Missing Man: Kyle Fleischmann - NC - 11/09/2007

Family, Friends Search For Missing Charlotte Man

POSTED: 1:25 pm EST November 11, 2007

UPDATED: 1:47 pm EST November 11, 2007

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Family and friends are asking for the community's help in finding 24-year-old Kyle Fleischmann.

Fleischmann's parents said he has been missing since Thursday night. They said the night started at the Dane Cook show at Bobcats Arena. Then Fleischmann went to Buckhead Saloon in Uptown Charlotte with some friends after the show. Surveillance video indicated he left the bar around 2:20 a.m. Friday and got a cab. That is the last time Fleischmann was seen.

Once Fleischmann left the bar he made three phone calls. He called his sister at 2:19 a.m. then called 2 other friends at 3:28 a.m. and 3:29 a.m.. No one answered his phone calls and he did not leave any voicemail messages on any of their phones.

Family and friends knew something was wrong when the next morning Fleischmann had not come home from the night before and didn't go into work. His parents said he calls home almost on a daily basis, that's when they got concerned and filed a missing person report.

The parents, who said their son is a responsible person, said he opened up a tab at the bar but never closed it out at the end of the night. There have been no other charges on his credit card since that night. And no one has been able to contact him because his phone is dead.

The parents have hired a private investigator. Friends have also joined parents in the search by placing fliers throughout the Uptown Charlotte area hoping someone has information in regards to Fleischmann's disappearance.

If you have any information or have seen Fleischmann please call police.

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/14575468/detail.html

Friends, Family Gravely Concerned For Missing Charlotte Man

POSTED: 4:03 pm EST November 12, 2007

UPDATED: 12:17 pm EST November 13, 2007

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- More than 50 hours have now passed since 24-year-old Kyle Fleischmann walked out the door of uptown Charlotte's Buckhead Saloon.

It's been 50 hours of agony for his family. On Monday afternoon they retraced his steps, with no idea where he could be.

It's possible he came across some people. He's a well-dressed, good-looking guy -- may have tried to rob him, I don't know, said Dick Fleischmann, Kyles father.

The last time he was seen, Kyle Fleischmann was at the Buckhead Saloon with friends last Thursday night. They'd gone to the bar after a concert, but some time during the night, Fleischmann became separated from those friends.

Police are now studying a grainy surveillance video that shows Fleischmann walking out the door and toward Tryon Street. But three days later, they still have no solid idea of where he is.

On Friday Fleischmann didn't show up to work at a SouthPark office building, so over the weekend his family began putting up pictures outside the Buckhead Saloon.

Then Monday friends including Cristyle Wood joined in, hoping they might uncover some hidden lead.

Hopefully someone has seen something, or saw him leave, and they know who he was with. Something like that, she said.

Fleischmanns family said it has hired a private detective to join the search, and their worry has turned to grave concern.

The fact that he hasn't contacted us leads you to believe the worst, his father said.

Dick Fleischmann said theres been no activity on Kyles cell phone or his bank account, and he had no reason to run off anywhere. His mother just found out she has cancer and has surgery scheduled for this week; Kyle had been calling her every day.

If you see Kyle Fleischmann or have any idea what happened to him, call police immediately.

http://www.wbtv.com/news/topstories/11227566.html

Man Missing Without a Trace

The parents of a missing man want to know what happened to their son after he went to a Charlotte bar.

Kyle Fleischmann's family and friends are now planning a huge search party.

The 24-year-old went to the Buckhead Saloon and left early Friday morning.

Fleischmann left his coat and debit car inside the bar.

The last communication from his phone were a couple of calls that were placed around 3 a.m. When no one answered, the caller didn't leave a message.

Those calls have led a private investigator to the Holiday Inn in Center City Charlotte.

Fleischmann's family want to know if he got into a car with a person who may have tried to rob him. His family and friends fear he may have been mugged, kidnapped or abducted.

His parents, Dick and Barbara Fleischmann, say it has been days since their oldest son Kyle went missing.

"If something happened and someone did something to him, please communicate with us," said Dick Fleischmann.

Kyle's family hopes to have a few hundred people meet in front of the Buckhead Saloon on Tuesday at 4 p.m. They want a large group to search the area.

http://www.thetimesnews.com/news/fleischmann_7545___article.html/friends_charlotte.html

Friends, family join search for Elon grad missing in Charlotte

Staff and wire

November 12, 2007 6:40 PM

Richard Fleischmann had lunch with his oldest son, Kyle Fleischmann, last Tuesday.

Two days later, on Thursday night, the 24-year-old went to the Dane Cook show with friends. His mother, Barbara, and his sister, Noelle, were at the show as well, though they did not sit together.

Kyle talked to his mother briefly before going inside the coliseum.

That was the last time anyone from his family heard from him. Now, friends and family are asking for the publics help in finding the 2006 Elon University graduate.

Kyle Fleischmann was last seen leaving Buckhead Saloon in uptown Charlotte at 2:15 a.m. Friday. According to friend Daniel Scagnelli, after attending the Dane Cook show, Fleischmann and a group of a half-dozen friends went to the bar, where Fleischmann was upbeat and dancing.

