Police in Tennessee said on Sunday an arrest had been made in connection with the abduction of a jogger on Friday.
Memphis police said Cleotha Abston, 38, had been charged with especially aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence in the disappearance of Eliza Fletcher.
According to court records reviewed by Fox13, Abston was charged with aggravated kidnapping in June 2000. In 2001, he was sentenced to 24 years in prison but was eligible to serve only 85%, or 20 years. He was released some time in the last two years, Fox13 reported.
A second person was also arrested but police said that suspect was “currently not believed to be connected” to the abduction early on Friday.
“Mario Abston, 36, was charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to manufacture and sell Fentanyl, possession of a controlled substance with intent to manufacture and sell heroin, and convicted felon in possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony,” police said on Twitter on Sunday.
“This remains to be an active and ongoing investigation,” they added.
Authorities say Fletcher, 34, was forced into a vehicle while she was jogging near the University of Memphis campus. A man approached and forced her into a dark-colored GMC Terrain, after a brief struggle. Fletcher was reported missing when she did not return home.
Police located surveillance video and Abston was arrested after police matched a pair of sandals found near the scene to him using DNA testing, according to a Memphis police arrest affidavit.
Police also linked the vehicle to a person living at a residence where Abston was staying. At around 10.45am on Saturday, a US Marshals task force went to the address and saw the vehicle and Abston standing in the doorway. He attempted to flee but was captured, according to the affidavit.
A witness told police that a few hours after the abduction, at a different home, they saw Abston “cleaning the interior of the GMC Terrain with floor cleaner” and “behaving oddly”.
Abston would not tell police where to find Fletcher, the affidavit said. Police said physical evidence and facts of the case lead them to believe Fletcher “suffered serious injury”.
Fletcher is the granddaughter of the late Joseph Orgill III, a Memphis hardware businessman and philanthropist, according to news outlets. Police said she was still missing.
“MPD Investigators and officers, along with our local and federal partners, continue searching for Mrs Fletcher,” the department said.
In a statement, Fletcher’s family said: “We want to start by thanking everyone for their prayers and outpouring of support. Liza has touched the hearts of many people and it shows.
“The family has met with police, and we have shared with them all the information we know. More than anything we want to see Liza returned home safely.”
The family offered $50,000 to anybody who came forward with additional information about her abduction, Fox13 reported.