime. cleotha abston is charged with first-d

bruk one day after the body of eliza fletcher was identified, suspect cleotha henderson is due back in court in just hours. he's facing first-degree murder charges and being held without bond. like kelly, henderson's criminal record began at age 11, convicted of rape at age 14 and went on to serve 20 years for kidnapping a well known attorney at gun point and forcing him to withdraw money from multiple a&m machines and memphis police are searching for a second suspect accused in the kidnapping of the mother and one year old in broad daylight. >> todd: nearly 2000 runners gather tomorrow in memphis to finish eliza fletcher running route as way to honor memory and raise awareness for women's safety. here is video of eliza fletcher playing with her dog and singing to her studentss during a remote lesson. >> this little light of mine, i'm gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. >> todd: man, that is a gut punch as is that picture with her two little kids. fletcher leaves behind a husband and two beautiful boys. >> ashley: new homeland security reveals national security threat could

>> todd: fox news alert, a majority ordevelopment in the case of heiress eliza fletcher. tough story here. yooufr watching "fox and friends first," i'm todd piro. >> carley: i'm carley shimkus. the main suspect refusing to cooperate with police, but a family member is going public, saying there is no doubt cleotha abston is involved in this case. jackie ibanez has details. >> jackie: unidentified body found in the search for eliza fletcher. investigators uncovered a body in the wooded area of south memphis, just seven miles from where cleotha abston was last seen. please have not confirmed the identity of the death. there is a first hearing later this morning and the felon is faces charges of identity theft after stealing a woman's cash app the day before eliza fletcher went missing. my whole family is whacky, they are all perpetrators of something, he says. fletcher sat out for a morning drive and reported missing by her husband just before 8:00 that morning. authorities discovered video of a violent attack, the unidentified body was found three days later. cleotha absto

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but investigators are still desperately searching for eliza fletcher because the affidavit says abston won't tell police where to find the beloved teacher. >> that does not bode well for her wellness. >> reporter: now tributes grow near the university of memphis where police say fletcher vanished, the same scene where abston allegedly left his sandals amid a struggle according to the affidavit, dna from the shoes matched the suspect and helped authorities corner him saturday >> clearly this is impulsive. it was frantic he did not seem to put a lot of thought into premeditating this >> reporter: late sunday police scoured this memphis neighborhood the affidavit says that's the same area where two witnesses including the suspect's brother reported seeing him wash his clothes in a sink and clean the inside of the car with floor cleaner, acting very strange hours after kidnapping fletcher, the granddaughter of a memphis hardware store magnate. overnight police taking a dumpster away from the area as fletcher's tragic disappearance devastates her church, her school, and her family >> more t

he allegedly kidnapped 34-year-old eliza fletcher last friday while she was jogging. her body was found on monday. elise preston has the latest. >>> today is a very sad day in the city of memphis. >> reporter: a new gruesome court affidavit reveals tire tracks in a grassy area led investigators to the body of 34-year-old eliza fletcher. a trash bag containing purple shorts like the ones she was wearing was also found. >> while the outcome of this investigation is not what we hoped for, we are nonetheless pleased to remove this dangerous predator off the streets of memphis. >> reporter: police say early friday morning, 38-year-old cleotha abston forced the kindergarten teacher and mother of two into an suv as she was out on a run. he was arrested the following day. he was arraigned on charges of kidnapping and tampering with evidence. he had already served nearly 20 years in prison in another kidnapping case. >> we have no reason to think this was anything other than an isolated attack by a stranger. >> reporter: a growing show of love for the family is now at the site

an unidentified body found for a missing mother of two eliza fletcher.horities uncovered a body during their search for the billionaire heiress in a heavily wooded area just 7 miles where fletcher was last seen in a mile from where the suspect with his car close. the police have not confirmed the identity or cause of death. cleotha abston setrst hearing ls morning. the convicted felon is facing additional charges for identity theft after reportedly stealing a woman's cash wrap and gas card the day before fletcher went missing. ... as the suspect's uncle tells news outlets, he is 100% sure he had something to do with her abduction. my whole family is wacky. they are all perpetrators of something." she set out for her job when she was attacked near the university of memphis. she was reported missing by her husband just before 8:00 in the morning. later that afternoon authorities had surveillance video of what was a violent attack suspect and she sustained mange, major injuries. unidentified body and cleotha abston refusing to cooperate is held on $500,000

