87 replies to this topic

[Kelly]

http://www.thetimesn..._charlotte.html

Fleischmann family, friends still have hope of finding missing Elon grad

Alex Kreitman / Times-News
November 19, 2007 11:25 AM

Charlotte Observer story

Richard Fleischmann called his missing sons best friend Dan Scagnelli a hero after Saturdays search for 2006 Elon University graduate Kyle Fleischmann who has been missing since Nov. 9.

More than 300 volunteers and 75 Charlotte firefighters took part in Saturdays search which was praised for its smooth and efficient operation. The search didnt turn up any clues, but Fleischmanns friends and family still have hope.

Scagnelli organized the search and several others last week through the social networking web site Facebook. The group has more than 48,000 members and the search has received national attention on CNN, Fox News and Americas Most Wanted.

I still have hope that hes alive, said Richard Fleischmann during a press conference Saturday. Maybe someone kidnapped him, who knows what happened. We still have no physical evidence of him and what has occurred, his keys or his wallet. So thats hope.

Adding to the tragedy facing the Fleischmann family, Barbara Fleischmann, Kyles mother, underwent surgery for breast cancer Friday morning.

My wife had her surgery and shes doing well, Richard Fleischmann, an executive with Fidelity Investments in Charlotte said. The physician did a great job. He knew what she was up against when she got there. We love him dearly and we want him back.

A day after her surgery Barbara Fleischmann was up at 9 a.m. and involved in the search for her son.

Shes tired and needs to rest, but she appreciates what everyone has done, Richard Fleischmann said.

The investigation now shifts from volunteer searches to sifting through leads.

The police department is diligently following every lead, said Bob Schurmeier, president of ISS, a private investigative firm in Charlotte. Pursuing leads, asking the public to provide anything else is where were going now. Right now, as we speak, theres missing persons detectives working leads.

Police searched Kyle Fleischmanns apartment Sunday morning and took garbage bags of clothes to lift his scent for their K-9 units. Police also interviewed Fleischmanns roommates, Anthony Stovall, 25, and Bruce Mottern, 24, but said they are not suspects in the case.

Leads are continuously coming in, Schurmeier said. I wouldnt say theyre trickling in, I wouldnt say theyre flooding in, but theyre continually coming in locally, regionally and from across the country.

Saturdays search divided volunteers into teams of seven to focus on a 9-square mile radius from the center of Charlotte to the northeast, east and northwest sections.

What light was shed (Saturday) was that we did about a 96 percent thorough search of the area, Charlotte Fire Department deputy chief Jeff Dunshaw said. In our business we say finding nothing is a good sign. Weve determined that those areas are clear to the best of our ability to search.

Fleischmann, a business administration major at Elon, was last seen on a surveillance video leaving Buckhead Saloon, a bar in Charlotte, at 2:15 a.m.on Nov. 9. He placed three cell phones calls without leaving messages, the last at 3:29 a.m.

If you have any information on Fleischmanns case, call Crimestoppers at 704-334-1600. There is a $10,000 reward for any information that leads to the disappearance.

[Kelly]

http://www.wwaytv3.c...ing_man/11/2007

Family looking for missing man

Submitted by WWAY on 20 November 2007 - 6:32pm.

CHARLOTTE -- The Thanksgiving holiday will be difficult for the family of Kyle Fleischmann. He's a Charlotte resident and Elon graduate who's been missing for well over a week now.

Kyle's family will spend the holiday searching for him.

Kyle's brother Kurt Fleischman is a junior at UNCW, he's asking for anyone and everyone's help to find Kyle.

Kurt said, "I try to keep a positive mind. I don't try and think of him as in the past tense."

Kyle, 24, was last seen on surveillance video leaving a bar in Charlotte.

"He wasn't stumbling or anything," Kurt said. "He walked out with his hands in his pocket."

After leaving the bar Kyle made three phone calls to friends and family...none of which were answered.
The next day Kyle didn't show up for work.

"That's when we knew something was wrong, when he didn't show up to his job the next day."

Since his disappearance more than 150 friends, family members and volunteers have searched areas of Charlotte for signs of him, but so far, nothing has turned up.

"I believe that he either tried to get into a cab and realized he had no money or he tried walking home, which wasn't uncommon," Kurt said.

Kurt thinks if Kyle did take the second route and tried walking home he may have run into trouble.

"Being that it was 3:30 in the morning, he came in contact with someone," Kurt said. "I'm hoping he was taken against his will and that he is still against his will and can't get in touch with anyone."