One by one, the friends left the bar over the next few hours, while Fleischmann stayed, Scagnelli said. A search of the bar found Fleischmanns coat and debit card his friends say hed been drinking and likely forgot them.

They believe he did not have any other money on him. He placed a few calls from his cell phone around 2:30 a.m., not leaving messages. Scagnelli said friends believe he was calling for a ride.

Richard Fleischmann said surveillance camera outside the bar show his son leaving the bar alone. I think he was trying to get a cab, he said. After all, thats how he got there in the first place.

He said his son was a very outgoing person, who kept in touch with the family particularly since his mother was sick with cancer. She is scheduled to have surgery Friday, Richard said.

The fact that his son hasnt called suggests to Richard that something may have gone wrong he could have been mugged or gotten into a situation that got out of hand. Though he hasnt given up hope of finding his son alive, he said he is realistic about the fact that he could be dead.

Scagnelli said he doesnt know of any personal, financial or criminal problems Kyle Fleischmann was having.

Hes just disappeared, Scagnelli said.

Fleischmann didnt show up for work Friday, and friends and family havent heard from him.

Theyve spent the weekend calling jails and hospitals, and taping posters with pictures of

Fleischmann uptown and in area college campuses.

Calls to Fleischmanns cell phone have gone straight to voice mail, and he never moved his car, which was left at a friends house.

It is very uncharacteristic for him to be gone without contacting anybody, said Garrett

Turner, 21, an Elon student who is a member of Kappa Alpha Order, Fleischmanns fraternity.

Turner said Fleischmann grew up in Charlotte and knew the area very well.

Richard Fleischmann, an executive with Fidelity Investments in Charlotte, said police were able to find the cell tower from where his sons last phone call was made. He is asking for anyone who knew his son to come today at 4 p.m. to Buckhead Saloon, 201 E 5th St., to help search the surrounding area.

A community group site has been set up at Facebook.com for anyone to post information about Fleischmanns whereabouts. More than 2,000 people have already signed up, including many

Elon University alumni who knew the business administration management graduate.

Though the school is not sponsoring any events, school officials posted a message on the schools Web site Monday asking the Phoenix family to please keep the Fleischmanns in your thoughts and prayers as authorities work to locate his whereabouts.

We are just alerting the community of what is going on in Charlotte, said school spokesman Eric Townsend.

While attending Elon, Townsend said, Fleischmann was actively involved in the Kappa Alpha Order where he served as vice president.

Fleischmann was also active in the community. Townsend said he volunteered his time to the Special Olympics, the Boys and Girls Club and Safe Rides, a student organization that used volunteers to drive other students at night.

Fleischmann is 6 feet tall, 180 pounds, with green eyes and brown hair. He was last seen wearing jeans, a black T-shirt, black pea coat and black dress shoes.

A missing persons report has been filed with Charlotte-Mecklenburg police. If you have any information about Fleischmanns whereabouts, call the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police at 704-336-7600.

http://www.wbtv.com/news/topstories/11234281.html

Plea for Help in Search for Missing Man

Friends and family are asking for your help this morning in the search for missing 24-year-old Kyle Fleischmann.

Fleischmann disappeared early Friday morning, after a night with friends at Buckhead Saloon, in Center City.  We're told he attempted to make several calls to friends, but left no voicemail.  No one has had contact with him since those attempts.

Friends of Fleischmann will gather on Tuesday afternoon in Center City to serach and hand out "Missing Person" posters.

Daniel Scagnelli, a friend of Kyle, has spearheaded a massive search.  The group has created a Facebook group, Help Find Kyle Fleischmann, and a website HelpfindKyle.com.  Daniel joined the WBTV News This Morning crew on Tuesday morning to discuss the search, and who Kyle was.

http://news14.com/content/top_stories/589550/group-sets-out-on-foot-to-find-missing-man/Default.aspx

Group sets out on foot to find missing man

November 13, 2007

CHARLOTTE Friends and family set out on foot to help find Kyle Fleischmann.

The group met outside Buckhead Saloon at 201 E. 5th Street in Uptown Charlotte on Tuesday at 4 p.m. to cover a seven mile area where he was last seen.

Fleischmann, 24, disappeared Thursday night. He was last seen leaving Buckhead Saloon after attending the Dane Cook show at the Charlotte Bobcats Arena with a group of friends.

Fleischmanns friends reportedly went home before he was spotted leaving around 2:30 a.m. His sister says he tried calling her around that time, most likely for a ride home, but she was sleeping. He did make several more phone calls, the last around 3:30 a.m. to a friend, but he didn't leave a message.

Fleischmann is 6 feet tall with short brown hair. He was last seen wearing a black T-shirt with jeans and black dress shoes. If you think you've seen him or have any information on his whereabouts, call 911, (336) 262-6958 or (704) 258-7782.

