Judge denies change of venue motion in rape trial of man also accused of Memphis teacher’s killing

Published January 4, 2024 3:32 PM

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A judge says a Tennessee man accused of raping a woman a year before he was charged with kidnapping and killing a schoolteacher will have his fate decided by a Memphis-area jury when he goes to trial in the sexual assault case. News outlets report that Shelby County Judge Lee Coffee has denied a change of venue motion filed by Juni Ganguli, the lawyer for Cleotha Abston. Ganguli argued that Abston could not get a fair trial from Shelby County jurors because of intense media publicity surrounding the 2021 rape and the 2022 killing of Eliza Fletcher. Abston has pleaded not guilty in both cases.

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