Kurt says someone out there knows where his brother is. He's now pleading with that person to help bring Kyle home safely.

"Everyone has family of some kind, so they know what it's like. Put yourselves in our shoes."

If you have any tips you can call the Charlotte CrimeStoppers at 704-334-1600.

There is also a website dedicated to finding Kyle.

Even though Wilmington is about three hours away from Charlotte, Kurt is hoping maybe someone watching will know what happened to Kyle or want to help search for him.

[Denise]

http://charlotte.cre...tent?oid=227798

MIA

The disappearance of Kyle Fleischmann captures Charlotte's imagination

BY KAREN SHUGART
Published 11.21.07

About 3,900 people were reported missing to Charlotte-Mecklenburg police in 2006. Of those, three were found killed. Do you remember their names? Chances are, if you weren't a friend of those victims -- two black males, one white female -- you don't. But you probably know the name of Kyle Fleischmann.

Fleischmann, the 24-year-old Dane Cook fan who disappeared after leaving the Buckhead Saloon downtown in the early morning of Nov. 9, has had his face plastered on what seems like every bulletin board, every utility pole, every bar bathroom wall in town. Attractive, middle-class, educated and white, Fleischmann's face has been flashed on monitors at Charlotte Bobcats games and his smile displayed at drivers from donated billboard space near I-85.

And that's just locally. A Facebook account set up in his honor had more than 33,000 members by Nov. 16. Greta Van Susteren, America's Most Wanted and Larry King -- among others -- all have at least mentioned Kyle's case on their shows.

And, at least by press time, he still has not been located.

Daniel Scagnelli, a 23-year-old sales representative who's organized much of the online efforts to find Fleischmann, suspects Fleischmann was abducted. "The guy didn't have beefs with anyone," Scagnelli says. And if Fleischmann had, Scagnelli would probably know: After meeting as freshmen at Elon University, the two joined the same Kappa Alpha Order fraternity together. Just this year, Kyle was best man at Scagnelli's wedding. "Kyle's just a real outgoing, nice generous guy," says Scagnelli. "He makes friends easily."

Could that friendliness have led to his disappearance? Fleischmann's Thursday night had started off innocently enough. He'd organized friends to see Dane Cook at the Bobcats Arena. Afterward, they headed to Buckhead, where they also were celebrating the birthdays of two friends. Jason Benoit, a 23-year-old fraternity brother, says they were drinking beer and doing some shots. The tab climbed, but gradually people drifted home; the next day was a workday. Kyle stayed behind.

At 2:20 a.m., a video camera captured him leaving alone in a short-sleeved shirt. He'd left his black peacoat behind, as well as the credit cards that friends say was the only money he had on him. By midday Friday, his friends realized Fleischmann hadn't come home. His car was still parked outside the home of Scagnelli, who had hung out with him at Buckhead. He hadn't gone to work, and he hadn't called his parents.

That was unusual: Fleischmann had good relationships with his parents, and his mom was scheduled to have breast cancer surgery in a week.

There had been speculation that Fleischmann may have gone to a party at a Holiday Inn. What people do know is that he tried to call friends at 3:28 a.m. and 3:29 a.m. No one answered. At least one of those calls was picked up by a cell tower near Seigle Avenue and Tenth Street, leading people to believe he must've been somewhere nearby. In fact, that's where the closest lead came from. Search dogs picked up Kyle's scent Nov. 14 near the Alpha Mills apartments on Twelfth Street. Or so they thought -- the next day, after more hours of fruitless searching, Scagnelli wasn't so optimistic. "We're not sure what it really was," he says. "According to the dog people, there is a scent."

If there were no obvious leads, it wasn't for lack of trying -- or a lack of a well-organized network. The family offered up to $10,000 for information that revealed his locations. On Facebook, people were offering nuts-and-bolts support as well as more ambitious ideas. One person posted about parents who knew a state senator. Another knew a relative of Gov. Mike Easley. What could they do to help? Someone e-mailed Sen. Elizabeth Dole. Another e-mailed Vice President Dick Cheney. People were posting conspiracy theories: Could Kyle's disappearance be linked to an Iowa man who disappeared after leaving a Buckhead Saloon in Indianapolis? That man, too, was college-aged, and good-looking.

All their efforts -- fliers, the private investigators Fleischmann's family hired when cops didn't immediately jump on the case -- have required money. By the evening of Nov. 15, the search effort had raised about $16,000, and Tilt on Trade Street was scheduled to raise money on Nov. 16.

