Boston runners pay tribute to slain jogger Eliza Fletcher; 'You shouldn't have to be afraid'
BOSTON - Runners in Boston came together Friday morning in memory of Eliza Fletcher. The 34-year-old Memphis teacher and mother was kidnapped and killed while out for a jog last week.
A group of about 40 people were on the Esplanade at 4 a.m. to hold a moment of silence, and then ran a 5K along the Charles River in her honor - completing the run that Fletcher wasn't able to finish.
The tragedy has rippled through the running community across the country. Lindsay Devers is a marathon runner and nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital who runs at all hours of the day and night. Using Facebook, she organized the event to support women runners and the right to run without fear.
"I want people to run. It's a way to have a healthy lifestyle, it's a way to be involved in your community, get to know people and make friends that you would never know otherwise," Devers told WBZ-TV. "And you shouldn't have to be afraid and you should be able to wear what you want to wear and you should be able to run in our streets."
There are other runs happening in Memphis and other communities Friday morning in a show of solidarity.
CBS News reports that Cleotha Abston, 38, is charged with first-degree murder, especially aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence in connection with Fletcher's disappearance and death.