The Deadly Night Out: The Disappearance of Gretchen Fleming

Connor Tomlinson (0:06)

This is Crime House.

Kaelyn Moore (0:10)

A 27-year-old musician and writer vanishes in her hometown after a night out at the bars. Her purse and her wallet are left behind, but her disappearance isn't reported for eight days. Her final moments are on camera, and within 48 hours, police have a very solid lead. But it takes them three and a half years before anyone is charged.

Hi, welcome to Clues where we sneak past the crime scene tape to explore the key evidence behind some of the most gripping true crime cases. I'm Kaelyn Moore, and I'll be the one digging deeper into the timelines, the backstories, and the court files released for these cases. Today, once again, I'm so excited to welcome my very good friend and host of Crime House's newest show, Crimes of Reddit, and also the co-host of Two Girls, One Ghost, Sabrina De Anaroga.

Sabrina De Anaroga (1:03)

If you love falling down the Reddit rabbit hole as much as I do, I can guarantee you'll love the show. Until then, I'm excited to be joining you, Kaelyn, as the co-host, talking about the clues and internet theories, and also doing the botched board.

Kaelyn Moore (1:15)

Don't forget to share your thoughts on social. Want ad-free and early access to clues in the rest of the Crime House lineup? Subscribe to Crime House Plus and get at least two bonus episodes from across Crime House every month. To join, go to crimehouseplus.com, or if you listen on Apple Podcasts, tap Try Free at the top of the Clues page. Now, let's get into the case of Gretchen Fleming and the clues that defined it.

Hey Clues crew, before we get into today's case, I've got something very exciting that I want to share with you. Today, I'm coming to you from the set of PAVE Studios newest show, What the Fact. I'm joined by Connor Tomlinson, which I'm so excited about. You might know him from Love on the Spectrum and as the co-host of What the Fact, where he and Carter Roy take you through some of the most unbelievable true stories in history. Make sure to subscribe to them on YouTube and follow wherever you get your podcasts.

Connor Tomlinson (2:06)

Hello everyone. I'm Connor Tomlinson. Thank you for having me Kaelyn and thank you for coming.

Kaelyn Moore (2:13)

Here's the plan for today. Connor and I are going to talk through three historically bungled or botched investigations. We're going to decide which one was the biggest botch. Then be sure to stick around after for a sneak peek of What the Fact.

Connor Tomlinson (2:27)

See you soon.

Kaelyn Moore (2:28)

All right. We're going to get into this one today. We have a big case for you, a very interesting one that's had big updates recently.

Connor Tomlinson (2:37)

Very recently.

Kaelyn Moore (2:38)

Recent updates. This might be one that you've heard on true crime channels maybe years ago, but we have lots of updates to go over with you today. Just a reminder, if you're watching on YouTube, you're going to see some pictures, videos, maybe maps that will help you visualize the case. If you're listening, you can see all the same assets on our Instagram, as well as at Clues Podcast.

Sabrina De Anaroga (2:56)

A warning before we begin. This episode contains discussions of murder, kidnapping, sexual abuse, and gender-based violence. Please listen with care.

Kaelyn Moore (3:05)

So we're going to start on December 3, 2022 27-year-old Gretchen Fleming is looking forward to a night out in her hometown of Parkersburg, West Virginia. Gretchen's only been back home for about six months. Before that, she was off at college in North Carolina, so she missed a lot of her friends back home. And lately, she's been making up for lost time and trying to reconnect with a lot of them. Ever since she's been back in town, she's been hopping around, couch surfing a little bit. She mostly stays with her paternal grandparents in nearby Vienna, West Virginia, and sometimes she floats between friends' houses or other relatives. Plus, she doesn't drive, so she's kind of at the mercy of those around her, but she manages pretty easily. So that morning, her grandma Louise drops her off for a shift at the local H&M. As they say goodbye, Gretchen tells Louise that she's going out after work and she's probably not going to be staying with her later that night.

It's just easier that way.

Louise has a strict policy, her doors lock at 10 p.m. So whenever Gretchen stays out past 10 p.m., she usually spends the night elsewhere. Now, Gretchen doesn't take it personally. Louise does this for her own safety, and plus the two have a really close relationship.