Jury selection begins in first criminal case against Cleotha Abston
Cleotha Abston (middle) appeared in Judge Louis Montesi’s courtroom for his arraignment on Sept. 6, 2022. Abston has been charged with raping Alicia Franklin and killing Eliza Fletcher. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)
Abston’s attorney previously tried to have jurors from Davidson County used in the trial, arguing that excessive media coverage of the Eliza Fletcher case would taint a potential local jury pool.
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Cleotha Abston Alicia FranklinAarron Fleming
Once an intern, he never left, joining the staff full-time in 2022 as an education reporter. He moved to public safety in 2023, where he covered some of the city’s biggest court cases, including the criminal trials for those charged in the deaths of Tyré Nichols and rapper Young Dolph. He also chronicled the Shelby County Jail and the deaths that have occurred at the facility.
He now provides suburban coverage, focusing on DeSoto County and the surrounding municipalities.
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