Thousands of Memphis, Tennessee, locals plan to run in honor of Eliza “Liza” Fletcher, the mother and teacher recently kidnapped and killed.
The event, “Let’s Finish Liza’s Run,” is expected to have 2.1k runners who will finish Fletcher’s run Friday morning. The run will begin at 4:20 a.m., marking the time she was abducted, and will cover the entire 8.2-miles she had intended to finish, according to WREG Memphis. Over 3.2k people were interested in the event as of Thursday afternoon, according to the Facebook event.
“We created this run as way to honor Liza and cope with our own feelings,” a description of the event read. “This run is 8.2 miles taking a path she would regularly run. We will start near Central and Belvedere and run down Central to Zach Curlin St and back toward Belvedere. Our goal is to stand up for the women in the Mid South and emphasize that women should be able to safely run any time of day.”
This Friday, September 9th, will be a week since Eliza Fletcher was taken. This Friday we will be #RunningforEliza. Join KATANA Safety at 5:20 am at Unity Park for a 5K to finish Eliza’s run. Doesn’t matter how fast or how far you wish to go, we hope you will join us. pic.twitter.com/KhfFad7Tt4
— KATANA Safety Pro (@KatanaSafety) September 8, 2022
Surveillance footage showed Fletcher, 34, getting abducted and forced into a black GMC Terrain while on a jog during the early morning of Sept. 2. She went missing for three days until the Memphis Police Department found a “deceased party” Monday near the location of her kidnapping, the 1600 block of Victor. Authorities confirmed the body to be that of Fletcher the following day.
When Fletcher was still missing, authorities charged 38-year-old Cleotha Abston with especially aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence. Police have additionally charged Abston with first-degree murder and first-degree murder in perpetration of kidnapping. (RELATED: ‘Bear With Me’: Reporter Nearly Breaks Down In Tears On-Air Discussing City’s Violent Crime)
Police identified Abston in connection to the case after obtaining cell phone records and DNA samples from a pair of sandals found near the abduction site, CNN reported. A witness saw the alleged suspect “behaving oddly” while cleaning the inside of his SUV and washing his clothes in the sink inside his brother’s home.