Gretchen Fleming /// Part 2 /// 808

Summary

True Crime Garage: Gretchen Fleming – A Comprehensive Summary of Episode 808 (Part 2)

Release Date: December 18, 2024

In the gripping second part of their deep dive into the disappearance of Gretchen Fleming, hosts Nic and the Captain of True Crime Garage navigate through the intricate details of the ongoing investigation, community involvement, and the unsettling figure of Preston Pierce. This episode, marked by rich discussions and poignant insights, offers listeners a thorough understanding of the case while maintaining an engaging conversational flow.

Introduction

The episode opens with the hosts recounting their usual banter and camaraderie, setting a relaxed yet focused tone for the intense subject matter ahead.

Captain [00:00]: "Miami Metro catches killers. And they say it takes a village to race one."

Background of Gretchen Fleming’s Disappearance

Nic and the Captain revisit the timeline of Gretchen Fleming’s disappearance, emphasizing the community’s relentless efforts to locate her and bring closure to her family.

Nick [03:20]: "All right, everybody gather round. Grab a chair, grab a beer. Let's talk some true crime."

Reward Fund and Initial Search Efforts

The conversation delves into the establishment of a substantial reward fund aimed at finding Gretchen, highlighting the community’s financial support and the strategic distribution of the rewards.

• Reward Breakdown:
  • $32,500 for information leading to Gretchen’s location.
  • $32,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those involved in her disappearance.

Despite these efforts, initial searches, including a week-long industrial well search in Ravenswood, yielded no significant findings.

Nick [05:03]: "Now, possibly motivated by this reward, a tip came in that said that Gretchen had been thrown down a specific industrial well in Ravenswood."

Introduction of Preston Pierce as Person of Interest

The episode marks a critical turning point with the identification of Preston Pierce as a person of interest. Nic and the Captain explore Pierce’s background, his troubling history, and the mounting evidence against him.

Nick [17:35]: "So who is this Preston Pierce? This is interesting because at this point in our timeline, we have the police who officially announce his name to the public for the very first time..."

Details and Background of Preston Pierce

Preston Pierce, a former law enforcement officer with a 12-year tenure in various West Virginia departments, emerges as a central figure. The hosts uncover his patterns of behavior, including his disturbing interactions with women during his time as a food delivery driver for companies like Spark and DoorDash.

Captain [20:19]: "He's known by those patrons and the employees of that bar because he's known to be a local creepy."

His actions include unsolicited compliments, relentless texting, and stalking, creating a pervasive sense of unease among those he interacted with.

Nick [21:11]: "He used their names and phone numbers for solicitation. Several women coming forward saying he would text them, saying, hey, like, like very casually, okay, hey, it's Preston..."

Pattern of Behavior and Victim Statements

The hosts discuss numerous accounts from women who experienced Pierce’s inappropriate behavior, painting a clear picture of his modus operandi. These testimonies include unsolicited compliments, persistent following, and even allegations of being drugged and forcibly taken to his residence.

Captain [35:02]: "Creep."

The narrative underscores the psychological manipulation and predatory tactics Pierce employed, highlighting the vulnerability of his victims.

Recent Developments and FBI Involvement

The investigation gains momentum with the FBI’s involvement in executing a search warrant at Pierce’s former residence in Parkersburg. Despite these efforts, no new information has been released, maintaining the case’s active status.

Nick [40:05]: "FBI agents in Parkersburg police executed a SE warrant..."

Chief Matthew Board emphasizes the dedication of law enforcement to leveraging all available resources to seek justice for Gretchen.

Nick [43:41]: "Detective Zimmerman says very clearly that Preston is a person of interest and that he does think they're eventually going to get him, but eventually could mean a very long time."

Analysis and Discussion

Nic and the Captain engage in a thoughtful analysis of the societal implications of such crimes. They reflect on the challenges faced by victims, the importance of community vigilance, and the systemic issues that allow predators like Pierce to operate under the guise of normalcy.

Captain [49:07]: "We need to have serious conversations and sad that we don't have serious conversations about how we're raising our society..."

The hosts emphasize the necessity of collective responsibility in preventing such tragedies and supporting victims.

Conclusion and Call to Action

As the episode draws to a close, Nic and the Captain reinforce the critical role of the true crime community in keeping cases like Gretchen Fleming’s alive in the public consciousness. They urge listeners to share information, remain vigilant, and support the ongoing efforts to find Gretchen and hold her abductor accountable.

Nick [56:26]: "You can find that recommendation and many more on our recommended page @truecrimegarage.com..."

They conclude with a heartfelt plea for continued support and awareness, underscoring the hope that justice will prevail.

Captain [56:12]: "I want to thank everybody for joining us here in the garage. And remember, as a true crime community, it's important for us to share these cases."

Final Thoughts

This episode of True Crime Garage masterfully balances detailed case analysis with empathetic discussions, providing listeners with a comprehensive understanding of Gretchen Fleming’s heartbreaking disappearance and the intricate web surrounding her case. Through their engaging dialogue and insightful commentary, Nic and the Captain not only inform but also inspire action and solidarity within the true crime community.

For those seeking further information or wishing to contribute to the investigation, the hosts provide the Parkersburg Police Department’s contact details:

Nick [56:26]: "The telephone number for the Parkersburg Police Department is 304-485-8501."

