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

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.

Article Topic Follows: AP National News

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