For more information, visit Facebook.com (Account required) or HelpFindKyle.com.

http://www.amw.com/missing_persons/brief.cfm?id=50773

Elon Univ. Graduate Disappears

Kyle Fleischmann's friends and family knew the 24-year-old Elon University grad as an outgoing, caring guy who liked to have a good time. But, on November 8, 2007, a night that began with a comedy show and drinks would end with Kyle disappearing. Now, Kyle's loved ones fear the worst.

Where Is Kyle Fleischmann?

Kyle's friends and family are working hard to find him.

Kyle Fleischmann is an all-American guy.  The handsome, 6'0" tall Elon graduate is well liked, and his friends and family say he's very outgoing and fun to be around.  While he attended Elon, Kyle was Vice President of his fraternity where he was actively involved community service initiatives.  His friends say Kyle liked to have a good time and had his head on straight.  So the nature of his sudden disappearance after a night out with friends and family has Kyle's loved ones fearing the worst.

On Thursday, November 8, Kyle caught Dane Cook's stand-up act at Bobcats Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.  Kyle's mother and sister were also in the audience, and when the show ended Kyle and his friends walked to Buckhead Saloon, where he met his family.

Kyle's friends and family left the bar while Kyle stayed back, until the Saloon's security camera captured images of the 24-year-old exciting the bar around 2:20 a.m.  Kyle made several phone calls between then and 3:30 a.m. but didn't leave any messages, and hasn't been heard from since.  Kyle returned to neither his car nor his home, and all calls that have since been made to his cell have gone straight to his voicemail.

Now, Kyle's family and friends are mounting a search.  On November 13, they are conducting a massive effort on the ground, starting at the Buckhead Saloon where he was last seen. 

Police say Kyle was last seen leaving the Buckhead Saloon in Uptown Charlotte around 2:15 a.m.

Other Possible Locations

North Carolina

Last Known Locations

Charlotte, NC

Sex  Male

Race White

Age at Disappearance 24

Height 6'0"

Weight 180 lbs.

Hair (Color, Description, Facial Hair) Brown

http://www.helpfindkyle.com/

http://www.palmettoscoop.com/2007/11/13/help-find-kyle/

Last Friday night, 24-year-old Kyle Fleischmann (pictured above), a friend of a good friend, disappeared from Charlottes Buckhead Saloon. A security camera showed him leaving by himself at 2:20 a.m. and cell phone records show he made three phone calls to friends between then and 3:30 a.m., but little is known about what happened to Kyle after that or where he could be.

Family and friends said this is incredibly out of the ordinary and they are worried something may have happened. Here is what is known:

* Kyle is a 6′0″ male with brown hair. He has a muscular build and weighs approx. 180 lbs.

* Kyle was last seen early Friday morning around 2:20am in Uptown Charlotte, NC leaving the Buckhead Saloon on 5th Street.

* Kyle was wearing a black shirt, jeans, and black dress shoes. It is believed he left his black pea coat at the bar along with his credit card.

  * It is not known whether or not Kyle took a cab or tried to find a ride home. His last contact was 3 phone calls made around 3:30am Friday morning. His cell phone has been off since.

Kyles friends and family will be conducting a foot search TODAY, Nov. 13, at 4 p.m. starting in front of the Buckhead Saloon, 201 E 5th St., Charlotte. For more information or to make a donation, please visit www.helpfindkyle.com.

http://www.charlotte.com/breaking_news/story/362049.html

Posted on Wed, Nov. 14, 2007

Kyle Fleischmann search continues

STEVE LYTTLE

slyttle@charlotteobserver.com

Friends and family members of a south Charlotte man missing since last Friday will be out in force again today, trying to find clues to his disappearance.

The search is being focused on the First Ward area.

Kyle Fleischmann, 24, was last seen leaving the Buckhead Tavern in Charlotte's uptown early last Friday morning. He was seen leaving the tavern alone, after leaving his coat and credit card at the establishment.

Family members said he made three calls from his cell phone between 2:15 and 3:30 a.m. last Friday but has not been heard from since.

On Tuesday, about 100 people fanned out across the uptown area, asking people if they had seen the missing man or might know something about the case. Searchers handed out fliers with Fleischmann's photo, and many of those fliers were posted on the windows of offices in the area.

Searchers said Fleischmann's cell phone calls early Friday were transmitted off a tower at Seigle Avenue in 10th Street, near First Ward. So they spent much of their time Tuesday looking along the McDowell Street corridor.

Friends say the missing man's checking account has not been touched since last Friday, and all calls to his cell phone are being routed directly to the man's voice mail.

http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071115/NRSTAFF/311150010

Candlelight vigil set for missing Elon alum

Thursday, Nov. 15, 2007

updated 8:45 am

A candlelight vigil will be held tonight for students, faculty and alumni to pray for the safe return of Kyle Fleischmann, an Elon University alum who has been missing since Friday.

The vigil is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. Thursday in the Loy Center at the cul-de-sac off Phoenix Drive. It will be held in the Larose Digital Theater in the Koury Business Center in case of rain.