Additionally, they recommend the book Eden Undone by Abbott Collar for listeners interested in expanding their true crime knowledge.

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Note: This summary excludes advertisements, promotions, and non-content sections from the transcript, focusing solely on the substantive discussions related to Gretchen Fleming’s case.

Transcript

[Captain]

Miami Metro catches killers. And they say it takes a village to race one. Anyone knows how powerful urges can be? It's me. Catch Dexter Morgan in a new serial killer origin story. Hunger inside of you.

[Nick]

It needs a master.

[Captain]

Featuring Patrick Gibson, Christian Slater Special guest star Sarah Michelle Geller. With Patrick Dempsey and Michael C. Hall as Dexter's inner voice. I wasn't born a killer. I was made. Dexter Original sin New series now streaming on the Paramount plus with Showtime plan. Go to paramountplus.com to try it. Free terms apply.

[Nick]

What if you could finish your list and still get a great deal at Best Buy? The deals are still here with last minute savings on plenty of gifts. Learn more@best buy.com Best Buy Imagine that. Welcome to True Crime Garage, wherever you are, whatever you're doing. Thanks for listening. I'm your host, Nick, and with me, as always, is a man who stands at the edge of the frontier wearing a great pair of boots. Here is the captain.

[Captain]

Only boots. I wear nothing but a great set of boots. It's good to be seen and good to see you. Thanks for listening. Thanks for telling a friend.

[Nick]

Today we are still sipping on this fine Buckeye Lager special harvest edition from the fine folks at Mommy Bay Brewing Company. The Ohio State Buckeyes will be hosting a college football playoff game this weekend and we will be sipping Buckeye Lager. Go Bucks. And to all of you out there, I say this I hope your team wins. As long as they are not playing my team. Buckeye Lager Garage Grade three and a half bottle caps out of five. Let's give some thanks and praise to our friends for helping us out this week. First up, a cheers to Grace David and Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.

[Captain]

And a big we like your chip goes out to Reverend Karen Kelly from Minneapolis, Minnesota.

[Nick]

Interesting, because next we have Luciana in the Twin Cities, Minnesota.

[Captain]

And a big shout out to Kristen Evans from New Albany, Ohio.

[Nick]

Oh, IO Next up, a cheers to Rachel Lodwick from Fowlerville, Michigan. And last but certainly not least, we have Ron and Sherry from Walnut Port, Pennsylvania. Thank you to everyone who went to our website and contributed to this week's beer fund. For that, we thank you.

[Captain]

Yeah, BWR you and Beer Run. If you need more True Crime Garage for your earballs, don't be shy. Subscribe to us through the Apple podcast app or through Patreon. And that's enough of the business.

[Nick]

All right, everybody gather round. Grab a chair, grab a beer. Let's talk some true crime. By January 7, 2023, a reward from local businesses and Community members was put together. This is for $65,000 for help with Gretchen's case. The reward fund was split in half as follows. A reward of $32,500 was being offered for substantial information leading to the current physical location and return of Gretchen. And a separate $32,500 was being offered for information to. For information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in Gretchen's disappearance and or physical harm to her. Now, possibly motivated by this reward, a tip came in that said that Gretchen had been thrown down a specific industrial well in Ravenswood. This is a location that's approximately a 40 minutes drive away, Captain. For this location to be searched, they had to bring out engineers and a drilling company to drain this well. And as it would turn out, this ends up being a week's worth of efforts that were completely wasted. They found nothing of value in this search.

[Captain]

Yeah.

[Nick]

The business community continued to support efforts to find Gretchen. In February, a billboard was erected on southbound Murdoch Avenue. This reminding the public about Gretchen being missing and the hefty reward. Detective Zimmerman's phone number was featured on the billboard. And the billboard was provided to the Fleming family free of charge by the Hicks Outdoor Advertising Company. So shout out to the Hicks Outdoor Advertising Company for assisting this poor family in their efforts to find their daughter. Police decided to make use of the community's eagerness to help and called for volunteers for a search party for February 4th. The Parkersburg Police Department's Facebook post said a large scale search effort will take place on Saturday, February 4th. Participation will involve strenuous work in rugged wooded terrain. Now note here, Captain, they did not disclose where the search would be conducted until the morning of.

[Captain]

Right.

[Nick]

This turns out the search was of Mount Wood Park. This is a massive park located about 12 miles from Parkersburg with over 55,0 miles of trails and a 50 acre lake. A group called Mountaineer Area Rescue Group, this is an all volunteer search and rescue organization based in Morgantown, West Virginia provided about 25 team leaders to divvy up the more than 500 civilian volunteer searchers who showed up to help. The police had received tips about this area, so that's why they are there. This search too was a bust. Now, a few small items that were thought to be potential evidence were collected. However, after testing these items, they proved not to be connected to Gretchen. So Detective Zimmerman said publicly, we can cross the park off of our list.

[Captain]

With every search it becomes more difficult on the family because and I think they made these statements to local news during these searches. You're so thankful and grateful that the community comes out and searches, but you know that if you find something or you find Gretchen during one of these searches, it's not the way you want to find her.

[Nick]

Exactly. And it is amazing the outpouring of help that was coming in from the locals. In March, Lieutenant James Stalnaker confirmed that the PPD had a substantial amount of data being returned from search warrants. Remember, the ones that were conducted on Preston Pierce's properties, his home, this storage unit in his vehicle?