Fleischmann's family and friends haven't wanted to comment publicly on their initial frustrations with police response. "Now they're on top of it," Kyle's father, Richard Fleischmann, said Nov. 13 at a search gathering.

But several did so privately in conversations and on postings online. CMPD didn't post Kyle's profile on its missing person's page until nearly a week after he disappeared. By then, the man's face was on billboards.

The police, for their part, have been hamstrung: without initial signs of foul play, they were limited in what they could do. An adult is free to go missing if he wants. But now police are actively involved. "We're leaving every possibility on the table," said CMPD spokeswoman Julie Hill.

And, Hill says, maybe the Fleischmann case will help other missing persons. CMPD has several dozen cases they're currently seeking information on: Some cases on their missing person's page involve people who've been missing since 1975. Maybe someone with an interest in the Fleischmann case will look at this information and remember seeing one of the people profiled. "They might see somebody else," Hill says.

[Denise]

http://www.wcnc.com/...e.2eed56af.html

Families cope with missing loved ones

08:39 AM EST on Friday, November 23, 2007

By GLENN COUNTS / WCNC
E-mail Glenn: GCounts@WCNC.com

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Everybody thinks about family on Thanksgiving. Its a time to get together and share the season. But for some families, the holidays are difficult because of an empty chair at the table.

Lesley Brown is the daughter of a missing man.

"Me and his brother and my other siblings we usually get together, Brown said.

Turkey, dressing, family, thats what Thanksgivings are supposed to be about, but the holiday is incomplete for the families who have loved ones on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department missing persons list.

Marion Springs

"Its like he's disappeared without a trace, Brown said.

Brown is the daughter of Marion Springs, a 59-year-old retired army veteran who walked away from his home last August and hasnt been seen since.

It's not his way, to just go away like that, Brown said. He didnt seem troubled in any way when he walked away. He didnt seem like he was running from something.

There are dozens of missing persons in our area. Last week, hundreds of people searched for Kyle Fleischmann in uptown Charlotte. Lesley Brown hopes that brings attention to all the families who are suffering.

"Its just really hard even hearing of other situations that people are missing, she said.

Brown says her father has struggled with substance abuse, but he was in a veterans group dealing with his problems. She would like to get her father back this holiday season.

"Just keep me in their prayers, and pray for all the families who have loved ones that dont know where they are at, Brown added.

Charlotte police have posted 26 missing people on their website. But in any given year, there are more than 3,000 reports. Last year, only three people on that list were murdered. Investigators say the vast majority are found unharmed.

[Kelly]

http://www.latimes.c...eadlines-nation

Facebook aids hunt for missing man
Through friends of a friend of a friend, the Kyle Fleischmann case has attracted national interest. He was last seen leaving a N.C. bar.

By David Zucchino, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
November 23, 2007

DURHAM, N.C. When Daniel Scagnelli's best friend went missing this month, he turned to an unusual source for help -- Facebook, the ubiquitous social-networking website popular with college students and young adults.

Scagnelli asked more than 400 friends linked to his Facebook page to spread the word about Kyle Fleischmann, who disappeared Nov. 9 after leaving a saloon in Charlotte, N.C. So far, about 56,000 people have joined Scagnelli's Facebook group and more than 1,700 messages have been posted.

The exponential reach of Facebook has fanned national interest in an otherwise routine missing-person case. Hundreds of volunteers have combed downtown Charlotte for signs of Fleischmann, 24. A retired police officer from Burlington, N.C., conducted searches using tracking dogs. Local firefighters have volunteered for several searches, Scagnelli said, and the offices of the governor of North Carolina and the mayor of Charlotte have contacted friends and family.

The "Today" show and "America's Most Wanted" have publicized the case, along with newspapers, websites and radio and TV stations in North Carolina and beyond. Donors have contributed more than $30,000, which has been used to post a $10,000 reward and hire private investigators, Scagnelli said.

"This is a unique way to use Facebook . . .," said Dick Fleischmann, Kyle's father, who has helped organize searches in Charlotte. "It's been incredibly valuable to us."

Facebook has been used before to help find missing people, but in most of those groups, only a few hundred or a few thousand people joined. Scagnelli, 23, said he thought of Facebook immediately after Kyle Fleischmann failed to show up for work at his job as a healthcare recruiter.

"I asked my friends to contact their friends, and to tell their friends to contact their friends, and it took off from there," said Scagnelli, who lives in Charlotte. Scagnelli and friends also set up a website, helpfindkyle.com.

Julie Hill, a spokeswoman for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, said the Facebook entries "contributed to more people knowing about the case. And the more information, the better." Police said they had conducted numerous interviews and reviewed a security video from the saloon. But there were no solid leads, Hill said.