"With the Thanksgiving break soon approaching, the vigil will be an opportunity to share information, be together as community of friends, and offer prayers for Kyle's safe return and for his family," said Smith Jackson, vice president for student life and dean of students at Elon, in a press release.

Fleischmann, 24, was last seen leaving the Buckhead Saloon at the corner of 5th St. and College St. in Charlotte at 2:20 a.m.

Calls on his cell phone were in the uptown area and mainly in the 1st Ward area. Cell phone activity ended around 4 a.m.

According to a Facebook page set up by friends, he left his debit card at the Buckhead Saloon.

Fleischmann is described as 6 feet tall, about 180 pounds, with green eyes and brown hair. He was last seen wearing a black t-shirt, black pea coat, jeans and black dress shoes.

People with information are asked to call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 or 911.

At Elon, Fleischmann was a business administration management student who served as an officer in the Kappa Alpha Order fraternity.

He also volunteered with the Special Olympics, the Boys & Girls Club and Safe Rides.

He graduated in 2006.

http://www.newsobserver.com/1565/story/773578.html

Friends says they'll keeping looking for missing Elon graduate

11/14/07

The Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Family and friends of a 2005 Elon University graduate who hasn't been heard from nearly a week say they plan to continue looking for any signs of him.

One friend created a site on Facebook.com so people can pass along information about 24-year-old Kyle Fleischmann of Charlotte. He last was seen leaving a Charlotte bar early last Friday.

Richard Fleischmann says his son usually stays in touch with his family and that his mother is scheduled for surgery. The father says not hearing from Kyle under these circumstances is troublesome.

Searches are planned this weekend.

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/14608321/detail.html

Search For Missing Charlotte Man Concentrates On Wooded Area Near Uptown

POSTED: 4:26 pm EST November 15, 2007

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Kyle Fleischmanns family and friends joined search dogs Thursday afternoon in a wooded area just outside of uptown Charlotte to spend another day looking for the man who disappeared nearly a week ago.

The area where search dogs seemed to indicate they picked up his scent on Wednesday is about five blocks from where Fleischmann was last seen early Friday morning. The 24-year-old hasnt been spotted since walking out of Buckhead Saloon around 2:20 a.m. that day.

Family and friends have been scouring uptown for three days. Now they are focusing on the spot off 12th and College streets.

More than 20 volunteers split up and began looking near train tracks, through gravel and in overgrown brush and thorns early Thursday afternoon. Every area searched got a tag -- telling other searchers it was clear.

The important thing is we need to flag everything, said Richard Fleischmann, Kyles father.

He said police are concentrating their search in uptown near the bar where Kyle was last scene. The bars surveillance cameras captured him leaving by himself.

Fleischmann said a dog not associated with the police department picked up his sons scent near the Holiday Inn not far from the bar, but blocks from where Thursdays search concentrated. He said the dog used his sons jacket the one he left at the bar the night he disappeared.

There's a machine that sucks his arm pit area that has the most scent, and its absorbed into a bag and given to the dogs, he explained.

Fleischmann said friends from across the country have come to help search.

George Zink came from Florida.

My daughter found (that Kyle was missing) on the Web site Facebook. So we got in touch with Dick and said, Listen, we're coming, Zink said.

Facebook, a popular networking site, has a "Help Find Kyle Fleischmann" page. So far over 27,000 people have logged on and left messages.

Hundreds are also expected at a prayer vigil Thursday night for Kyle on the Elon University campus.

His disappearance is also posted on the Americas Most Wanted Web site. His story will air on Saturdays broadcast.

http://news14.com/content/headlines/589680...ch/Default.aspx

CMPD continues Fleischmann search

11/15/2007 05:05 PM

By: CMPD Press Release

CHARLOTTE -- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) detectives are continuing to follow up on leads in the disappearance of Kyle Fleischmann, the 24-year-old man who was reported missing Friday, November 9, 2007, after leaving a center city bar. Detectives are coordinating efforts and information with the family who, along with Mr. Fleischmann's friends, are seeking any information that would lead to his whereabouts.

"We have reviewed camera tape and interviewed a number of people to gather information about what might have happened," says CMPD Missing Persons Detective J.L. Tuttle. "While adult missing person cases are a bit different than those involving young adults or children, the investigative process and goals are the same: to determine the circumstances of the disappearance, locate the person and bring them home."

The Fleischmann family and Mr. Fleischmann's friends have been actively involved in the search and have established a private reward through the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Crime Stoppers Program at (704) 334-1600. Individuals providing information leading to the whereabouts of Kyle Fleischmann are eligible for a reward of up to $10,000.

The attention this case has received has cast the spotlight on other missing person cases. On its website (www.cmpd.org), the CMPD highlights cases for which they are seeking additional information. Anyone with information about any of the cases featured there is urged to call Crime Stoppers.

