EARLY LIFE:
Gretchen Fleming was born on December 24, 1994, in Warrenton, Virginia. Her parents divorced when she was child, with her and her sister living full-time with their father, David, in Parkersburg, West Virginia. When she was around 14 years old, Gretchen’s father met and married a woman named Jennifer, who became her stepmother. She had two twins from a previous relationship, and it wasn’t long before she and David had a child of their own.
Growing up, Gretchen was very close to her father, with David saying they had an open line of communication. She was described as a free spirit who was very involved in extracurriculars, whether that be clubs, sports or church. She was also known to be an avid reader, with a passion for music, writing and travel.
Following her graduation from Parkersburg High School, Gretchen wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with her life. She moved to North Carolina, where she studied Political Science at university and held down a couple of odd jobs. She eventually met someone and moved to Charleston, where she lived for about a year before they went their separate ways.
According to her family, the breakup put Gretchen in a bad place, a feeling only made worse by the death of her mother around the same time. She subsequently returned to West Virginia, where she moved in to her grandparents home in Vienna, near Parkersburg. She got a job at the H&M store in Grand Central Mall, with aspirations of possibly becoming a flight attendant.
DISAPPEARANCE:
On December 11, 2022, Gretchen’s grandmother, Louise, went to Jennifer and David’s house to tell them she was worried about her granddaughter, whom she seen or spoken to since December 3. She said she’d dropped the 27-year-old off at work that afternoon, at which point Gretchen told her she wouldn’t be home that night, as she was planning on going out with friends after her shift.
Initially, Louise wasn’t worried when she hadn’t heard from Gretchen in the days that followed, as it was common for her to couch surf with friends for days at a time. However, when it had been a week with no communication, she knew something was wrong. This feeling was only further elevated when David and Jennifer couldn’t reach their daughter.
The pair decided to drive around Parkersburg and visit local bars, hoping there’d be someone who recalled seeing Gretchen the night of December 3. When they visited the Front Row sports bar at 4000 Emerson Avenue, they met a bartender who recalled seeing her that evening. What’s more, she said a friend had dropped off Gretchen’s purse, which still contained her cellphone, her debit and credit cards, her ID and her tablet.The bartender also said she’d left with a man.
After running into some of her friends, Gretchen’s parents learned she’d gone to My Way Lounge on Juliana Street after her time at Front Row. The pair drove to the establishment, where a DJ said he’d seen her there with a man named John.
When they returned home, David and Jennifer charged her cellphone and saw the last time she had any communication with someone was December 3. They then started calling her contacts, asking if anyone had seen her since that night, but came up empty.
On December 12, 2022, the pair filed a missing person’s report with the Parkersburg Police Department.
INVESTIGATION:
Right off the bat, the Parkersburg Police Department took Gretchen’s disappearance seriously. They kicked off their investigation by calling local hospitals and shelters, and they checked their own systems to see if officers had come into contact with her.
The authorities also posted about the case on social media, prompting John to contact them.According to him, he and Gretchen had begun their night at Front Row, after which she suggested they head to My Way Lounge for karaoke.
Later that night, he went to look for her in the establishment, but couldn’t find her. This prompted him to look around the immediate downtown area. When he couldn’t locate her, he returned to the lounge to see if she was there.Unable to locate Gretchen, John returned to his residence.
He returned to Front Row the next day, as the 27-year-old had left her purse in his car and he figured she’d return to the sports bar to collect it, as it was one of her favourite spots to frequent.
Investigators saw how concerned John was for Gretchen’s wellbeing, noting that he felt bad because he’d been the one to take her to My Way Lounge. Given this and how cooperative he’s been, neither they, nor Gretchen’s parents, believe he had any involvement in her disappearance.
On December 13, 2022, the owners of My Way Lounge contacted David to say they’d collected surveillance footage from the night Gretchen was there and that he was more than welcome to view it. Itshowed Gretchen sitting at the end of the bar alone, while John was a few seats over talking to another group of people.