She said attention focused on the case had renewed interest in other missing-person cases in Charlotte. Of the 3,500 missing-person reports filed in the city each year, 70% involve 13- to 17-year-old juveniles. Less than 10% involve foul play, police said.

Kyle Fleischmann, who graduated last year with Scagnelli from Elon University near Burlington, was last seen Nov. 9 leaving the Buckhead Saloon at 2:20 a.m. He had attended a comedy concert with Scagnelli and other friends before they headed to the saloon, Scagnelli said.

Scagnelli said he left the bar later that night, while Fleischmann remained with three young women. A security camera recorded Fleischmann leaving alone as the bar was closing, said Scagnelli and Kyle's father.

Dick Fleischmann said his son left behind his jacket and debit card. He said bar employees told him that people often forget their debit cards when they have to leave them on the bar while running a tab.

Fleischmann speculated that Kyle was unable to hail a cab and accepted a ride "from maybe the wrong people." He said his son probably had never been in a fight in his life, but "if somebody tried to rob him, he'd defend himself. He's a pretty strong kid." Kyle is 6 feet, 180 pounds with an athletic build and dark hair.

Scagnelli said Kyle made three cellphone calls about 3:30 a.m. -- to his roommate and sister, and to Scagnelli. He left no messages, Scagnelli said, and calls to Kyle's cellphone go straight to his voice mail.

Family and friends will continue to search and raise money, Scagnelli said. The helpfindkyle website contains a message thanking the thousands of people who have responded and closes with: "We're going to bring Kyle home!"

[Denise]

http://www.charlotte...ory/378138.html

Family offers $25,000 for missing man

GREG LACOUR
glacour@charlotteobserver.com

The family of a 24-year-old Charlotte man missing for more than two weeks has increased the amount of money they're offering to anyone with information leading to him.

Kyle Fleischmann was last seen leaving the Buckhead Saloon Uptown at about 2:20 a.m. on Nov. 9. Despite a police investigation and extensive searches by friends and family, no sign of him has surfaced.

Soon after his disappearance, the Fleischmann family offered a $10,000 reward. They have since increased the amount to $25,000.

Anyone with information can see www.helpfindkyle.com or call CrimeStoppers at 704-334-1600.

[Denise]

http://www.wsoctv.co...610/detail.html

Vigil For Missing Charlotte Man Could Happen This Week

POSTED: 2:46 pm EST November 26, 2007

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Dogs were out over the weekend searching for a man missing from uptown since Nov. 9.

Kyle Fleischmann's family organized those dogs and searchers. Kyle's father said there is still no sign of his son.

Richard Fleischmann is talking about organizing a vigil for this week.

Meanwhile, police said they are still working the case and following tips and leads.

The reward for information leading to Kyle Fleischmann is $25,000.

[Denise]

http://www.charlotte...ory/385781.html

Fleischmann's story to air on 'America's Most Wanted'

CLEVE R. WOOTSON JR.
cwootson@charlotteobserver.com

Kyle Fleischmann, 24, was last seen leaving Buckhead Saloon in uptown Nov. 9.

"America's Most Wanted" will air another piece on Kyle Fleischmann, the Elon graduate who has been missing since Nov. 9.

The show -- which airs at 9 p.m. Saturday on Fox -- featured Fleischmann's story on its November 26 show. A story on Fleischmann's life and disappearance can be found on the show's Web site (click here to see his profile), along with his poster and a video of the 26-year-old leaving the last place he was seen -- Buckhead Saloon on College Street.

Through the Internet, TV, newspapers and billboards, thousands have seen Fleischmann's face. A group on the social networking utility facebook.com dedicated to finding Fleischmann had more than 63,000 members Friday night.

[Denise]

http://www.amw.com/m...ef.cfm?id=50773

Where Is Kyle Fleischmann?

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. 

Police say the activity on his cell phone after leaving the Saloon is concentrated in the uptown Charlotte area and the 1st ward area.  His cell phone activity ended around 4:00 a.m. 

Now, Kyle's family and friends are mounting a search.  On November 13, they conducted a massive search effort, starting at the Buckhead Saloon where he was last seen.  They say they'll continue to look for Kyle until he is found.   

If you know anything about Kyle Fleischmann's whereabouts, call our hotline right now.


Richard Fleischmann says this picture of his son shows Kyle's character. Kyle worked with special needs children.

