A Tennessee woman was the apparent victim of an abduction Friday.
Eliza Fletcher, 34, was running on Central Avenue in Memphis when she was approached by an unknown person, according to WREG-TV.
Initial reports said Fletcher was forced into a dark-colored SUV, which was later identified as a GMC Terrain, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
University police said a brief struggle took place, according to the Commercial Appeal.
Fletcher’s phone and water bottle were found in front of a house on Central Avenue, police said, according to WHBQ-TV.
“When we arrived on the scene we were handling possibly a missing person,” Memphis Police Major Karen Rudolph said, according to CNN.
“After further investigating we found video that did show a black SUV pull into the area across the street here where the victim was taken,” Rudolph said.
Police are towing this vehicle from the home in the investigation of Eliza Fletcher’s abduction. We also saw a computer and lawn shears tagged as evidence and removed from the home. @ABC24Memphis https://t.co/CUPs4BTuks pic.twitter.com/ngNMfjFUCZ
— Ian Ripple (@Ripple1026) September 3, 2022
Images taken by a surveillance camera show Fletcher running past the University of Memphis wearing a pink jogging top and purple running shorts, according to a police alert.
As of Saturday morning, no communication had been received from Fletcher.
Have you seen this woman or vehicle?
Eliza Fletcher was abducted this morning in midtown Memphis while running.
She was forced into a vehicle. There is no known direction of travel.
Tips? Call @MEM_PoliceDept at 901-528-2274 or 901-545-2677, or TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/HpTfQbKjAy
— Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (@TBInvestigation) September 2, 2022
“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,” Hart Robinson, a friend of Fletcher, said, according to WREG-TV.
The FBI and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation joined the search Friday.
Fletcher’s family is offering a $50,000 reward for information that leads police to whoever took Fletcher.
Liza Fletcher is a part the Orgill family. They are very prominent in Memphis. The company is worth billions of dollars. #elizafletcher pic.twitter.com/S2wwEupOIb
— Rose (@901Lulu) September 3, 2022
Fletcher, who is married with two children, is a teacher at St. Mary’s Episcopal School, according to the Commercial Appeal.
Fletcher is the granddaughter of the late Joseph Orgill III, described by the Commercial Appeal as a philanthropist and businessman. WREG said she is also what it described as a “close relative” of a federal judge who was not named.