At some point, a man with white hair walked out of the gambling room and approached her. The pair then went back into the room, where they spent approximately 30 minutes. It was noted the 27-year-old appeared to be heavily intoxicated by this point in the night.
Gretchen and the man eventually left the lounge together, while John was in the bathroom, and headed toward the northern parking lot, which is out of reach of the cameras. The next thing the surveillance system caught was a Black Nissan Rogue sports SUV driving away. The vehicle had a missing license plate, a Pittsburgh Penguins license plate cover, an “OBX” sticker on the upper right side of the back window and Darth Vader stickers on both sides.
The owners of My Way Lounge were able to identify the person seen leaving with Gretchen as Preston Pierce. It’s since been reported by local news stations that the 55-year-old, who used to go by the name Darrell Lott, is a former law enforcement officer whose career spanned 12 years. He’d worked at various police departments across West Virginia, the last in Barbour County, and had since obtained employment as a food delivery driver.
Having gotten the surveillance footage themselves, investigators brought Pierce in for questioning the following day. While he admitted to speaking with Gretchen and offering her a ride, he said he’d dropped her off downtown.
Upon learning that Gretchen may have been dropped off in downtown Parkersburg, local police canvassed for additional surveillance footage, allowing them to better put together a timeline of the 27-year-old’s last known movements on the morning of December 4:
3:10 AM – Pierce and Gretchen leave My Way Lounge and walk toward his car. There’s no footage showing them entering the vehicle, as the parking lot is located in a blind spot.
A Black Nissan Rogue, believed to be Pierce’s vehicle, exits the parking lot via an alleyway and drives toward Sixth Street.
The sports SUV is caught driving down Ann Street, toward Pierce’s residence on Division Street.
It should be noted that at no time does any of the footage show Gretchen being dropped off downtown.
Given the inconsistencies between Pierce’s story and the collected surveillance footage, three search warrants were executed on his home and electronics, his vehicle and a storage unit under his name. Anything deemed to be potential evidence was bagged and sent away for forensic testing. There have been no updates regarding the results of these tests.
While investigators didn’t initially reveal Pierce’s identity – they referred to him simply as a “person of interest” – his name was ultimately discovered by the media. This prompted a host of women to come forward to say he’d harassed and stalked them after obtaining their phone numbers through his job as a food delivery driver.
In January 2023, it was misreported by a news outlet that Gretchen’s body had possibly been found in a nearby river. That same month, police received a tip that her body may have been put down a 25-foot well in Ravenswood, West Virginia, about 40 minutes from Parkersburg. Investigators drained the well and searched the surrounding area, but there was no sign of the missing woman.
That February, a community search was held at Mountwood Park, approximately 30 minutes from where she was last seen. The following month, another was conducted at Johnson T. Janes Park in Parkersburg.
The last public update in the case came in May 2023, when investigators revealed that additional search warrants had been executed since the original three were conducted.
The Parkersburg community has rallied together to raise awareness for Gretchen’s disappearance and support her family. T-shirts and signs have been made, and several vigils were held. A billboard was also put up on Murdoch Avenue, featuring her image and information about her disappearance.
Investigators are still actively looking into Gretchen’s case. That being said, Pierce has stopped communicating with them.
DETAILS:
Gretchen Eve Fleming was last seen leaving the My Way Lounge at 501 Juliana Street in Parkersburg, West Virginia, in the early hours of December 4, 2022. She was 27 years old at the time of her disappearance.
Gretchen stood between 5’0″ and 5’2″ and weighed around 100-125 pounds. She has brown hair and eyes, and there’s a tattoo of a world map on her upper back.
CASE CONTACT INFORMATION:
There’s currently a $100,000 reward available for information leading to Gretchen’s whereabouts and the conviction of the person(s) responsible for her disappearance.
Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to contact the Parkersburg Police Department at either (304) 424-1072 or (304) 424-8444.
Image Credit: NamUs