[Kelly]

http://www.wcnc.com/...e.6328f27e.html

Search continues for missing 24-year-old

11:27 AM EST on Monday, December 3, 2007

By WCNC Staff

CHARLOTTE, N.C. The family of a missing 24-year-old Charlotte man has hired a private investigator and they are now working under a theory that Kyle Fleischmann did not walk away from the Uptown area.

Fleischmann disappeared last month after leaving the Buckhead Saloon in Uptown Charlotte.

Based upon his cell phone coverage, the family thinks Fleischmann didnt go too far. They believe someone must have talked to him after he left Buckhead and they are asking whoever might have talked to him to come forward. So far no one has.

The family also thinks Fleischmann might have talked to people who attended comedian Dane Cooks show in Charlotte and possibly might have gotten into a car with someone who was in town for that show.

Another vigil is planned for Sunday night at 4:30 outside Buckhead.

[Denise]

http://www.thetimesn...rch_family.html

No new leads in search for missing Elon grad

Alex Kreitman / Times-News
December 4, 2007 2:52 PM

Friends and family of 2006 Elon University graduate Kyle Fleischmann continue to search for the 24 year old, but no new leads or information have been uncovered.

Fleischmann went missing early in the morning Nov. 9. He was last seen leaving Buckhead Saloon in downtown Charlotte. He placed three phone calls without leaving voicemails and has not been heard from since.

Since his disappearance, friends and family have conducted searches in Charlotte, but no clues were discovered.

Those close to Fleischmann have started the Kyle Fleischmann Foundation to raise money and awareness of the search.

The Kyle Fleischmann Foundation has pooled together resources from all over the country to spread the word about Kyles story and raise money to help support the search efforts surrounding his case, said Daniel Scagnelli, Fleischmanns best friend and spokesperson for the Fleischmann Family.

There is a $25,000 reward for any information leading to the whereabouts of Fleischmann.
The case has received national media attention with segments on FOX News, Americas Most Wanted and CNN.

Fleischmanns family and friends have employed private investigative firms, used scent smelling dog crews and aerial search and rescue efforts. The help of C.A.R.E. of Charlotte for water recovery efforts and even psychic detectives have also been used.

More than 66,000 people have joined the social networking site called Facebook to join the search.

Donors have contributed significant amounts of money helping us move toward our goal of $100,000 by Christmas, Scagnelli said. The money is used to post a $25,000 reward, hire private investigators, fund search efforts, donate back to the organizations that have so kindly helped The KFF, and will be used to expand upon the foundation and help other missing persons in the future.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call Crimestoppers at 704-334-1600.

[Denise]

http://www.myfoxwghp...TY&pageId=3.2.1

New Video Studied for Clues in Fleischmann Disappearance 

Last Edited: Friday, 07 Dec 2007, 4:12 PM EST 
Created: Friday, 07 Dec 2007, 4:12 PM EST 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WGHP) -- The father of an Elon graduate who disappeared last month said investigators are looking at new surveillance video from a camera in uptown Charlotte.

The camera was mounted on a crane across from the bar where 24-year-old Kyle Fleischmann was last seen.

Sunday marks one month since Fleischmann disappeared, and a candlelight vigil is scheduled at the Buckhead Saloon from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Similar vigils will also be held at Elon University, where Fleischmann graduated in 2006. 

[Denise]

http://www.wsoctv.co...957/detail.html

Investigators Looking At More Tape; Vigil Planned For Missing Charlotte Man

POSTED: 10:52 am EST December 7, 2007

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Investigators have new hope they may get a lead in the disappearance of a man in uptown Charlotte.

Kyle Fleischmann disappeared after leaving an uptown bar Nov. 9. His father told Eyewitness News that investigators are looking at surveillance video from a camera mounted on a crane across from the bar where he was last seen.

They are hoping Fleischmann shows up in the footage.

Friends and family are holding a candlelight vigil for him at Buckhead Salon this Sunday at 4:30 p.m.

[Denise]

http://news14.com/co...pe/Default.aspx

CMPD releases Fleischmann tape

Updated: 12/07/2007 09:29 PM
By: Brad Broders

The video shows Fleischmann leaving the Buckhead Saloon in the early morning hours of Nov. 9 as others left. Thats where his trail ends.
 
CHARLOTTE -- Its only a 45 second clip, but police detectives hope its enough to lead to Kyle Fleischmann.

Friday, authorities posted an internet link to the surveillance video of the 24-year old missing man, who left an uptown Charlotte bar in November and vanished shortly thereafter. After many searches and pleas for help, the video evidence from the night in question might help turn the tide in the continuing investigation.

