Preston D Pierce has been indicted in connection to the disappearance and death of Gretchen Eve Fleming in Wood County, West Virginia. The 27-year-old had disappeared just 20 days before she turned 28, which would have been on December 24. Currently, Fleming would be 31 years old.
As per the FBI, Fleming had last been seen in the early hours of December 4, 2022 while she was leaving My Way Lounge in Parkersburg. Her purse and its contents had been left behind. She was only reported missing on December 12 as Fleming was splitting her time staying with different relatives, and hence they did not realize that she was gone. Fleming’s remains were found in September 2025 in the Palestine area of Wirt County. The FBI had described her as a white female standing 5’2″ and weighing approximately 125 lbs, with brown hair and brown eyes.
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In November 2024, the FBI and Parkersburg Police Department had searched a home in the 1300 block of Division Street Ext in Parkersburg in connection to the case. However, no information on this search warrant was released.
Parkersburg Police Chief Matthew Board said “Our investigation from the onset quickly determined Mr. Pierce was the last person Gretchen was known to be seen with. As the investigation proceeded, it revealed Mr. Pierce was a person of interest. Over the next three-and-a-half years, it was unrelenting,” as per WCHSTV.
Here’s all you need to know about Preston D Pierce.
Preston D Pierce: 5 things to know
- Pierce was apprehended on Friday in Asheville, North Carolina. He is being held at Buncombe County Detention Center and will be extradited to West Virginia.
- Pierce, 58, is a former cop who changed his name from Darrell Lott. The FBI and law enforcement searched numerous properties linked to this individual.
- As per the jail records, Pierce is a white male, weighing 190 lbs and having a height of 5’9″. He is being held in the main jail and no bond amount is set as Pierce is awaiting extradition.
- The records note that Pierce has scars, marks and tattoos, including a scar on his left buttocks, a scar on the left elbow, a Pittsburgh Steelers tattoo on the left calf and a blue scorpion tattoo on the back. He also has a Celtic cross tattoo on the left chest.
- Pierce had been identified as a person of interest in the case, but had never been charged. In January 2023, he had told the police that Fleming was in his car around the time she went missing, but did not comment further. Now, he’s been charged with first-degree murder, felony murder, concealment of a dead body and kidnapping.
Pierce is in pre-trial phase, as per the jail records. Addressing the Fleming family, the police chief said “From my heart, I want to thank the Fleming family. It’s an arduous process. The faith they have shown throughout the course of this, not just the investigation but the tragedies that have happened on the periphery of this. The patience they’ve shown over three-and-a-half years and their support of us and faith in us is more appreciative than I can put into words.”