[Captain]

Right.

[Nick]

Now, we have to assume that this means forensic testing was being completed on items removed from Pierce's home, and data was being compiled from digital sources, such as the GPS on the Nissan Rogue and Pierce's cell phone records, both locational and contact wise. It could also refer to Gretchen's phone information as well, although with that having been left in John's car, it would likely not be that helpful in figuring out where Gretchen went that night. After walking out the doors of the.

[Captain]

Myway Bar, what data are they getting from Preston Pierce's phone, and is that leading them to go out and search in these locations?

[Nick]

Yeah. This also raises a question. Did Pierce just get lucky that Gretchen had lost her phone and was essentially untraceable by this point, or did he target her after talking with her and learning that maybe she didn't have her phone with her?

[Captain]

Yeah, because if he sat at the bar with her and was talking with her, he might have noticed that she didn't have a purse on her.

[Nick]

And so, unfortunately here, Captain, time passes without Gretchen and time passes without an arrest in the case. This will lead us to May 5th of 2023, Parkersburg Police Chief Matthew Board told Fox 11 Eyewitness News. This is not a cold case. It's still being actively pursued. Adding in the early morning hours, she left with a gentleman who is the person of interest. We were able to establish contact with him within 24 hours of her disappearance being reported. Initially, he was cooperative, and at this point, he has completely ceased contact with law enforcement in regard to this investigation. Later that month, her family would hold a press conference announcing that the reward for information had grown now to $100,000, thanks to a hefty contribution from a local business. The principal of the Parkersburg high school, Kenny DeMoss, kicked off the presser held outside the school. He talked about Gretchen, reminding everyone that she was a 2013 graduate of that school and she had been missing now for six months. Her grandmother gave a steely request to the public to stop criticizing the Active investigation being conducted by the Parkersburg pd. She said there was so much going on behind the scenes that they were unaware of. Let them do their work. The family begged an emotional. David Fleming spoke to the community about how much he appreciated all the tips, calls, support and prayers and how important it was to keep Gretchen's name and face out there. He described his daughter as a gentle, kind soul who would never hurt anyone. He begged anyone with even an iota of information to please come forward, quote, gretchen, we will find you. He promised.

[Captain]

It seems like with so many cases, no matter what the case is, people will find something to complain about. And in this case, a lot of times you have a missing person. You don't have the last person that they were seen with. We don't have that information. Some of these individuals just poof, disappear into thin air.

[Nick]

Yep.

[Captain]

And then so in this case, we have a community. We have a community that's rallying around law enforcement, helping out with searches. We have not just individual that we'd like to talk to. We have a person of interest. And like you said, that that is something that law enforcement, they're not. They don't just willy nilly toss out that, that, that phrase or that term to any person. This person's a person of interest for a reason. And so for all we know, they have the guy, they got him, but they have to put together the case in order to get him convicted.

[Nick]

Well, and captain, that is the perfect segue into this next bit here because as you said, they have a person of interest. Technically, when you look into the details of this true crime story, the police announced that they have a person of interest, but never name him publicly. He was only named by the media.

[Captain]

Right.

[Nick]

So now we get to the unfortunate one year anniversary of Gretchen's disappearance. This is just last December, man. And unfortunately there was no new news. But we do have the police department going on record at that time, who again is reminding the public that this case is not cold. We have a person of interest here. He is our priority. He's not working with us. And he. This is when the chief board, police chief board publicly acknowledged to the news and Sentinel that Preston Pierce was in fact the focus of this investigation.

[Captain]

So what information do we have about this Preston Pierce?

[Nick]

Before we get into that? I mean.

[Captain]

No, get into it now.

[Nick]

All right, I'll get into it now. But I just, I just want to say this because, to not jumble up our timeline too much here, right prior to the, the unfortunate one year anniversary of her, her having Been missing. They did state publicly that they were outsourcing forensics and evidence to outside agencies. These are probably agencies that. They're only outsourcing it if they believe that these agencies are better equipped. Her father, David, goes on record saying that this is. This is a good thing for the investigation. Right. Public, don't panic. Don't read into this the wrong way. This is a good thing for the investigation. This could provide to be fruitful and give us some evidence or some leads here.

[Captain]

This shows that the intelligence of law enforcement in this case, you don't have to be the smartest guy in the room. You just have to be the guy that invited the smartest guy in the room. And that's what they're doing by outsourcing. Outsourcing information to other agencies, agencies that are just more equipped, and they're going to get better answers and faster answers.

[Nick]

Yeah. Will the smartest guy in the room please stand up? Please stand up.

[Captain]

Neither one.

[Nick]

Now, look, there's no one standing. No one standing in the garage.

[Captain]

Nobody in the garage. We're actually. We actually have slithered down.

[Nick]

I'm now laying face down on the floor.

[Captain]

Yeah. Can you. Can you hear me?

[Nick]

I have. I've got. I've got. I've got car grease on my. On my shirt.

[Captain]

We are the dumbest boys in school.

[Nick]

All right. Thank God. They asked us to leave that school many years ago.

[Captain]

Yeah.