The CMPD receives more than 3,500 missing person reports annually

Approximately 70% of those reports involve juveniles between the age of 13 and 17 and adults account for the other 30%

On the average in any given year less than 10 reports truly involve foul play

CMPD's Missing Persons Unit is currently staffed by five detectives, one investigative technician and one supervisor

Contrary to popular belief, there is no required waiting period (24 or 72 hours) before one can file a report. In fact, the sooner the report is filed, the sooner the investigation can begin to locate the missing person. While most missing persons are found or return home within just a few days, if any foul play is suspected, the investigation escalates accordingly. Detectives have not ruled out any possibilities in this case and ask anyone with information about this, or any other missing person case, to call Crime Stoppers or 911.

http://www.thetimesnews.com/articles/fleischmann_7629___article.html/elon_charlotte.html

Elon vigil remembers missing alum

By Micah Flores / Times-News

November 16, 2007 8:51 AM

By Peter Schumacher / Times-News Students gather Thursday night in a show of support for those searching for Kyle Fleischmann. ELON Friends and students Thursday night held candles at Elon Universitys Greek courts in a show of support and hope for a former student whose disappearance in Charlotte last week has touched days of worry and searching.

Some of the more than 100 students who joined the vigil night knew Kyle Fleischmann well.

The 24-year-old North Carolina native who graduated in 2006 left positive memories with many at this university. He has not been seen or heard from since early Nov. 9 after leaving a bar in his hometown of Charlotte.

Theres a tremendous outpouring of encouraging support for Elon tonight, said Leo Lambert, the universitys president, And the spirit of Elon is at work in the Charlotte community, he said as students quietly left the vigil.

Kyle treated people like a friend, said Alex Hopkins, one of Fleischmanns former Kappa Alpha Order brothers who attended the vigil. Its a helpless feeling. All I want to do is help my friend, help Kyle.

Jackie Reynolds-Drumm, an Elon senior and another one of Fleischmanns friends, said that while the evenings mood started off somber, the strong showing of student support many of whom did not know Fleischmann left her with a sense of reassurance and hope.

Recalling past memories with friends, Reynolds-Drumm said Kyle could find the humor out of any situation.

Everybody knew Kyle, she said, He was the most fun-loving guy. If you had a bad day, he was the one to call.

Scott Mackenzie, another one of Fleischmanns former fraternity brothers, said hes grateful for the support.

Were going out Saturday morning to look for Kyle, he said, Well be searching all day and anyone is welcome to come.

In Charlotte, an around the clock effort by hundreds of volunteers in that city, all intent on finding Fleischmann, has generated nationwide attention.

On Nov. 9, Fleischmann left his credit card and coat at the tavern in which he was last seen. Surveillance footage showed Fleischmann leaving the bar alone at 2:15 a.m.

Fleischmanns early Friday cell phone calls, which were transmitted off a tower near

Charlottes First Ward prompted reports of more than 100 people to search Tuesday along the nearby McDowell street corridor.

Students at Elon University have also taken the initiative to set up a booth in Mosley Center for people to make donations, which will further fund future searches. Additional donations will also be collected Saturday afternoon during Elons home football game against Stony Brook.

Julie Hill, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Departments spokeswomen, said until the current facts change, the police will continue to treat the investigation as a missing persons case.

Were working with the family and sharing leads, she said, adding that she could not recall the last time one of her departments missing persons case generated so much attention. Every case is different, and were working all the cases, we just need the information.

Fleischmann is white, 6 feet tall, 180 pounds and has green eyes and brown hair. He was last seen wearing jeans, a black T-shirt and black dress shoes. Anyone with information about Fleischmanns whereabouts is urged to call CrimeStoppers at 704-344-1600.

http://www.thetimesnews.com/news/fleischmann_7644___article.html/search_craig.html

Search for missing Elon grad picks up steam with new lead

Alex Kreitman / Times-News

November 16, 2007 4:11 PM

The search for missing 2006 Elon graduate Kyle Fleischmann continues today, but now focuses on an area along a creek in Charlotte.

Mike Craig, who runs Public Safety Dogs Inc., a non-profit search dog group out of Burlington, said Friday that new information has led search teams to a new place. Unfamiliar to the area, Craig said he did not know the exact location of the creek.

Were doing some presearches now with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fire Department, Craig said. Theyre walking the creek after we got information some residents and from work from the dog teams.

Search teams made up of friends, family and volunteers have been scouring the streets of Charlotte all week, but haven't found anything to solve Fleischmann's disappearance. This is the first new lead in days.

Craig has a team of six dogs with him in Charlotte, but has used 11 dogs total so far in the search. He said he has already made three trips from Burlington since Tuesday night.

Were looking for anything, Craig said. Maybe a shoe, the shirt he was wearing, his cell phone. Anything that will let us know he was here for sure.

Craig said the dogs are following the scent from the jacket Fleischman left at Buckhead Saloon early in the morning on Nov. 9. Fleischmann was last seen on a surveillance video leaving the bar.

Fleischmann, 24, is an executive with Fidelity Investments in Charlotte, his hometown.

A hit off Fleischmanns last cell phone call made around 3:30 a.m. Nov. 9 led searchers to the First Ward area of Charlotte.