"It's a little disturbing, that someone with a conscience wouldn't come out and say something, said Fleishmanns father Dick after watching the video of his missing son. We've been through a lot the last few weeks."

The video shows Fleischmann leaving the Buckhead Saloon in the early morning hours of Nov. 9 as others left. Thats where his trail ends.

"I can't believe that there's someone on that tape that doesn't know something or at least help us better than we are today, said Fleischmann.

CMPD hopes the video will lead to the information they need. CMPD hopes the video will lead to the information they need.

"Something that you may think is insignificant may help solve a case, said CMPD's Officer Bob Fey. "Obviously we're not looking to investigate anybody here, if this tape helps jog your memory, that yes, I was at Buckhead Saloon at this time, possibly when Kyle was leaving, then you need to come forward."

Sunday, friends and family of Fleischmann will hold a candlelight vigil outside Buckhead Saloon to remember and support the search.

If you know anyone in this video, or if you have any information about Fleischmanns disappearance, call detectives at 704-336-3949. Friends and family of Fleischmann are offering $25,000 for any information on the case.

[Denise]

Vigils planned for missing Elon grad

Times-News
December 7, 2007 7:07 PM

A candlelight vigil will be held Sunday at Elon University as part of a national effort to keep Kyle Fleischmann on peoples minds.

Fleischmann, a 2006 Elon gradu-ate, disappeared Nov. 9 after leaving a bar in Charlotte. His story has been featured extensively in the national media.

People who want to participate are asked to gather in front of the Moseley Center at 4:45 p.m. Can-dles will be lit at 5 p.m. The vigil is expected to last until about 5:30 p.m.

Meredith Severs, an Elon senior who is one of Fleischmanns friends, said a few students who knew him well will speak during the vigil, in addition to comments form the universitys chaplain.

The vigil is one of several planned for Sunday in different parts of North Carolina and in other states. Severs said the vigils are being coordinated by friends, Elon graduates and others partici-pating in the effort to find out what happened to Fleischmann.

One of the vigils will be held in front of the Buckhead Saloon in Charlotte, where Fleischmann was last seen. Other vigils in North Carolina are planned for Raleigh, Wilmington, Pinehurst and Wilkesboro.

In other parts of the country, vig-ils will be held in cities including Washington, D.C., Richmond, Va., New York City, Denver and Jupiter, Fla.

Severs said wristbands to high-light the search for Fleischmann will be sold at the vigil for $3 each. Money raised from selling the wristbands will go toward search efforts.

More information about Fleischmann is available at www.helpfindkyle.com and www.thekfff.org, the Web site of The Kyle Fleischmann Foundation.

Theres also a Facebook group Facebook members can join by going to www.facebook.com and entering Kyle Fleischmann in the search box. The group, called Help Find Kyle Fleischmann Missing should be the first choice to come up.

[Denise]

http://news14.com/co...ad/Default.aspx

Fleischmann's dad believes son dead

12/09/2007 05:56 PM
By: Aaron Mesmer

In an interview with News 14 Carolina, Kyle Fleischmanns father discussed his belief that his son has died.
 
CHARLOTTE -- Exactly one month ago Sunday, 24-year old Kyle Fleischmann disappeared from an uptown Charlotte bar.

His friends and family gathered in Charlotte Sunday evening, as well as in many other places across the state, including Elon, Pineville, Wilmington and Raleigh, to pray for his return.

The vigil was held outside of the Buckhead Saloon in Charlotte, where Fleischmann went missing. His father, Dick, was on hand, and admitted that he believed his son to be dead.

Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600. I believe that he was killed, said Dick. I think somebody either took him for a ride in the car and something went wrong, but the fact that he hasnt communicated in four weeks, in light of his mothers situation and everything else, I believe hes just physically not able to communicate which would lead me to believe that hes probably deceased. And Id like to see this .. move toward a crime investigation as opposed to a missing person.

Dick said that he and his wife and family had discussed this possibility, and had concurred that they believed Kyle to no longer be alive. They now hope that continued vigils will help reach out to someone who might have heard any information that might lead to Kyles discovery and put the issue at peace.

Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.

[Kelly]

http://www.blueridge..._of_fatal_crime

Published Monday, December 10, 2007

Father acknowledges missing son most likely victim of fatal crime


The father of a young man missing for more than a month believes his son was the victim of a fatal crime.

Dick Fleischmann attended a vigil Sunday for his 24-year-old son, Kyle, who hasn't been seen since he left an uptown Charlotte bar November 9th.

