The man accused of kidnapping and murdering Eliza Fletcher in a high profile 2022 case was convicted late last week for raping another woman a year before Fletcher’s murder, according to several reports.Â
Cleotha Abston was reportedly convicted in Memphis of three counts of aggravated rape, especially aggravated kidnapping and unlawful possession of a weapon.
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A bill that would have required the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) to test all rape kits submitted to the law enforcement body within 30 days has died on the floor of the Tennessee House.Â
HB 0104 did not pass the House Finance, Ways and Means Subcommittee’s proposed budget bill.
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The governor of Tennessee has announced that the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TB) will hire 25 new forensic analysts in order to assist with processing Sexual Assault Kits (SAKs).Â
“Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally and Speaker Cameron Sexton announced a decisive step to accelerate the hiring process for 25 additional forensic lab positions at the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI),” said a press release from the governor’s office. “Taking this action ahead of the regular budget process will expedite the TBI’s efforts to expand testing capacity and reduce the turnaround time for sexual assault kits (SAKs).”
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According to data provided to The Tennessee Star by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), the average time it takes for the state law enforcement agency to conduct analysis on sexual assault kits (SAKs) submitted to it by local law enforcement is 45 weeks.Â
That figure accounts for SAKs that are reviewed by TBI’s Jackson crime lab. In its Nashville lab, TBI tests and analyzes SAKs in about 25 weeks. In its Knoxville lab, that figure is around 30 weeks.Â
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In a statement provided Tuesday to The Tennessee Star, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) said it followed standard procedure on securing and testing a sexual assault kit (SAK) in a case related to Cleotha Abston, who is also accused of kidnapping and murdering Eliza Fletcher.Â
The following is part of TBI’s statement:
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