[Nick]

So who is this Preston Pierce? This. This is interesting because at this point in our timeline, we have the police who officially announce his name to the public for the very first time, but they don't expand on who this guy is. The only thing they're telling the public is we believe that she got in his car and they went back to his house. So this person of interest, Preston Pierce, as we know, based off of law enforcement statements, he was interviewed first on December 13, 2022. This is the day after she was officially reported missing. This is shortly after they find the My Way video footage showing that Gretchen had left the bar with this guy, Preston Pierce. Because you were exactly right, Captain, when you had mentioned this earlier. It was the owners and bartenders of that bar that helped police identifying this man as Preston Pierce. They knew this guy. So Detective Zimmerman confirmed that Pierce claimed to have given Gretchen a ride to downtown Parkersburg. Again, in his statements to police, he names the location. They've never officially released that location that he claims to have dropped her off. Now, according to Eyewitness News, the man at the center of this investigation, Preston Pierce, at the time was age 55. He lived in the general Parkersburg area. He had changed his name at some point in his life. And what's tricky here is nobody's really able to pinpoint exactly when this took place. I'm sure police are well aware of when this took place. I couldn't find it in any reports out there that are available to the public. His, his birth name, I'm assuming it's his birth name was Darrell Lott and he's former law enforcement. He, he used to be a law enforcement officer at multiple departments in the state of West Virginia. According to law enforcement Professional Standards Information Systems records, Pierce had been a cop for at least 12 years.

[Captain]

Not good.

[Nick]

No. So the news agency this is WTAP confirms that Pierce worked for several police departments in West Virginia, including Barber county and in Jackson county and with the Vienna Police Department at some point. Now remember, she's living in Vienna at the time of her disappearance. And I have a note here that says that Pierce reportedly finished his career law enforcement career at the Bellington Police Department.

[Captain]

Well, if you're moving around that often it's for a reason and it's normally not a good reason.

[Nick]

You would think not look there. In a lot of these jurisdictions there's a requirement for a certain level of training and, or education and certification and things like that. And so you might have one police officer that's dumped by one agency because he sucks at his job for any number of reasons. Like could be, could be a good stand up guy, just not good at the job.

[Captain]

Right.

[Nick]

And he'll get picked up by another police department or she will get picked up by another police department. Really rather quickly note, note to self here too, you also don't want to come in contact with a priest that seems to be getting moved around quite a bit as well.

[Captain]

Not a good thing.

[Nick]

New. Now there, there is some information out there. There are some locals who say that they know Pierce a little bit and they're claiming that he also spent several years with the United States Coast Guard. Okay.

[Captain]

But it's strange that he changed his name.

[Nick]

Sure. Says the guy on the show that's never used his real name. And for, and as far as anybody knows, Nick is the name that I just made up as well.

[Captain]

Well, let me tell you my real name. It's Ding Dong Dongle.

[Nick]

The, the thing here that, that is rather unsettling and it really just makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up. If he's got this 12 year background in law enforcement and he's spent Several years with the Coast Guard. I hate to go down this road, but doesn't that somewhat imply that he may have some kind of knowledge about disposing of things in waterways or disposing of and concealing evidence?

[Captain]

He knows quite a bit about law enforcement and the tactics they're going to use to try to catch a criminal. But let's be frank about it, right? This guy is known by those patrons and the employees of that bar because he's known to be a local creepy.

[Nick]

Oh, yeah.

[Captain]

And that's why you have a guy. She was with this guy John, and people just go, yeah, I kind of know the guy. But John didn't know much about him. Well, that's kind of how you want to be known if you go into two bars. It's just, yeah, he seems to be a nice guy. You don't want to be known as the local creep.

[Nick]

And unfortunately, it would appear that from the surveillance footage, Gretchen is. Has been engaged in conversation by the local creep.

[Captain]

And, yeah, they don't wait for you to make contact. They make contact.

[Nick]

They creep up on you. They creep up on you. That's usually their. Their M.O. now, you want to dive into this dude a little bit more. Here we have Gretchen's stepmother Jennifer, who tells disappeared that as soon as his name comes out, she's immediately asking people about this guy. Not only is this dude a creep, he's a creep with wheels. And what I mean is not the Nissan Rogue that he drove and likely had Gretchen in his vehicle that night. He was one of these guys that was working for a food. As a food delivery driver in the Parkersburg area.

[Captain]

Yep.

[Nick]

And this is how really, essentially how he. Yeah, he become. How he becomes known as, like, a local creep. So women and ladies who had interacted with him from very various workplaces in the past also posted things online about him saying, this dude's a creep. He would constantly tell me how beautiful I am. At least one person saying that he followed me on an occasion. And you can use your imagination from there, but the. The. The thing that really stands out here is a distinct pattern of behavior from this creep.

[Captain]

Yeah, it's not. It's not creepy to give somebody a compliment, but if you give it in a creepy way or then you start following people or. One of the things I believe he was doing is he was, you know, delivering food to people's houses. And because he had their information, he was then reaching out to him and texting them and trying to build a relationship. It's like, dude, you were just the guy that delivered my food. I, I'm not trying to build a relationship with you. And I think he even would then try to find some of those individuals online and make contact with them online as well.

[Nick]

Well, and I think he worked a good deal of hours. And look, if, if he was getting some kind of creepy enjoyment out of these activities, of course he's going to work a bunch of hours. So he was a food delivery driver for the Spark company and for Doordash. Now, I'm not familiar with how these companies work, but from my understanding in this case, this gave Pierce access to female customers names and of course, their phone numbers and addresses where the food had to be delivered.

[Captain]

Right.

