Hundreds travel to Mountwood Park in search for Gretchen Fleming
Parkersburg resident Angie Burrows, right, speaks to Elizabeth resident Ruth Mulinex, left, and Vienna resident Rose Roberts, aunts of Gretchen Fleming who were distributing refreshments for volunteers during a large-scale search of Mountwood Park Saturday. Fleming has been missing since Dec. 4. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Marietta residents Ryan Matheny, left, and Melissa Sterling walk at the front of a group of volunteers returning from searching an area of Mountwood Park Saturday afternoon. Between 450 and 500 volunteers came out to assist in the search for Gretchen Fleming. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Gretchen Fleming
A volunteer gives directions as people sign out from the search for the missing Gretchen Fleming Saturday afternoon at Mountwood Park. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Parkersburg Police Detective J.M. Zimmerman, third from right, speaks with volunteers for the search for Gretchen Fleming Saturday morning in downtown Parkersburg. Volunteers were directed from there to Mountwood Park, where searches continued until about 5 p.m. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Parkersburg resident Angie Burrows, right, speaks to Elizabeth resident Ruth Mulinex, left, and Vienna resident Rose Roberts, aunts of Gretchen Fleming who were distributing refreshments for volunteers during a large-scale search of Mountwood Park Saturday. Fleming has been missing since Dec. 4. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Marietta residents Ryan Matheny, left, and Melissa Sterling walk at the front of a group of volunteers returning from searching an area of Mountwood Park Saturday afternoon. Between 450 and 500 volunteers came out to assist in the search for Gretchen Fleming. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Gretchen Fleming
A volunteer gives directions as people sign out from the search for the missing Gretchen Fleming Saturday afternoon at Mountwood Park. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Parkersburg Police Detective J.M. Zimmerman, third from right, speaks with volunteers for the search for Gretchen Fleming Saturday morning in downtown Parkersburg. Volunteers were directed from there to Mountwood Park, where searches continued until about 5 p.m. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
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PARKERSBURG -- Between 450 and 500 people turned out Saturday for a search of Mountwood Park as the investigation into the disappearance of Gretchen Fleming continued.
Parkersburg Police Chief Matthew Board said Saturday afternoon that "nothing definitive was located" and the investigation remained ongoing. He thanked the community for supporting the department and its efforts since Fleming, 28, of Vienna, was reported missing on Dec. 12.
"Since the onset of the investigation, when we asked for leads, we got leads," Board said.
Earlier last week, the department asked for volunteers to help search in "rugged, wooded terrain." The specific location was not announced, but when volunteers arrived at the Second Street parking lot between the floodwall and the Wood County Justice Center on Saturday morning, they were directed to Mountwood Park, the 2,500-acre, county-owned park east of Parkersburg.
The location was determined based on "tips I've received in the last couple of weeks," said Det. J.M. Zimmerman, the lead investigator on the case.
"Due to the large area that we'll be checking, we thought it would be beneficial to have as many people as we could to help with the search," he said Saturday morning.
Fleming was last seen in the early morning hours of Dec. 4 at the My Way Lounge in downtown Parkersburg. Police have said they have a person of interest in the case, a man seen on video leaving the My Way with Fleming. The person has not been charged in the case, and police have not released his name.
Saturday's search was managed by the Mountaineer Area Rescue Group, an all-volunteer search and rescue organization based in Morgantown. The members assist in a variety of missing persons searches and also coordinate large-scale search efforts like Saturday's, said Doug Moore, search manager for the group.
Mountaineer Area Rescue Group members acted as field team leaders or designated other leaders, who then briefed teams of volunteers on what areas would be searched and how. They embarked from two different locations in the park, one near the entrance and one at the visitor center and museum.
Fleming's grandparents, Louise and Phil Fleming, with whom she was living, were at the park for the search.
"We won't leave 'til the last person's in," Louise said.
Louise Fleming said the situation gets more difficult to handle each day, but she's grateful for the prayers and other support the community has provided.
"I never realized just how great they are until you have something like this and they come and help you," she said.
Other members of Gretchen Fleming's family gathered at the park to either participate in the search or distribute food and drinks to the volunteers. Louise Fleming said one of her nieces flew in from Georgia to be there.
Louise Fleming said she had mixed emotions about the day, hoping for answers but dreading what that could mean.
"I just want out of this nightmare," she said.
Parkersburg resident Angie Burrows was among the people volunteering for the search.
"It makes your heart warm," she said of the turnout. "There's still a lot of good people left."
Searches were wrapping up around 5 p.m. Saturday, Board said.
Board thanked the Mountaineer Area Rescue Group and the people who volunteered as well as the businesses -- including Little Caesar's, Community Bank and the Bodega -- that provided refreshments for those searching. Some citizens also donated snacks and drinks.
Board also thanked the Wood County Sheriff's Department, Deerwalk Volunteer Fire Department and the Mountwood Park staff for their assistance with the search, as well as the Wheeling Police Department, whose officers brought a drone.
Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com.