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Missing Person Cold Case Arrest
North Las Vegas, NV - On Monday, February 11, 2019, North Las Vegas Police Department Chief Pamela Ojeda updated the media on the missing person case of 3-year-old Francillon Pierre, from 1986. Here is the recap of that press conference:
On August 2nd, 1986, officers responded to the Broad Acres Swap Meet, located at 2930 North Las Vegas Boulevard, in reference to a missing child report. Officers contacted the person reporting, Amy Fleming, who stated she was with her boyfriend, Lee Luster, and her 3-year-old son, Francillon Pierre at the Swap Meet when they lost sight of him. The preliminary investigation led officers to search the Swap Meet and immediate area for Pierre, but he was not found.
Throughout the following hours and days after the disappearance, dozens of officers and hundreds of volunteers worked tirelessly in an attempt to find Pierre. The thorough search and investigation gained national attention, resulting in hundreds of leads and tips. Detectives intensively worked those leads and tips, but nothing led to Pierre’s whereabouts.
The subsequent investigation revealed that the majority of witnesses at the Swap Meet reported never seeing Pierre with Fleming or Luster. Neighbors of Fleming and Luster also told investigators that Pierre had not been seen in weeks, and was not seen leaving their house with them prior to the claimed disappearance.
These circumstances led investigators to dig deeper into the case. Detectives learned that in December 1985, Fleming and Luster had been arrested for child abuse against Pierre and were awaiting trial on that charge. During the initial stages of the investigation, Fleming and Luster were interviewed several times. Both lied numerous times which led to them being arrested for obstructing a public officer in December 1986. They were found guilty and served several months in jail for those charges. They pled guilty to the child abuse charge in 1987 and were sentenced to probation.
Even though Detectives were suspicious that Fleming was involved in the disappearance of Pierre, there was not enough evidence at the time to prove or disprove her involvement. Shortly after Fleming and Luster were released on the obstructing charge, they moved to Florida.
In 2017, North Las Vegas Police Department Detectives were made aware that someone applied for a birth certificate in Pierre’s name. Detectives learned it was someone trying to commit identity theft and did not lead to Pierre.
During the investigation into the birth certificate, Detectives saw several items from the missing person case that they wanted to look into further. During the next year and a half, Detectives worked diligently going over the case file. Detectives even went to the extent of piecing together a jail note between Fleming and Luster that had been torn into dozens of small pieces.
The review led to new evidence coming to light, and the investigating detective completing an affidavit for an arrest warrant for Fleming on the charge of murder. The District Attorney’s Office approved the application and filed a criminal complaint which was signed by a North Las Vegas Justice Court Judge.
With the assistance of the Hollywood Police Department, the Boca Raton Police Department, and the Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force, Fleming was located and arrested in Florida on January 29, 2019.
We would like to recognize and give a special thanks to Retired Detective Bob King, who was the North Las Vegas Police Department Detective originally assigned to this case along with retired FBI Special Agent Joe Dushek. Detective King and Special Agent Dushek conducted exceptional investigations in 1986, without which, justice could not be served in 2019.
The NLVPD would like to give a special thanks to the Hollywood Police Department, the Boca Raton Police Department and the Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force for their help in the apprehension of Fleming. We’d also like to thank District Attorney Steve Wolfson and his staff for their diligence and assistance on this case.
If anyone has any information in this case please contact the North Las Vegas Police Department at 702-633-9111.
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