police say they have identified the body of 34-year-old eliza fletcher, the kindergarten teacher whoay morning. the suspect in her abduction is now facing additional charges, including first-degree murder. here's cbs' elise preston. >> today is a very sad day in the city of memphis. >> reporter: a new gruesome court affidavit reveals tire tracks in a grassy area led investigators to the body of 34-year-old eliza fletcher late yesterday afternoon. a trash bag containing purple shorts like the ones she was wearing was also found. >> while the outcome of this investigation is not what we hoped for, we are nonetheless pleased to remove this dangerous predator off the streets of memphis. >> reporter: police say early friday morning, 38-year-old cleotha abston forced the kindergarten teacher and mother of two into an suv as she was out on a run. abston was arrested the following day. this morning, he was arraigned on charges of especially aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence. he had already served nearly 20 years in prison in another kidnapping case. >> we have no reason to th

> reporter: investigators say this surveillance photo cap tours the last known whereabouts of eliza fletcher, the 34-year-old mother of two who disappeared while jogging near the university of memphis friday morning. >> it's very important that if anybody knows the whereabouts of miss fletcher, to contact the police immediately. >> reporter: a shelby county court affidavit states unreleased surveillance video shows fletcher was violently grabbed and forced into this black suv. police believe the billionaire heiress was seriously hurt by this man, 38-year-old cleotha abston. at the scene, police found fletcher's broken cell phone and sandals they traced to abston through dna testing. cell records allegedly ping abston to the area at the time of the kidnapping. according to records, abston's brother told police he spotted abston washing the interior of his car with cleaner and acting strange. fletcher's prominent family, which owns a global hardware supplier, is desperate for answers and offering $50,000 for her safe return. >> more than anything, we want to see liza returned home safely. we b

was sexually assaulted by the man charged with killing memphis mother and kindergarten teacher eliza fletcheralmost a year before her murder. >> do you believe if your case had been processed sooner that eliza would be alive today? >> this morning alicia franklin speaks in her first tv interview. >> not a day goes by that i didn't think about this. >>> fighting inflation. the fed set to hike interest rates again. what it could mean for buying a car, mortgages and your credit card bill. >>> quarter of a billion bust. the massive pandemic relief fraud case. dozens arrested accused of stealing $250 million meant to feed kids. >>> the top two women in american law enforcement here live. the new director of the secret service and the nypd commissioner are getting crime rates down, protecting the president and the missing text messages around the january 6th insurrection. you'll see them both only on "gma" this morning. >>> the good news in the fight against cancer. the encouraging trend in recent years as robin celebrates ten years after her life-saving bone marrow transplant. this morning how you

police found the body of 34-year-old eliza fletcher on monday three days after she went missing. gary tuchman has our report. >> today is a very sad day in the city of memphis. >> reporter: memphis police chief confirming the worst, that eliza fletcher was dead, her body found behind an abandoned duplex. this man has been charged with murdering her, arraigned on the initial kidnapping charges. he had been arrested over the weekend and charged with the kidnapping as surveillance images showed fletcher being attacked by a man while jogging. he forced her into his suv and then drove away. that man say police is this guy and he wasn't talking to them about what happened to the 34-year-old wife and mother. >> you are charged with especially aggravated kidnapping. >> reporter: but with identification of her body, the prosecutor informed the judge -- >> additional charges were filed this morning for murder, pre-meditated murder and murder in person pa trags of the kidnapping. >> reporter: he was wearing a mask but 35erappeared to show n emotion. less than a day earlier, a south memphis