His father asked that anyone who overheard Kyle talk about his plans that night, or saw him as he left the bar, to please come forward. He said he and his wife just need information to put things to rest.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said the case is an active missing-person investigation and are asking for help to identify people in a newly released surveillance video from inside the Buckhead Saloon.

A reward for information about Fleischmann's whereabouts has reached $25,000.

[Denise]

http://www.charlotte...ory/405604.html

Police release Fleischmann video

CLEVE R. WOOTSON JR.
cwootson@charlotteobserver.com

Officers investigating the disappearance of Kyle Fleischmann have released another video that they hope will provide leads in the month-old case.

The video, released Thursday, shows the outside of Buckhead saloon around the time the Elon graduate went missing.

Fleischmann, 24, was last seen at the uptown Charlotte bar on Nov. 9 at about 2:15 a.m.

The release is the second time in this case that officers have made security videos available to the public. A video made public on Dec. 7 showed the inside of the saloon. Officers hoped to identify people who left the bar at about the same time as Fleischmann.

The video: http://charlottenc.g...?publish_id=118

[Kelly]

http://www.wcnc.com/..._.416b0256.html

Body found in creek

10:54 PM EST on Saturday, December 22, 2007

By Diana Rugg

Lincoln County Sheriff’s detectives are investigating a body found in a creek south of Boger City Friday.

Deputies were called to the area about a quarter of a mile into the woods off Keener Road Friday evening, said Sgt. Lee Keller of the Lincoln Sheriff’s Office.

Sgt. Keller said kids playing near the creek found the body about 5pm.  Deputies investigated the crime scene Friday night and again Saturday morning.

Sgt. Keller said the body appears to belong to an adult, but was so deteriorated detectives can’t determine if it’s a man or a woman, or what race the person is. 

They can’t even say how long the body has been there.

Neighbors said they’re surprised anyone could end up dead in the creek, at the end of a long, winding, wooded trail behind their homes.

“It surprises me that somebody knew how to get out here,” said Thorne Fox, who lives on property adjacent to the creek.

“And that kids found it,” continued Fox, “and the whole thing surprises me how close it is to my house -- that's what mainly shocks me."

Sgt. Keller said it is probably not the body of Kyle Fleishman, the young man missing from Charlotte for more than five weeks. 

Keller said it appears the body found in the creek has been there much longer.

The body will be sent to the Medical Examiner’s office in Chapel Hill for an autopsy.  Deputies hope to learn more from its results.

[Denise]

The Unsolved Criminal Mysteries of 2007

Monday, December 31, 2007

Law-enforcement officials will have their hands full in 2008 trying to wrap up cases that left them stymied in 2007.

In Chicago, the search continues for two women missing from their suburban homes. Stacy Peterson, a 23-year-old mother of two from Bolingbrook, Ill., was reported missing on Oct. 29. Officials have named her husband, former police sergeant Drew Peterson, as a suspect.

Lisa Stebic, of Plainfield, Ill., disappeared on April 30. Her husband, Craig, has been named a person of interest in the case. He said he was working in the backyard and their two kids were out when Stebic vanished.

In Colorado, police have identified a suspect in the disappearance of an escort in Grand Junction. Lester Ralph Jones, an employee at an RV dealership, was named in connection with the disappearance of Paige Birgfeld, a 34-year-old mom of three. Birgfeld was reported missing on June 30. Authorities discovered her car burned a day later. Foul play is suspected.

The search continues for Kyle Fleischmann, a 24-year-old man from Charlotte, N.C., last seen leaving a bar on Nov. 9, as well as for Kara Kopetsky, a 17-year-old student from Belton, Mo., last seen at her high school on May 2.

Authorities in California have spent half a year searching for a 19-year-old college student last seen heading to a party at a convicted sex offender's house in West Los Angeles. Donna Jou, of Rancho Santa Margarita, disappeared June 23 when she left to attend a party at the rented home of John Steven Burgess, 35. He was arrested in July on a crack cocaine charge and has been named a suspect in Jou's disappearance.

http://www.foxnews.c...,319250,00.html

[Denise]

http://www.wsoctv.co...l...ar&psp=news

Missing Man's Father Says White Van May Have Been Involved In Disappearance

POSTED: 4:50 pm EST January 9, 2008

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Two months ago Wednesday, Kyle Fleischman disappeared from uptown Charlotte.

Eyewitness News spoke with his father, who says he now wants people who were there that night to look back and try to remember if they saw a large, white paneled van.

Dick Fleischman said a psychic out of New York called him before Christmas to say she envisioned him in a large white vehicle. His family is now wondering if Gary Hilton, the man accused of killing a hiker in Georgia, was involved in his son's disappearance.