[Nick]

And sometimes you even get a photo. Like right when, when an Uber pulls up to pick you up, you often have a photo of the, the man or woman that's supposed to be driving that vehicle. So this is a trove of information that is really just handed to him on a platter because of this job.

[Captain]

Yeah.

[Nick]

And he, I mean, there's no better way to sum it up than he used this information to stalk some of these women. He used their names and phone numbers for solicitation. Several women coming forward saying he would text them, saying, hey, like, like very casually, okay, hey, it's Preston. I delivered food to you. I think you're pretty right.

[Captain]

Again, very strange. And the problem here is it's a, it's an app. So to find somebody to reach out if it's the local Little Caesar Pizza Hut. And the delivery driver started texting you, well, you know who to call to complain to. But it's hard to complain, especially once the food is delivered. If he was just nice and polite, you give him his five stars and you. And he's on his way. But then two days later, he starts texting you. That's beyond strange.

[Nick]

Well, there were people, you know, a lot of times persons who use these services, it's typically not a one time thing.

[Captain]

Right.

[Nick]

And so a lot of people were coming out of the woodwork. A lot of ladies coming out of the woodwork saying, yeah, I used to order from Spark or I used to order food with Doordash. However, I quit ordering food altogether because I was skeeved out that Preston Pierce would be the ones showing up with my food.

[Captain]

Well, and think about this. If you order a Uber driver, you say, I need a ride to the Little Caesar Pizza Hut. And they say, okay, I'm going to pick you up. And it tells you who's going to pick you. Up. So if that person's a creep, you could cancel that ride and ask for another car. But when you're ordering food from the local Little Caesar Pizza Hut, you don't know who's going to be the guy delivering it to you. So if this guy has reached out to you and that's just he reach out to you in such a creepy way, you just not going to take the chance of having him show up at your door.

[Nick]

Well, it's impossible to know how many of these encounters were later called into the Parkersburg police, but we do know of one for sure that is particularly disturbing. So a woman claims that she was drugged and woke up at Pierce's home with no idea and no recollection of how she got there at all. And I want to be clear here. It's. It's an allegation, but it is an allegation that was discussed with the Parkersburg police detectives. If you ever worry about the safety of your home and family, there's no better time to act right now. Simplisafe is extending its massive Black Friday deal for our listeners. Get 50% off a new Simplisafe security system. Simplisafe's active guard outdoor protection changes the game by preventing crime before it even happens. If someone's lurking around those agents, see them in real time, talk to them directly, set off your spotlights, and even call the police before they've had a chance to break in. Simplisafe is the only security system that is stopping crime before it happens, stopping break ins before they happen. Get peace of mind. Do what I did. I love Simplisafe. This is the best security system that I have had and it was one of the easiest things that I have ever installed. Simplisafe is extending its massive Black Friday deal for my listeners this week only you can get 50% off any new system with a select professional monitoring plan. This is your last chance to claim their best offer of the year. Head to simplisafe.com garage. That's simplisafe.com garage. There's no safe like simply safe.

[Captain]

Miami Metro catches killers and they say it takes a village to race one. If anyone knows how powerful urges can be, it's me. Catch Dexter Morgan in a new serial killer origin story. Hunger inside of you.

[Nick]

It needs a master.

[Captain]

Featuring Patrick Gibson, Christian Slater special guest star Sarah Michelle Geller. With Patrick Densy and Michael C. Hall as Dexter's inner voice. I wasn't born a killer. I was made. Dexter original sin New series now streaming on the Paramount plus with Showtime plan. Go to paramountplus.com to try it.

[Nick]

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[Captain]

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[Nick]

I'm looking forward to a good old fashioned Griswold family Christmas myself.

[Captain]

The shitter's full, my friend.

[Nick]

And if you hear the doorbell, that's the door dash arriving at the garage.

[Captain]

You got hungry.

[Nick]

Yeah. Yeah. Hangry.

[Captain]

Yeah.

[Nick]

There was one person that posted on social and again, the. I, I don't have the police records to back this up, so take this with a grain of salt, but one poster says on Facebook that he, meaning Preston Pierce, followed me and a friend from the front row to the my way and then followed us to my home and states that we did call the police. So if that did in fact happen, police should have some kind of record of that call that complaint.

[Captain]

Well, again, I don't know if we have video footage to see if he had any contact with her drink or not, but it just makes you wonder if we think about Gretchen as a person. She's five one, 100, what, 10 pounds or something? She's, she's a tiny person. If he could drug her and get her alone, he could easily move her. And I think that's where the surveillance footage becomes difficult for law enforcement because if he puts her in the car, but she's either slumped over in the front seat or he puts her in the back of the vehicle as he's driving. And I think these wi. There's pictures of his car online. I believe his windows are pretty tinted out. So they might have video footage of his car going in to the direction of his house. But I don't know if there's any way of knowing when she was in the vehicle or when she wasn't in the vehicle. And I think this just gets a little more complicated for law enforcement, but I think they're building a case against this creep.