alisa saying they found eliza fletcher's captor, and cleo stopped and has been charged with kidnappingence, saying he abducted fletcher on friday and won't tell police were to find the mother of two. >> we want to see eliza returned home safely. >> reporter: fletcher's prominent family cheering this video, her husband distraught, at times wiping away tears. according to court documents, surveillance video, early friday captured the moment the suspect got out of this suv and ran aggressively toward fletcher on her morning jog and forced the kindergarten teacher into the vehicle before driving away. hours later, the affidavit says two witnesses, reported seeing the suspect wash his clothes in a sink and use floor cleaner, behaving oddly. a pair of sandals left behind at the scene, allegedly holding absence dna. >> it's awful to see the evil that is in the world, and we are praying with him, that she will be found alive. >> with her church and family reeling from this tragic event, there is still hope the nightmare will end with good news. >> i have always admired her, her strength, as a

fresh food at betterforthem.com >>> back in court this morning, the man charged with murdering eliza fletcher abducted while on a morning job in memphis. his arraignment postponed until tomorrow. fletcher's family is also remembering her as a joy to everyone who knew her. gary is live in memphis for us. so what happened in court this morning? >> reporter: well, kate, the man accused of killing eliza fletcher was in this court, so were family members and members of the news media, and then the announcement that the arraignment will be postponed until tomorrow because there's some kind of conflict with the public defender representing the defendant. we have been calling him cleotha abston. he said he wants to use cleotha henderson. there's some kind of dispute between him and the public defender. the judge will make a decision if he needs a new lawyer. the things that happened in this charge, the arraignment did happen today, the judge announced you're charged with two counts of first degree murder, and also the judge refusing the opportunity to revoke bond. there was another arraignment yester

authorities have not yet released eliza fletcher's cause of death. >>> we're learning more about the one pittsburgh on the run after a be at aing rampage in central canada that left ten people dead. police say myles sanderson has 59 prior convictions, including assault. he was released on parole after serving the required portion of his sentence. he's been out since may. the other suspect was already found dead. >>> the pentagon says russia is running so low on weapons in ukraine, it is now buying arms and ammunition from north korea. intelligence findings show they are seeking artillery shells. it comes as they report progress in the counter offensive in the south. >>> time for a look at your wednesday weather. >>> good morning. the dangerous heat wave continue for our western states. all time records will continue to be challengeded from southern california to salt lake city and the high-energy demands. the looming blackouts are still there for california today. now, there are a lot of fires out there, too. there have been deadly fires in california. lots of fires in the northwest,

the body has been found after an exhaustive four-day search. 34 year old eliza fletcher. disappeared while on a run last week, police arrested a suspect over the weekend. kron. 4 correspondent markie martin has the latest. >> today is a very sad day in the city of memphis, tennessee. authorities announcing new details in the disappearance of eliza fletcher following an intensive four-day search. the 34 year old's body was found in the back of a vacant duplex apartment 8 miles from where she went missing for the forensic investigation by the npd traffic unit. >> positively identified the body was in fact, elizah fletcher. >> her alleged kidnapper and killer. 38 year-old cleo said abstinence who now faces multiple charges, including first-degree murder. surveillance images show the abductor waiting in this black suv. when fletcher passes by on her friday morning jog. he aggressively runs toward her and forces her into the car. according to police records, absence dna was found on a pair of shoes left at the scene which were found alongside fletcher cell phone. we have no re

first degree murder while kidnapping stemming from police positively identifying the body of eliza fletcher. video spotted the mother of two being forced into an s.u.v. while going for a pre-dawn jog friday near the university of memphis. the s.u.v. was traced to her alleged killer. authorities discovered fletcher's body behind an abandoned duplex. >> the outcome of this investigation is not what we hoped for. we are nonetheless pleased to remove this dangerous predator off the streets of memphis. >> during his arraignment yesterday on the initial charges associated with the kidnapping, cleotha abston said he could neither afford his bond nor an attorney. the judge appointed a public defender to represent him and the judge is likely to consider a motion to revoke his bond based on the new murder charges he faces. the victim's relatives say they're heartbroken and devastated by the senseless loss but now time to remember how special she was. one tribute is this video fletcher made for her kindergarten students at st. mary's school. she sings this little light of mine and introduced the class

