PARKERSBURG, W.Va. — The man charged in the 2022 kidnapping and death of Wood County resident Gretchen Fleming pleaded not guilty Thursday during his arraignment in Wood County Circuit Court.
Preston Pierce, 58, appeared before Wood County Circuit Judge Jason Wharton on charges of first-degree murder, felony murder, concealment of a dead body and kidnapping. Pierce pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Pierce was arrested last month in North Carolina after he was indicted by a Wood County grand jury. He waived extradition.
A hunter in Wirt County found human remains in a shallow grave last fall. The remains were identified as being those of Fleming.
Pierce is being held without bail in the North Central Regional Jail. A trial date will follow in the case.
Pierce will get a new attorney after his initial attorney said he knew members of the Fleming family.