Hi Mountain State Mystery listeners, I'm your host Mark and today I'm solo.
Because this isn't a scheduled episode.
We are still releasing a full episode on January 6th.
But I'm here to bring you an extra episode this week.
For the first time ever I'm bringing you a breaking story.
Normally we won't cover a breaking story because we don't chase headlines.
If a story is getting a massive amount of headlines I personally don't think it needs
our little podcast. But then I got thinking, if I went missing my family and friends would
want anyone and everyone talking about it.
I also know we have an amazing reach of listeners out there.
So maybe someone knows something and can contact the right people.
So let me tell you everything you need to know as of this recording on Tuesday December
27th on Gretchen Fleming.
27 year old Gretchen Fleming was last seen in the early morning hours of December 4th
2022 at the My Way Lounge and Restaurant in Parkersburg, West Virginia.
Witnesses report seeing Gretchen with an older man at the My Way Lounge and Restaurant as
well as some other surrounding bars and restaurants.
Gretchen wasn't reported missing until December 12th.
As the days have gone by there is still no sign of her.
Gretchen is described by her family and friends as being shy and sweet.
At 27 she was living with her grandparents returning home from North Carolina where she
went to college and lived for a few years.
Lewis Fleming, Gretchen's grandmother, said that she had been living with her and her
husband in Vienna for the past six months.
She said Gretchen was a joy to have in the house and this is completely out of character
for her.
She said the last time she heard from Gretchen was a text message that said, I love you.
She said, I know her so well that as she was able to call, she would call me in a heartbeat.
She would never let any of us suffer like this.
Jake Grimm, an old friend of Gretchen, spoke with Dateline and said, as soon as the story
came out it rattled me.
Jake said, I'm a true crime lover, I love reading thriller novels, I love listening
to podcasts and then it happens to you and it kind of just changes your world.
Jake also said that still unclear what exactly occurred on the evening of December 3rd into
the early morning hours of December 4th.
He said we still haven't seen any camera footage of anything.
She was at multiple spots, you know, the last place she was seen to everyone was the My
Way.
Jake said it's been frustrating because there's no timeline of the night yet.
It seems like she was going to multiple different places that night.
He said, but no one knows what she was wearing or how she was getting around.
Gretchen was reported missing to the Parkersburg Police Department by her family on December
12th, 2022.
Gretchen wasn't reported missing for over a week because it wasn't unusual for her
to go a few days without getting in touch with her family.
In the past few weeks, Jake has been trying to help bring attention to Gretchen's story.
The most recent vigil, which he said he helped organize, was held on Monday, December 19th.
Jake told Dateline that there were 150 attendees there to support Gretchen's family.
To be honest, not only did the family need it, the community needed it as well.
Jake said it's devastating to the community, to her family.
I mean, it's rattled a lot of people.
On December 12th, the Parkersburg Police Department posted about Gretchen's disappearance on
Facebook stating, if you have any information on the current whereabouts of Gretchen Fleming,
27 of Vienna, please contact Detective J. M. Simmerman.
I didn't release any other details about her disappearance.
Parkersburg Police Chief Matt Bord told NBC affiliate WTAP, I have not come to the office
where there has not been somebody here 24-7 since this was reported.
Working on specifically this to get Gretchen the help she needs.
With questions continuing to go around, Gretchen's loved ones are just hoping she returns home
safe.
Gretchen's father, Dave Fleming, said the community has been extremely supportive to
their family during this tough time.
He is also extremely grateful for Detective Simmerman, who he said is working around the
clock on Gretchen's case.
He stressed to Daiglein that he just wants to let the Parkersburg Police do their job
and help find his daughter.
David Fleming also said that the family is asking people to not speculate about Gretchen's
disappearance.
Jake Grimm told Daiglein that the speculation has been difficult on everyone.
You love social media and you hate it, Jake said.
There are so many things that have been spun around and people are not realizing her family
is reading this stuff and it breaks my heart because they are amazing people.
Gretchen's loved ones are not giving up hope and say they will continue to organize visuals
until they are able to bring her home.
I'm just asking people to do what we can do, which is to be Gretchen's voice.
She doesn't have a voice right now, Jake said.
We just want the word out there.
There has to be someone.
There has to be people out there that know things and it's just a matter of getting
them to talk, Jake said.
It's not over and it won't be over.
Gretchen is between 5' and 5'2 and weighs 100 to 120 pounds.
She has brown hair, brown eyes and she is now 28 years old.
If you have any information, please contact Detective J.M. Zimmerman at 304-424-1072 or
the Parkersburg Police Department directly at 304-424-8444.