The search has received lots of national attention with Fleischmanns sister Noelle Fleischmann appearing on Fox News this morning. Americas Most Wanted is planning on airing a segment on the disappearance on Saturday.

A close friend of Kyle Fleischmanns, Dan Scagnelli, created a group on the social networking site called Facebook. So far the group has almost 36,000 members from across the country. Members of the group in New York appeared on this mornings edition of The Today Show.

Searches are planned throughout the weekend with many students from Elon expected to make the trip.

If anyone has any information they are asked to contact Crimestoppers at 704-334-1600.

http://www.wbtv.com/news/topstories/11492146.html

Facebook Community Plays Huge Part in Search for Fleischmann

Word of the body found on Independence spread like wildfire around Charlotte. So many people curious if this was the end to the search for Kyle Fleischmann.

The information spread the fastest on the internet, where thousands of people are working together to try and find him.

8 days ago, Kyle vanished without a trace.

The last glimpse of the 24-year-old comes from a surveillance camera as he left Buckhead Saloon at 2:30 in the morning..

Leaving his jacket and bank card inside.. His parents fearing the worst.

His father said, "Maybe he got into a car with the wrong person who tried to rob him?"

There is no sign of Kyle and no sign of any sort of crime..

A missing persons report with police would follow, but little would be done, until the ground swell of concern filtered from the center city bar scene onto the internet and complete strangers would take up the cause.

Facebook.com became the sounding board for concern.

By Monday, 1,947 people had joined a web community on the networking site dedicated to searching for Kyle.

The next day, the online community organized a massive search of center city strangers from all walks of life scouring the city for any sign of Kyle.

"I think the people here just can't believe something like this could happen," said one.

On the same day, a facebook member contacted America's Most Wanted and all the cable news networks begin following the story.

Videos appeared on YouTube as well.

By Wednesday, the Search for Kyle website grew to 16,000 members. 16,000 sets of eyes all over the country that could potentially look for Kyle.

On the same day, 6 billboards were donated and CMPD put out an official missing persons flyer. That flyer replaced the hundreds of make-shift ones placed on utility poles and store windows across the area.

Instead of police dogs, a non-profit organization brought in tracking dogs from across the state to search for any sign of Kyle.

On Thursday, the facebook membership grew past the 26,000 mark.

That meant more eyes to help find Kyle and to help organize the search.

The facebook community has also raised $25,000 to help in the search.

Sports teams, donut shops and even night clubs are all pitching in with fundraisers advertised on the website.

Facebook is also promoting a major search tomorrow.

For all the negative stories we've seen about young people and internet sites here is an example of how technology can bring us together.

Right now, there are more than 36,000 members on the search for Kyle page.

http://www.charlotte.com/112/story/365290.html

Posted on Fri, Nov. 16, 2007

Body found off Independence not missing man's

STEVE LYTTLE

Police are investigating a body found this morning near one of Charlotte's busiest thoroughfares.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Officer Robert Fey said the body was that of a white man in his 20s. But Fey said the victim definitely is not Kyle Fleischmann, a 24-year-old Charlotte man who has been missing for a week.

Numerous Observer readers have sent e-mails this morning, concerned that the body might be that of Fleischmann. Friends and family members of the missing man have conducted large-scale searches daily since Tuesday.

This morning's death appears to be a case of hit-and-run, and police are trying to determine who might have struck the victim.

Police say the body was discovered shortly after 7 a.m. near East Independence Boulevard and Sardis Road North, in the Crown Point area of southeast Charlotte.

According to police, MEDIC declared the person dead at the scene. There is no official word on the gender of the victim or whether any violence might have been involved.

The body was discovered on the northeast side (along the inbound side) of Independence Boulevard, a short distance from the intersection of Sardis Road North. It was found in a ditch, near a wooded area that buffers the highway from a townhouse complex.

Police say Homicide detectives and the HITS squad have been called in. HITS, or Highway Interdiction Traffic Safety, investigates vehicle-related deaths.

http://news14.com/content/headlines/589741/continuing-the-search-for-fleischmann/Default.aspx

Continuing the search for Fleischmann

Updated: 11/17/2007 02:29 PM

By: Kate Gaier

News 14 Carolina's Kate Gaier is at the Charlotte Fire Department as volunteers get ready to search for the missing man.

CHARLOTTE -- Saturday will be the eighth day since anyone last heard from 24-year old Kyle Fleischmann, and efforts to find him are picking up.

"The main thing is we want to look under every rock, we want to look under every board. We want to check everything," said Anthony Stovall, Fleischmanns roommate. "It kind of uplifts you and at the same time when you think about the situation you're saddened a little bit. None the less you got to love the support."

Searchers and volunteers met Saturday morning at the Charlotte Fire Department on E. Ninth Street, from where they will spread out and begin combing the city for the missing man. Check-in began at 7:30 a.m.

Stay tuned to News 14 Carolina for an update on the days search, and more from those concerned for Fleischmann. "Our goal today is to cover a lot of areas that may have been missed over the past, said Rob Brisley with the Charlotte Fire Department.

