Pierce extradited, booked in Wood County in connection to Fleming case
Pierce
On Thursday, Preston Pierce, who has been charged in Wood County in connection with the murder of Gretchen Fleming, was extradited back to Parkersburg to face charges returned by a Wood County Grand Jury in May. Pierce has been held in custody in Buncombe County, N.C., since his arrest on May 15. Earlier this week, Pierce waived his right to an extradition hearing, allowing for his transfer back to West Virginia. Detectives with the Parkersburg Police Department traveled to Buncombe County and coordinated his return to Parkersburg. Pierce is currently being held in custody pending arraignment in Wood County Circuit Court. The court date for that arraignment has not yet been scheduled. The Wood County Grand Jury indicted Pierce on the charges of first-degree murder, felony murder, kidnapping and disposal of a deceased human body in connection with the Dec. 2022 disappearance of Fleming. All subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.