[Nick]

Oh, absolutely. I'm, I'm with you on that. Now, the look that I apologize in advance, it's going to be, be going to be rather uncomfortable for me to discuss. However, I think that it is important to highlight the activities of this guy. So we have a person who alleges that her 15 year old daughter, she reported Preston Pierce to police after Gretchen went missing because she told police he had texted my daughter with inappropriate communication and she had screenshots. The text exchange. Now I cannot say that this is the entirety of the text exchange, but the. What has been made public is this. Yeah, Pierce text. And, and you can gather from the, from these words, from the exchange that that this text exchange started prior to this portion of the conversation. Pierce text, I'll think of something good to eat. The girl responds, okay. Preston Pierce replies, can you guess what I want to eat? The girl says, nope. Pierce responds, I'm sure you can guess. The girl replies, I don't know. And Pierce then replies, take a wild guess. It's sweet. The girl shows her mom these text and there's probably others involved. The mom reported Pierce because on top of this text exchange he had offered to give this 15 year old girl a ride somewhere.

[Captain]

Creep.

[Nick]

And there are over 40 so when you There is a Facebook page dedicated to Gretchen's disappearance that has compiled messages from many different women who have had similar encounters with Preston Pierce. There are over 40 of them. The usernames are redacted, but the messages to the Facebook page are visible. This guy sucks. Tip to tail. He's a piece of shit.

[Captain]

Couldn't, couldn't have said it better myself.

[Nick]

The complaints about his skeevy inappropriate behavior go on and on and on and a lot of this to back up these claims. Again, people were providing screenshots of interactions with Preston Pierce who these are coming from women and from daughters who who were very uncomfortable with their communication with him. Some more examples of this inappropriate behavior and claims by others. We have one person who wrote I had a message request from him. He was going on about how I look pretty and my daughter looks so pretty too. Then a few days later he got mad and said, oh I see you're too pretty to talk to me babe. You could look at that as an interaction that well, he just attempted to compliment somebody and that person didn't give him the response that he wanted.

[Captain]

Right.

[Nick]

The problem being is you compound this compliment air quotes with other behaviors that we've seen and then note that the daughter that he says looks so pretty too is age one at the time. Another person claims I went to college with him and he went and went to his place to study. He tried to kiss me and I pushed him away and left. Another says that he was her door dash at her workplace and he refused to give her her food until she gave him her her personal phone number saying he came back another time and said he had been looking for me, was going to wait for me and plan to call my work to find out my work hours. He texted me and was relentless. I deleted that door dash account and made up another one for future use.

[Captain]

This guy gets off on stalking and he gets off on putting women in these uncomfortable situations. And, and again I Think this is probably why he changed his name, so people couldn't find out about any of his history.

[Nick]

Another woman posted that she would order doordash for her and her kids when her husband was at work. And she would request that the doordash be left outside on the front porch.

[Captain]

Right.

[Nick]

But he would insist on knocking and hammering on the. Her words are hammering on the door, attempting to get her somebody to answer the door instead of just simply leaving the food as requested and leaving. And when he wasn't pounding on the door, he's sitting outside of the house for very long periods of time, I guess, just waiting, hoping somebody will open up the door. And then one woman wrote that this guy is so creepy. My dad was a police officer and worked with him. He was certainly making excuses to come by the house and hit on me. I had to have my dad tell him he's not welcome at the house because he creeped me out so much.

[Captain]

Well, when law enforcement is made aware that we have a missing person and then they start looking into the events of that night and the details and then they come across this Preston Pierce individual and did they work with him and did they know people that worked with him? And I'm sure that they were able to gather up a bunch of stories and I think that's maybe also one of the reasons he became a person of interest so quickly.

[Nick]

Yeah, they have every reason to believe that he is most likely the person that she left with. Again, unfortunately, they do not have video footage of the two of them getting into his vehicle. So that seems to be a hurdle that they need to clear in this investigation. And it appears, at least as where we sit now at the unfortunate two year anniversary of this poor young woman having been missing. They don't seem to have enough physical evidence to move forward with the case. We don't know what could still be out there that is in the process of being tested or. Or.

[Captain]

Well, they did another search on his property, I want to say within the last month. But they didn't say what was found, I don't believe or if anything was found.

[Nick]

Yes, there you are exactly right, Captain. There's been some recent news on this case, so very good to know that it's still a very, very active case. This is from the good folks at the Metro News, the Voice of West Virginia. In short, the News report reads FBI agents in Parkersburg police executed a SE warrant. This would have been November 20th, so very recent. At the former residence of a man believed to be a person of interest in the 2022 disappearance of Wood county resident Gretchen Fleming. Gretchen Fleming, 28, of Vienna, was last seen on December 3, 2022. The search is at the house at 1300 Division street where Preston Pierce used to live. Parkersburg Police Chief Matthew Board released a statement later that day saying, we are thankful for the FBI's ongoing assistance throughout this investigation as they have assisted in various capacities from the beginning. Though there is no new information to be released at this time, the execution of this search warrant is a continuation of the investigatory process. Our agency remains dedicated to utilizing all available resources and investigative strategies to fulfill our commitment to seeking justice for Gretchen Fleming and providing answers for the Fleming family. The search warrant conducted is part of that effort. The chief clearly is all over this and been very vocal about this case. And as we've seen throughout our timeline here and reporting in, our fact finding mission is that the, the public as a collective is very invested in this case and very invested in getting answers for the Fleming family.

[Captain]

Didn't law enforcement ask if anybody knew the whereabouts of his car as well?

[Nick]

That information I don't have, but I, I, if there's a vehicle that they're looking for, we've seen time and time again them asking the public for help. So that would stand to reason. We do know that, that the Nissan that he had back then, the Nissan Rogue, was processed because it was seized by police for a period of time.