Fleischmann went missing after leaving the Buckhead Saloon in uptown Charlotte earlier this month. A campaign to find him has included a number of searches, as well as national television appearances.

"It's been a lot of work for a lot of people, said Fleischmanns friend Daniel Scagnelli. Basically we have one goal, and it's a combined goal and it keeps us driving for it everyday."

http://www.myfoxwghp.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=4965378&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1http://www.myfoxwghp.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=4965378&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1

New Search Ends With No Clues in Kyle Fleischmann's Disappearance 

Last Edited: Saturday, 17 Nov 2007, 6:53 PM EST 

Created: Saturday, 17 Nov 2007, 6:53 PM EST 

By LEAH BENO

FOX8 News

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WGHP) Police and volunteer search teams started at 10 a.m. and worked until 5 p.m., all with one goal:  Find clues leading to the disappearance of Kyle Fleischmann.  The 300 volunteers ended the day tired, cold and with no signs of Kyle.

"I still have hope he's alive," said Dick Fleischmann, father.  "Maybe someone kidnapped him.  Who knows what happened?"

Kyle's friends, family and strangers were divided into 12 teams.  They covered nine square miles of downtown Charlotte.

"This is just amazing that people are driving (from) Elon (and) Florida," said Ky'e mother Barbara Fleischmann.  "He would be touched by this."

Kyle reportedly got separated from friends at Buckhead Saloon in uptown Charlotte around 2:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 9.  He made a few cell phone calls about an hour later, but left no messages.

Kyle, 24, graduated from Elon University in 2006 and lives in Charlotte.

Volunteers found many personal items, none of which belonged to Kyle.

Police said they would conduct another search on Sunday, without the volunteers.

http://www.charlotte.com/local/story/368046.html

Unusual spotlight on missing man

Family, friends have used TV, Facebook, other media to draw attention to his case

Nearly 300 volunteers wearing pins, stickers and shirts bearing Kyle Fleischmann's face and name helped emergency workers search for him Saturday throughout central Charlotte.

The disappearance of the 24-year-old, last seen in an uptown bar Nov. 9, is unusual among missing persons cases: He's an adult. He's a man. And, after more than a week, no one knows what happened to him.

But perhaps the most unlikely aspect, experts and investigators say, is the outpouring of public attention his case has received.

Tens of thousands of people, maybe more, have heard Fleischmann's name -- through the Internet, on TV, in newspapers and on billboards. The case has gotten air time on everything from "America's Most Wanted" to CNN. On Saturday night, a Facebook page for Fleischmann had close to 42,000 members.

At least 13 people have disappeared in Mecklenburg County this year. None has received even close to the same attention. (The Observer tried to contact relatives of the city's other reported missing people, but they declined comment or could not be reached.)

On Saturday, Fleischmann's parents, Dick and Barbara, spoke again at an emotional news conference.

"We're so grateful," Barbara Fleischmann said. "It's amazing people would do this."

Investigators in the Fleischmann case say they're pleased with the attention. But they wonder why few cases are treated the same way.

The Fleischmann family and a network of his friends, many of them fellow Elon University alumni, did put his story in the public sphere soon after his disappearance. Fairly or not, experts say, those are the kinds of cases that garner the most attention and generate the most leads.

Experts say race, gender and age play roles, too, exemplified by the much-discussed "missing white woman syndrome" attending the broadly covered disappearances of Natalee Holloway, Laci Peterson and others, or the phenomenon of missing white girls such as JonBenet Ramsey and Elizabeth Smart.

"If you're African American, Indian, Hispanic or beyond 25," your case is less likely to get noticed, said Monica Caison, the founder of Community United Effort Center for Missing Persons, a Wilmington nonprofit.

Of the 13 people reported missing in the county this year, eight are black females and two are Hispanic females. Eight are juveniles.

The public also tends to pay more attention to missing people according to how they appear in photographs, Caison said. She said she once, as an experiment, went to a grocery store with two photos of a missing girl -- one taken at school, another of her flashing a peace sign on Christmas morning.

When she displayed the school photo, nearly everyone stopped and took note. When she showed the other one, hardly anyone did.

"It's all in the presentation," Caison said. "I know it sounds ugly, but that's what people say."

Yet all the attention hasn't led to Fleischmann. Investigators won't say whether they suspect foul play. They have said only that they continue to hold interviews and pursue leads.

http://www.charlotte.com/catawba/story/367910.html

CATAWBA AUTHORITIES ASK PUBLIC TO BE ALERT

Hunt still on for 2 missing men

1 person vanished in April, the other more than 4 years ago

MARCIE YOUNG

myoung@charlotteobserver.com

The disappearance of Kyle Fleischmann, a 24-year-old Charlotte man who was last seen leaving an uptown bar more than a week ago, prompted citywide searches and garnered attention from the national media.

And while Fleischmann's family and friends scoured Charlotte last week, authorities in Catawba County encouraged people to keep an eye out for two missing men they are still hoping to find.