>> reporter: investigators say this surveillance photo captures the last-known whereabouts of eliza fletchere 34-year-old mother of two disappeared while jogging near the university of memphis friday morning. >> it's very important that if anybody knows the whereabouts of miss fletcher, to contact the police immediately. >> reporter: a shelby county court affidavit states unreleased surveillance video shows fletcher was violently grabbed and forced into this black s.u.v. police believe the billionaire heiress was seriously hurt by this man, 38-year-old cleotha abston. at the scene, police say they found fletcher's broken cell phone and sandals they traced to abston through d.n.a. testing. cell records allegedly pinged abston to the area at the time of the kidnapping. according to records, abston's brother told police he spotted abston washing the interior of his car with cleaner, and acting strange. fletcher's prominent family, which owns a global hardware supplier, is desperate for answers, and offering $50,000 for her safe return. >> more than anything we want to see liza returned home saf

revoke the $500,000 bond was these new charges stemming from the positive identification of eliza fletcher's the additional charges of first degree murder and first degree murder in perpetration of kidnapping. the judge has revoked his bond. the official arraignment has been pushed to tomorrow while the judge considers a defense motion regarding abston's representation. prior to this case, abston had a record of violent crime. at 16, he abducted and attempted to rob a local attorney. he was convicted as an adult in that case and was released on parole after serving 20 years of a 24-year sentence. >> our office opposed parole in this case, i think appropriately so given his extensive record of violent crimes before the conviction for the kidnapping. >> eliza fletcher's relatives say they are devastated by her senseless loss but want to remember and celebrate how special she was. one tribute surfaced in the form of a video that fletcher initially made for her students at st. mary's school where she taught kindergarten. she sings this little light of mine and then introduces the class to her do

days before the abduction and murder of memphis teacher eliza fletcher. dna evidence collected from that crime scene matched the 2021 rape case linking henderson to both crimes. now that henderson is facing murder charges in connection with the eliza fletcher case, he is being held without bond. sandra. >> sandra: tough story. thank you, jonathan. john. >> john: fox news alert, await the white house daily briefing and we have just learned about a meeting there tomorrow between president biden and the families of britteny griner and paul whelan, both of them behind bars in russia. >> sandra: the administration has been negotiating the release, we have been told for months now. so far no breakthroughs. the so what do tomorrow's meetings mean with these families? we could find out when the briefing begins moments from now. >> john: also sure to be a hot topic, busses carrying migrants from texas straight to the vice president's house. she has taken heat for months. >> sandra: v.p. frustrating texas officials when she said over the weekend the border is secur

as that unfolds, police continue searching for eliza fletcher.at's notable beyond the fact that there is this mysterious disappearance. since she's vanished, she's not been seen. for people not familiar with memphis, her family is well known. she is the grand daughter of a hardware store chain magnate. her family is well known. she's described as a beloved teacher. she teaches junior kindergarten. she's said to be deeply involved with her church. so these are the details we are learning about this, 34-year-old mother of two young children, and her family is pleading for her safe return. again, we are looking at four days since she was last seen. and the suspect, according to police, is still not share bring she is. as we are talking right now, this search continues. we have seen a helicopter in the sky in the area where the suspect was seen to have been, according to two witnesses, they were reported seeing him wiping out the inside of a car with floor cleaner and washing his clothes in the sink and behaving strangely. so in that neighborhood, we

i don't know how many people even know this for eliza fletcher.y have been terrified by what happened to her because one of the greatests for whether your city is safe or not, jesse is whether women feel like they can be out on the streets jogging, whether they feel like they can be out on the streets walking around safely. and almost every city in america right now is failing that basic test. it's an outrage. and we have to fix it now. >> jesse: it's the randomness that's so terrifying. >> yes. >> you can be out with your stroller. on a jog. walking onto the subway here in manhattan and like anything goes. anything goes. >> that's right. >> jesse: let's just say, clay, you are a judge or you are a prosecutor and a guy comes in. he has got a mile long rap sheet and this is an attempted murder one with a gun. that means he shot someone and the person lived. he tried to kill them but thankfully a doctor saved them. and he is out a little bit later. >> 11 months. >> jesse: what the hell is that? >> 11 months. he only got a three-year sentence and he

