The case began with a missing report after Fleming failed to contact relatives or friends.
PARKERSBURG, W.Va. — The family of Gretchen Fleming spent more than three years waiting for answers after she vanished from Parkersburg, and the case has now moved into court with murder charges against Preston Pierce.
Fleming’s disappearance began as a family crisis before it became a criminal prosecution. She had not contacted relatives or friends for just over a week when she was reported missing Dec. 12, 2022. Police now say Pierce, 58, killed her after leaving a downtown bar with her and then concealed her body in the woods.
The first public concern was silence. Fleming, 27, had last been seen in the early morning hours of Dec. 4, 2022, at My Way Lounge in downtown Parkersburg. She left the bar with Pierce, according to police, and left behind her purse and wallet. Days passed without contact. For relatives, the items left behind and the lack of communication were signs that something was wrong. After the missing report, search efforts grew. Police said hundreds of volunteers helped look for Fleming as the case spread through Wood County and the surrounding area.
That search did not quickly bring her home. Weeks turned into months, then years. Police released limited information while they pursued leads, and officials said at times that they had to stay vague because the investigation was active. Fleming’s name remained tied to public appeals, local coverage and questions about who she was with before she vanished. Pierce became a person of interest, but no charges were filed in the early phase. Investigators later said Pierce admitted Fleming had been in his car around the time she disappeared, then declined to give more information.
The family’s wait changed in September 2025, when human remains were found in a wooded area of Wirt County, south of Parkersburg. Police said extensive forensic testing later confirmed the remains were Fleming’s. The discovery ended the missing person search but brought a new kind of grief. It also gave investigators the evidence needed to pursue a homicide case. Parkersburg police later thanked the Fleming family for staying with the process. “Their strength, grace and resilience in the face of unimaginable loss have been truly remarkable,” the department said.
Investigators had to bridge the gap between the last known sighting and the recovery of the remains. Fleming was last seen in Wood County, in downtown Parkersburg. Her remains were found in Wirt County, about 20 miles away. Police have not released a detailed account of how they believe she was moved, when she died or what evidence placed Pierce at the body recovery site. They have said the investigation tied Pierce to the disappearance and death. The indictment accuses him of kidnapping Fleming, killing her and concealing her body.
A Wood County grand jury returned the indictment May 15, 2026. Pierce was charged with first-degree murder, felony murder, kidnapping and concealment of a deceased human body. The charges marked the first time the case had a defendant and a formal courtroom path. On the same day, authorities arrested Pierce in Buncombe County, North Carolina, in the Asheville area. Police said U.S. marshals were involved. The out-of-state arrest added another step for investigators because Pierce had to be returned to West Virginia before he could appear in Wood County court.
Pierce waived his right to an extradition hearing, and Parkersburg detectives coordinated his return on June 4. Once back in Wood County, he was held on the indictment. Local court coverage later reported that Pierce appeared before Wood County Circuit Judge Jason Wharton and pleaded not guilty. That plea means the allegations remain unproven and shifts the case into the pretrial process. Prosecutors must now share evidence with the defense and prepare to show how the state links Pierce to Fleming’s death.
For the family and community, the court case brings a different rhythm than the search. The public search depended on tips, volunteers and hope that Fleming could be found. The court process depends on deadlines, filings, hearings and evidence rules. Witnesses from the bar, law enforcement officers, forensic specialists and people who joined searches could all become part of the record. The defense can question the state’s evidence, including the identification of the remains, the timeline and the alleged statements or actions connecting Pierce to Fleming.
The case also carries the weight of the place where it began. My Way Lounge was not a remote location. It was a downtown Parkersburg establishment where people saw Fleming before she disappeared. Police say she left with Pierce in the early morning, and that moment became the last public point in her known life. The purse and wallet left behind became part of the concern. They suggested she did not leave in a normal way, though police have not said whether any struggle was witnessed at the bar.
Pierce’s background has added attention to the case. He has been identified in reports as a former police officer and as someone who previously used the name Darrell Lott. Investigators did not charge him during the first years of the case, but they continued to focus on him. A former law enforcement background may shape how the public views the case, yet the legal question remains narrow. Prosecutors must prove that Pierce committed the crimes charged, and the defense is entitled to challenge every part of that proof.
The indictment does not answer every question Fleming’s family has carried since 2022. Police have not publicly released her cause of death. They have not said whether they know the exact date or time she was killed. They have not said whether the body was placed in Wirt County soon after she vanished or later. They have not described all the evidence collected during searches and warrants. Some of those answers may emerge only through court filings, hearings or trial testimony.
What has changed is the status of the case. Fleming is no longer listed only as missing, and Pierce is no longer only a person tied to her last known movements. He is a criminal defendant facing murder and kidnapping charges in Wood County. The case now stands before Judge Wharton, with prosecutors and defense attorneys preparing for the next court steps.
Author note: Last updated July 8, 2026.