Travis Baker, 20, of Millersville hasn't been seen since April 16, when he missed a lunch appointment in Catawba County with his girlfriend and failed to show up for work that evening.

Wayne Conner, a 61-year-old Claremont native, disappeared more than four years ago. He was last seen sitting at the bar of the Boxcar Grille in Claremont.

Authorities suspect foul play in both cases but do not have any suspects.

"We have a lot of missing person reports," said Capt. Roy Brown, "(But) those two are the ones missing under circumstances where we think harm may have been done to them."

Most people reported missing are found alive within a couple of days, Brown said.

Investigators at the Sheriff's Office have been looking for Baker and his 1998, two-door red Camaro for more than seven months and have followed up on hundreds of tips in the Carolinas, Florida, Georgia, Texas and Nebraska, Brown said.

Anyone with information about Baker or Conner should call the Sheriff's Office at 828-464-5241.

http://news14.com/content/top_stories/589766/detectives-continue-investigation/Default.aspx

Detectives continue investigation

Updated: 11/18/2007 02:43 PM

By: CMPD Press Release and News 14 Carolina Staff

CHARLOTTE -- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police detectives are continuing the investigation into the disappearance of 24-year-old Kyle Fleischmann, who was last seen leaving a center city bar in the early morning hours of November 9, 2007.

Today, detectives were at Fleischmanns apartment and they interviewed his roommates. A few media outlets were there observing the work and we want to be clear about what took place so there are no misunderstandings or inaccurate reports:

Mr. Fleischmanns roommates have been extremely cooperative. They are NOT suspects in this case

Crews say they searched extensively, but came up with nothing on Saturday. Crime scene technicians did remove some items from the residence for additional analysis. While we cannot comment on those items, we can say they were taken as part of a thorough investigation into the young mans disappearance

Detectives continue to conduct interviews with anyone who knew Kyle or who may have information that will lead to his whereabouts.

They encourage anyone with information to call CrimeStoppers at 704-334-1600 or if its an emergency, 911

http://www.charlotte.com/breaking_news/story/368424.html

Police search Fleischmann's condo

TAYLOR BRIGHT

tbright@charlotteobserver.com

Police searched Kyle Fleischmann's condominium and the surrounding area early this morning.

The 24-year-old has been missing since he was seen at the Buckhead Saloon Nov. 9.

Police took three waist-high brown paper bags with what appeared to be bedding from Fleischmann's condominium around 1 p.m.

Earlier in the morning, neighbors said, K-9 units searched the grounds of The Fransciscan Terrace, a condominium complex near Pfieffer College. The property abuts Little Sugar Creek. Neighbors also said the dogs searched several cars parked at the complex.

Fleischmann's disappearance has sparked a citywide search and has been featured on America's Most Wanted.

Searchers, including the Kristen Modafferi Foundation, had largely centered their search for Fleischmann near the Alpha Mill apartments and 12th Street in uptown, where police dogs had picked up a scent.

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/14632511/detail.html?rss=char&psp=news

Police: Technicians Remove Items From Missing Man's Home

Detectives Continue Investigation Into Missing Man

POSTED: 4:24 pm EST November 18, 2007

UPDATED: 5:14 pm EST November 18, 2007

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Sunday police K-9 units and crime scene technicians searched the area around 24-year-old Kyle Fleischmann's South Charlotte condo. Several bags full of items were taken from the residence.

The 24-year-old was last seen in Uptown Charlotte one week ago. Fleischmann got separated from friends at Buckhead Saloon and left the bar alone around 2:20 a.m. Nov. 9. He made his last cell phone call about an hour later and hasnt been heard from since.

Firefighters and nearly 300 volunteers including Fleischmanns family and friends combed a 9 mile area around Charlotte on Saturday.

Officials said, Thanks due to the efforts of the many volunteers numerous personal items were located. However, no significant items were found to better answer where Kyle Fleischmann may be.

Sunday detectives went back to Fleischmann's condo and interviewed his roommates. Officials said, "'Mr. Fleischmann's roommates have been extremely cooperative. They are not suspects in this case."

Eyewitness News was on the scene today when crime scene technicians removed some items from the residence for additional analysis. Police said, "While we cannot comment on those items, we can say they were taken as part of a thorough investigation into the young man's disappearance."

Kyle's father, Richard Fleischmann, tells us the bags were filled with his son's clothes. Police told him the scent from the clothes will better aid the K-9's in their search.

Charlotte Fire, Charlotte Mecklenburg Police and the private investigation firm hired by Fleischmanns family will continue to work together on the next steps in the investigation. For now detectives continue to interview anyone that knew Kyle or may have information that will lead to his whereabout.

"We are grateful for the valuable search operation that has been underway in Charlotte over the last week," said Richard Fleischmann. "We would ask as people go about their activities to please consider looking in and around your businesses or private property for anything that may help us find our son".

There is a $10,000 reward being offered for information that leads to finding Fleischmann.

Police encourage anyone with information to call CrimeStoppers at 704-334-1600.