Hilton was driving a white sport utility vehicle.

Anyone with information is asked to call police.

[Denise]

http://www.wptv.com/...8d-16b484b1b22a

The search for Kyle Fleischmann moves into third month

Last Update: 1/09 6:43 am 

Wednesday January 9, 2008, is the two month anniversary of the disappearance of former Benjamin School student Kyle Fleischmann.

The 24 year old, who now lives in North Carolina, was last seen leaving a Charlotte nightclub November 9, 2007. Fleischmann left behind his jacket and credit card at the nightclub. There are still no solid leads.

Friends have set up a website with pictures of Fleischmann and updated information about the search. 

[Denise]

http://www.wcnc.com/...h.15d3c32a.html

Search resumes in Charlotte missing man case

11:51 AM EST on Saturday, January 12, 2008

By WCNC Staff
E-mail Us: 6NEWS@WCNC.com

A community search is on again for more clues in the case of a missing Charlotte man. Family and friends of Kyle Fleischmann organized a Saturday search to begin at noon at the Charlotte Meckelnburg police department main headquarters in uptown.

Fleischmann was last seen in November leaving the Buckhead saloon in uptown. Investigators have videotape of Fleischmann walking out of the bar.

Flieschmans's case has been featured on the television show "America's Most Wanted" and some of his friends were on NBC's "Today" show pelading for help in finding him and Saturday's organizers are still not giving up hope.

[Denise]

CATCHING UP WITH ... RICHARD FLEISCHMANN
Searching for son, with few clues

On Nov. 9, Kyle Fleischmann vanished after an evening with friends in uptown Charlotte. Hundreds of people spent weeks looking for the 24-year-old; the search got some national coverage. Kyle is still missing. Staff writer Jennifer Rothacker spoke with his father, Richard Fleischmann.

Q. Any new development ? Just a couple of leads through Crime Stoppers that (police) are investigating. Two of them more than scratch the surface and might have some answers.

Q. What are the leads? I really can't (say). The police don't want anything to get in their way.

Q. You've said before that you believe Kyle is deceased. Do you still? I do. No doubt in mind.

Q. Why? I can't believe he's alive. He would be in communication with us.

Q. Do you have any theories on what happened? One theory is he was walking down the street, well dressed, and it's possible a group of people wanted money or his ATM card. He didn't have either. Another theory: He got into the wrong cab.

Q. Do you think his case will be solved? The more time (that goes by), the harder it is. If somebody did see something, they now have had more time to cover the evidence.

Q. Are you still actively searching? We were just out in First Ward. It's an area where we all searched, but this person called in (to Crime Stoppers) and said to look in a different location. The private investigator was out there for seven hours recently and came up with nothing.

Q. Do you still have lots of volunteer searchers? It's dying down. We want to keep it to the professionals. During a search about a month and a half ago, the (volunteer) searchers got in the middle of a gang shooting.

Q. Is your life returning to near normal? I've been back at work now for about three weeks. It's not easy.

My wife has breast cancer and is under chemo until May. She's gotten very thin. Not because of the cancer, but because of the stress over Kyle.

Q. A foundation was set up to help cover search costs. How much was raised? We have filed for (nonprofit) status, which would allow everyone who contributed since Nov. 19 a charitable tax deduction. I don't want to give a dollar figure. But I'll spend whatever I have to.

Have information?

Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600. The Fleischmanns are offering a $25,000 reward.

http://www.charlotte...ory/477201.html

[Denise]

http://www.myfoxwghp...TY&pageId=3.2.1

Paper: New Details in Kyle Fleischmann Case 

Last Edited: Monday, 03 Mar 2008, 8:23 AM EST 
Created: Monday, 03 Mar 2008, 8:16 AM EST 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WGHP) -- New details about Kyle Fleishmann's disappearance suggest the Elon graduate went to a pizza parlor after leaving the Buckhead Saloon on Nov. 9, according to the Charlotte Observer.

According to the paper, he was at the Buckhead Salloon until it closed.  Kyle then went to the Fuel Pizza restaurant, but investigators are not sure if he was alone. 

According to the Charlotte Observer, Joe Paonessa, a private investigator Fleischmann's father hired, got the tip last week while combing the center city for clues about his son's disappearance.

Workers inside the pizza restaurant told Paonessa that Fleischmann was in the restaurant before it closed about 3 a.m., according to the paper.

Fleischmann's father, Richard, told the paper he believes his son is dead, although Police are continuing their investigation.