[Captain]

Yeah, I just wonder if, I wonder if it's a situation where, where the FBI got more involved and the FBI was going, hey, we'd love to process this car ourselves. And if they can't find it, because it seems like this Preston Pierce has kind of fallen off the map himself. He doesn't live in the house he used to. I don't think he has a current resident. I don't think he's working for any of these food delivery services anymore. And we don't think he's in possession of that car anymore.

[Nick]

Yeah, it, it seems Pierce pulled up stakes and moved rather shortly after Gretchen vanished because it's been reported that he relocated to Martinsburg, West Virginia. Yeah, he posted in July 2023 that he had been in the VA hospital and then was homeless and living on the streets. Now the whole town of Parkersburg then becomes on high alert to him because it was posted that he's back in town.

[Captain]

Right.

[Nick]

And showing screen grabs of Pierce at local businesses. But as far as official police action, there have been no charges or arrests made in connection with this case. At the end of the disappeared Episode. Detective Zimmerman says very clearly that Preston is a person of interest and that he does think they're eventually going to get him, but eventually could mean a very long time.

[Captain]

Right.

[Nick]

And in the meantime, the evidence that they. That he did something nefarious to Gretchen Fleming is fading away.

[Captain]

Well, I think what's difficult is, and correct me if I'm wrong, but Preston Pierce's story is that she didn't go in his house. So if the crime.

[Nick]

Correct. That she had never been to his house, he dropped her off before he returned to his home.

[Captain]

Exactly. So if the crime took place outside of his car or if. If it took place inside of his car and she never was in the house, that's why they're doing the search warrants at his former residency, is because they're trying to connect her to that house. Because now we can go, well, you're lying. She. She was obviously in your house. But if she never was, because that's not where the crime scene was. And like you, you said, and I think, again, this is very tough for the family, the community, for law enforcement, you have this window of time. What did you say, 33 hours?

[Nick]

Correct.

[Captain]

That they're going, hey, if anybody has any information. And that's why it's so important for the true crime community to keep these stories alive and to keep talking about them, because somebody's going to hear this or somebody's going to see a. A Facebook post, and. And somebody might know something that they didn't think was a vital piece of information. And so, you know, whether it's our podcast or other podcasts, because there are tons of great podcasts out there covering stories that need to be heard. Share those posts on your social media. Because somebody knows something.

[Nick]

Yeah. And you wonder why Gretchen would leave my way with Preston Pierce knowing what we now know about him. Well, it's very likely that she didn't know any of these things about him. She didn't know him at all. She didn't have any clue as to what kind of person he was.

[Captain]

Yeah. We also don't know what kind of ruse. A lot of these guys have. These. A lot of guys have ruses to get people into their car or to get them outside, because I don't think we have the surveillance footage to. I mean, I think we have surveillance footage that puts her outside of the building with him, but I don't think we have surveillance footage of every action before that car. Before his car left.

[Nick]

No, we. In fact, we have police on record saying we do not have Footage of anyone getting into that vehicle that we then followed via surveillance footage.

[Captain]

So because of his background or just because he's a super creep, he might know that. And like you said, we have other individuals that said he followed us to.

[Nick]

This bar or he may have had enough to drink, that he didn't care. Right, right. A lot of. A lot of these types of. You know, it's. It's not terribly uncommon for a rapist to be impulsive, I'm not trying to say, or victim blame or put anything on her. I'm simply pondering the circumstances in trying to think through this. And once they're out in that parking lot, for all we know, she went out because she was the person she was talking to. She was. He. He left. Preston Pierce left. Because the statement is that she follows that. Not necessarily that she follows him, but he leaves. And then she leaves almost immediately after him. She. He's not walking her out of the bar. He's not holding her hand. But for all we know, she's done talking with that person. She thinks her night is over, she can't find John, and she goes out to the parking lot looking for John's vehicle, and Preston Pierce forces her into his. His car. And if she's 5 foot 1, 110 pounds, and been drinking all night long, guess what? It doesn't take a gun to get her body into that vehicle.

[Captain]

Right.

[Nick]

Digging through this here, clearly she's not walking out with him. If she knew these things that we know about him. But then there's a but. You said a ruse. It doesn't have to be a gun. It could be for some reason, she trusted him. And there are a couple of possibilities here. One, he bought her a drink and he drugged it, and she wasn't thinking. She know what the hell was going on?

[Captain]

Well, no, I think that that could be a very plausible thing. He leaves. He knows that she's intoxicated. She doesn't have her phone on her, like you said. Okay, so now she's starting to feel woozy. Well, where's John? Is John in the bathroom like John says? We have an eyewitness that took her to the bar that says. Yeah, I remember going into the restroom, and when it came out, she was gone. I couldn't find her. And so did she look around for John, and she's now feeling these effects of the drugs, and then she tries to get to her phone, and then something happens in the parking lot, or did she decide to go outside for a cigarette? I mean, I don't know if she.

[Nick]

Smoked or not, but I mean, did she go outside because she wanted fresh air or wasn't feeling well after a night of drinking or, or, or she.

[Captain]

Was drugged and she didn't feel good? Right.

[Nick]

Or is it as simple as she was a trusting person or he explained to her, hey, I, I'm, I'm a police officer or a former police officer, and she felt safe accepting a ride home from him.

