Dozens of students huddled together at a campus candlelight vigil Nov. 15 to pray for the safe return of Kyle Fleischmann, an Elon alumnus who disappeared in Charlotte six days earlier after a night out with friends. His fraternity brothers are now organizing a carpool to the city on Saturday for a second massive search.
Fleischmann, 24, was a business administration management student atElon and served as an officer in the Kappa Alpha Order fraternity before graduating in 2006. Healso volunteered time during his studies to assist Special Olympics,the Boys & Girls Club and Safe Rides.
“We are here to be together and to support one another, and to share that with the community and his family,” Richard McBride, the university’s chaplain, said at the vigil. “We are always a hopeful people.”
Kappa Alpha raised $1,700 this week through donations to help the Fleischmann family with a $10,000 reward offered for information leading to Kyle’s return, and for the money his family is paying a private investigator to help in the case. Current students and several alumni are planning a second search on Saturday in the Uptown section of Charlotte where Fleischmann was last seen.
The Kappa Alpha brothers plan to gather at 8 a.m. at the West End Apartments for the carpool. Any student is invited to join the group, and in the meantime, Fleischmann’s friends are keeping the public informed of their search on Facebook and helpfindkyle.com. Volunteers for the search are asked to bring identification and to dress warmly.
Lambert told students at the vigil that he spoke with Dick Fleischmann, Kyle’s father, on Wednesday. The elder Fleischmann thanked the university community for its support and asked that friends continue to keep Kyle and his mother, who undergoes surgery on Nov. 16 for cancer, in their prayers.
“It’s almost impossible to fathom what this one family is going through at this point in time,” Lambert said.
Authorities issued the following missing person alert on Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2007:
Name: Kyle Fleischmann
Race: White Gender: Male
Height: 6’0” Weight: 180 pounds
DOB: 9-24-83 NIC Number: M826970506
Eyes: Green Hair: Blond
Date of Last Contact: 11-09-2007
Last Known Location: 201 E. 5th St.
Complaint Number: 20071109-201500
Additional Information:
Kyle was last seen leaving the Buckhead Saloon at the corner of 5th St.and College St. at 02:20 AM on November 9, 2007. Kyle was wearing adark colored shirt and blue jeans.
The cell phone activity on Kyle’s phone is in the uptown area andmainly in the 1st Ward area. The activity on the cell phone concludesaround 04:00 AM.
Anyone with information about Kyle, Please call Crime Stoppers at (704) 334-1600 or 911