DEVELOPING STORY: The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation have joined the search for a prominent Memphis woman who was reportedly kidnapped during a Friday morning jog.
Police say Eliza Fletcher, 34, was on a regular jog along Central Avenue when she was forced into a dark-color SUV traveling westbound on Central. The kidnapping happened around 4:20 a.m.Fletcher is a teacher at St. Mary’s Episcopal School.
She is 5’6” tall and 137 pounds with light brown/blonde hair and green eyes. Her hair was in a bun and she was wearing a pink jogging top and purple running shorts.
Fletcher’s personal items have been found, police say.
A family friend told WREG her phone was found in the area, which is when officials were alerted.“We don’t know what’s going on, but everybody is desperately looking for her and the police here are on it. You can see there is a lot of activity, so if you know anything or saw anything early this morning, we just ask that you come forward,” said Hart Robinson, a friend of Fletcher.
The Commercial Appeal reports:
Fletcher is the granddaughter of the late Joseph “Joe” Orgill III, the Memphis hardware businessman and philanthropist who has supported causes including Dixon Gallery and Gardens and Church Health.She married Richard Fletcher III at the Dixon in 2014, Memphis Magazine reported. The story describes her as “outdoorsy, athletic, and warm.”
Fletcher was a graduate of the Hutchison School and administrators posted an urgent message on the school’s Facebook page.
“Hutchison family, we ask that you please join us in praying for the safe return of Liza Wellford Fletcher ’06. She was abducted this morning near the University of Memphis while running. She is a beloved alumna, and we pray for her safety and for her family,” they wrote.
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CITY WATCH
Please contact Crimestoppers at 901-528-CASH with any information. pic.twitter.com/wDuAXe1Wki
— Memphis Police Dept (@MEM_PoliceDept) September 2, 2022