[Captain]

Right.

[Nick]

I mean, there's any number of scenarios here, but clearly she didn't know what type of person this guy really, truly was. And look, I, this, this is one of the things that sickens me about my gender. And I know that I'm not the, I'm not the representative for our gender, but, but it's. God, I, well, maybe you can say that, but I'm certainly a million times better than this.

[Captain]

That is true.

[Nick]

So the thing here is like what, what sickens me and what aggravates me when I review these cases and damn it, there's so many of them is, look, and there's bad women out there too. There's, there's, there's bad children out there too. There's bad people that come in all walks of life, but in all forms. And why, but this is why we.

[Captain]

Love dogs over people.

[Nick]

I've met a few bad dogs as well. Let's not, let's not get into it too much. But what I'm saying here, Captain, is that I just wish, and this is nothing new, this isn't anything new to the 2020s. This has been going on since vehicles existed. I just wish that, that we lived in a world where somebody could offer somebody a ride to try to do something nice for somebody. And that's, and they, what they meant is to do something nice for somebody, not to trick them into getting into their vehicle. Not to, not to take them somewhere and do harm to them and then this person vanishes off of the face of the earth.

[Captain]

Well, we need to have serious conversations and sad that we don't have serious conversations about how we're raising our society, not just men, but how can we all be better people? And, and we see that. I mean, the amount of people I know that aren't talking with each other over politic disagreements or football disagreements or whatever it is, and you just go, I think we just have to have that conversation. What kind of society do we want to live in? And are we helping or hurting the situation? And I think another thing that's at least a positive in the true crime Space is you don't have to be polite to people. You don't have to be polite in the sense of if you feel that you're in danger, you don't have to be polite. I think. And like, back to your point, it's not victim blaming, but how many women are put into these weird situations where these guys are being creeps and they. They still feel a sense that they need to be polite? And I know there's been other podcasts that have been screaming from the rooftops, you don't have to be polite. If you feel that you're in danger, don't. Absolutely, don't be polite. It's the people at the bar. It's the employees at the bar. We all need to do a better job of looking after each other. I mean, especially if they knew this guy had a reputation of being a creep. It's like. But like you said, maybe this. Maybe this creep knows that, and that's when he left. And then he was just hoping for an opportunity because.

[Nick]

I agree. I agree with everything you're saying. But. But from a. A former bartender, from what I've seen and everything I've reviewed, it was extremely busy and crowded at that bar. It's very difficult for bartenders to police and babysit everybody there. On top of that. That's not what they're hired for. But I agree. No, it's.

[Captain]

It's not. I'm not blaming them. I'm just saying everybody. We all can look out after. We can all look after each other a little bit better. I think that's fair to say.

[Nick]

Yes, no, and I 100% agree with that. And there's a.

[Captain]

There's a bunch of amazing bartenders out there that are doing that.

[Nick]

I agree with what you're saying about, you know, raising our children. The problem, though, is this. Really, truly, when you want to break it down to its most simplest form, unfortunately, men have been raping and killing women since the. Since the caveman times.

[Captain]

Yeah.

[Nick]

What. What sickens me when we review these cases, and it's. I. What I see time and time again is that there are men out there that are so evil or so backwards or perverted or what have you. I don't know the correct term or terminology for it there. I don't know that there is a label that exists to explain it.

[Captain]

Bags of shit.

[Nick]

Because they're all. They're all slightly different. But in the end, what it is is one person choosing that 15 or 20 minutes of whatever the hell I want to do is much more important to me than your existence and your life. And therefore I will take it. I will take your life and end you to get what I want for 15 or 20 minutes. And that's something that makes me sick to my stomach and it and it hurts me. It hurts me internally when we cover these cases. I'm sorry, but this is just another story of a woman getting victimized after a going to a bar. Yeah, we that's all it is. And we've reviewed a hundred of these. At this point. We Captain, we could go on and on for days. We wish and hope the best for the Fleming family and for Gretchen Fleming and hope that answers justice. Whatever is needed, whatever is appropriate in this case is coming sooner than later. As we said just minutes ago, there was recent activity in the later part of November on this case action by the Parkersburg Police Department. We should give them kudos for working this case and jumping on it immediately. We need to give kudos to the local people that that helped out this poor family and have assisted the Parkersburg Police Department in attempts of hoping to find Gretchen Fleming. If anyone listening has any information at all, the best place to send that information is to the Parkersburg Police Department. You may submit crime tips anonymously. The telephone number for the Parkersburg Police Department is 304-485-8501. That number will be included in our show. Not.

[Captain]

I want to thank everybody for joining us here in the garage. And remember, as a true crime community, it's important for us to share these cases. Somebody knows something. Colonel, do we have any recommended reading for the beautiful listeners?

[Nick]

Thank you, Captain. This week we are recommending Eden Undone, A True Story of Sex, Murder and Utopia at the dawn of World War II by Abbott Collar. Eden Undone is an incredible true story of murder, romance and a fateful search for utopia in the Galapagos. It's a wickedly gothic tale with sublime storytelling. Check out Eden Undone, A True Story of Sex, Murder and Utopia at the dawn of World War II by Abbott Caller. You can find that recommendation and many more on our recommended [e-mail] and until.

[Captain]

Next week, be good, be kind and don't wither.

[Nick]

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