some were even wearing pink shirts and shorts, just as eliza fletcher did when she disappeared. the suspect faces murder and kidnapping charges . he has not entered a plea just yet. >>> more evidence of polio in new york city and in counties around it. the governor's announcement today, and how they have determined it is spreading. >>> the iris is coming your way. the cash it is getting from congress. congress. ag soofree right to an ivy hi. i'm wolfgang puck when i started my online store wolfgang puck home i knew there would be a lot of orders to fill and i wanted them to ship out fast that's why i chose shipstation shipstation helps manage orders reduce shipping costs and print out shipping labels it's my secret ingredient shipstation the number 1 choice of online sellers and wolfgang puck go to shipstation.com/tv and get 2 months free >>> the disaster emergency in new york. a disaster declared today by governor kathy hochul as the polio virus is found in sewage in another county. the signs the virus is spreading throughout the state. authorities said they found a positive sa

repeat story with the mom eliza fletcher who the suspect there was sentenced to 20 years in prison or prison, served 20 years. got out in the year 2020 and if he was still behind bars, and he could have been if he served his full time, she would still be alive. >> brian: they don't want to get along in society. they want to destroy society. they deserve to be locked up. we have got to stop giving people that don't even want a second chance a second chance because they use it as a chance to commit more crimes and ruin more lives. senator tom cotton sees this pattern. >> it's another horrifying string of crimes in memphis. people of memphis deserve much better than what they have gotten from city government in just the last few days have you seen these crimes and reflective of crime going back to memphis. reflective of crime in cities across america. we have gotten to this point because of failures to treat criminals as the criminals they are. killers like we have seen tonight are depraved sociopaths. they need to be locked up or executed. that's the way to keep our citizens safe from t

of eliza fletcher's body. the judge pushed the arraignment on the new charges to thursday, while he considers a defense request regarding representation. the defendant is no stranger to courtrooms, recently paroled after serving 20 years of a 24-year sentence for kidnapping and attempting to rob an attorney back when abston was 16 years old. >> our office opposed parole in this case and i think appropriately so given his extensive record of violent crimes before the conviction for the kidnapping. >> jonathan: police say abston forced fletcher into his suv and surveillance video obtained by wreg, abston is seen cleaning the vehicle outside his brother's apartment just hours after the abduction. investigators searching the area found a body behind an abandoned home on monday and confirmed a positive i.d. yesterday. family members say they are devastated by fletcher's senseless loss but also want to remember and celebrate how special she was. one of those tributes has surfaced in the form of a video fletcher made

some were even wearing pink shirts and shorts, just as eliza fletcher did when she disappeared. the suspect faces murder and kidnapping charges . he has not entered a plea just yet. >>> more evidence of polio in new york city and in counties around it. the governor's announcement today, and how they have determined it is spreading. >>> the iris is coming your way. the cash it is getting from congress. ag soofree right to an ivy leuechl. the new financial aid program and who qualifies. thanks for being our superhero. only at vanguard, you're more than just an investor—you're an owner. >>> the disaster emergency in new york. a disaster declared today by governor kathy hochul as the polio virus is found in sewage in another county. the signs the virus is spreading throughout the state. authorities said they found a positive sample of polio in nassau county on long island. they have detected it in wastewater in new york city. ended three nearby counties. governor kathy hochul says the order will allow workers, midwives, and pharmacists to administer the polio vaccine. it will better

>> reporter: tonight, authorities confirming the body of kidnapped teacher and mother of two eliza fletcher found in memphis late monday. >> the memphis police department and other law enforcement partners discovered the remains of a body, a human body, in the rear of a vacant duplex apartment. >> reporter: fletcher had been missing since 4:00 a.m. friday, when authorities say she was abducted while jogging near the university of memphis. officials say surveillance video showing a man hopping out of a black gmc suv, who then ran aggressively toward the victim and then forced fletcher into the passenger side of the vehicle. authorities arresting 38-year-old cleotha abston into custody, charging him with aggravate kidnapping and tampering with evidence. abston arraigned in court today. he faces additional charges of first degree murder and first degree murder in perpetration of kidnapping. tonight, fletcher's family demanding justice, stating, "we are heartbroken and devastated by this senseless loss. liza was a such a joy to so many." well, abston was released from prison back in 2020 after