Eliza Fletcher was kidnapped and forced into an SUV while jogging in Memphis, police say (Image: AP/MPD)

The police are desperately searching for a school teacher who was kidnapped while jogging in the morning.

Investigators say Eliza Fletcher was jogging near the University of Memphis around 4:30 a.m. yesterday when a stranger approached her.

After a brief struggle, the mother of two was pushed into a dark SUV and was seen on CCTV showing the incident.

Standing 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighing 137 pounds, the blonde-haired Fletcher was photographed in a running outfit that included colorful shorts and a pink sports bra.

Police responded to the scene at 7:45 am after receiving two calls in quick succession, one from the university and one from Eliza’s husband, Richard Fletcher III.

Upon arrival, an abandoned water bottle and a broken mobile phone were found outside a nearby house.

Fletcher was a fitness enthusiast and often traveled the same route.

Memphis police are searching for a woman who was kidnapped early Friday.  Eliza Fletcher, 34, disappeared early in the morning.  The police searched her belongings but found nothing.  Police say she left her house on Carr Avenue and was abducted on Central Avenue near the University of Memphis campus.

Fletcher, 34, went missing while jogging early in the morning near the University of Memphis (Image: MPD)

Memphis police are searching for a woman who was kidnapped early Friday.  Eliza Fletcher, 34, disappeared early in the morning.  The police searched her belongings but found nothing.  Police say she left her house on Carr Avenue and was abducted on Central Avenue near the University of Memphis campus.

Grainy CCTV footage shows him bundled up in a nearby black SUV (Image: MPD)

She is known to attend Second Presbyterian Church in East Memphis with her husband and works as a kindergarten teacher at St. Mary’s Episcopal School.

According to The Daily Mail, Fletcher, whose name is Lisa, is the granddaughter of tech mogul Joseph ‘Joe’ Orgill III, who died in 2018.

According to his website, his family-owned hardware wholesale business, Orgill Inc, has annual sales of $3bn (£2.6bn).

The family has since offered a $50,000 (£43,400) reward for information leading to his rescue.

In a brief statement released by the family after the reward was announced, they said: “We look forward to Eliza’s safe return and hope that this reward will help police catch those who committed this crime.”

In February, Fletcher revealed in an Instagram post that he attended the Orgill trade show in Orlando, Florida.

This photo provided by the Memphis Police Department shows Eliza Fletcher, 34.  Tennessee authorities said she was kidnapped and robbed in her car on Friday, September 10.  (Courtesy of the Memphis Police Department via AP)

Fletcher works as a preschool teacher and heiress to a multi-million dollar company, and her family has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to her whereabouts (Image: AP)

The students of the school where he taught were informed yesterday by letter that their teacher had been kidnapped.

In a letter from Albert Throckmorton, the headmaster of the school, he said: “I have not told my young men about Mr. Fletcher.” foxnews “We are supporting older students as they learn this news.”

talk to WREG, Fletcher’s friend Hart Robinson said: We want to find him

Robinson added: “I don’t know what’s going on but everyone is desperately looking for him and the police are here.

“There’s a lot of activity to see, so if you know or see something early this morning, come by.”

Police are searching for a male suspect, but no potential culprit has yet been identified.

Memphis has already reported at least 100 kidnappings this year, according to information posted on the city of Memphis website.

Get in touch with our news team by sending an email to

For other stories like this, Visit our news page .