MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Attorneys for Cleotha Abston, convicted of raping Alicia Franklin in 2021, asked a panel of judges to overturn his conviction.

RELATED: Cleotha Abston sentenced to 80 years for raping, kidnapping Alicia Franklin

The request comes more than a year after his 2024 conviction for aggravated rape and kidnapping. Abston's lawyer said the state improperly introduced a photo of a gun recovered nearly a year later, around the time Abston was arrested for the murder of Ezlia Fletcher.

"There was no way for the state to prove this was the actual gun," said Abstons' attorney Juni Ganguli. "Because the only description Alicia Franklin provided was that Mr. Abston had a gun, and that gun was black and silver, and that it was a handgun. Most handguns are black and silver."

Tennessee

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