Gregory Joseph Fleniken, known to friends and family as Greg, was a man remembered for his generosity, integrity, and deep love for his wife, Susie Aycock Fleniken. At 55 years old, the Lafayette, Louisiana, resident was the successful Vice President of OGM Land Company, a business that required him to commute to Beaumont, Texas, during the week. He was a patient and welcoming man who enjoyed global travel, hunting, and fishing, often sharing his catch by preparing memorable meals for friends and guests. Those who knew him recalled a man at peace in the natural world, who would give a stranger the shirt off his back.
On the evening of September 15, 2010, Greg was following his usual routine, unwinding in his room, number 348, at the MCM Elegante Hotel in Beaumont. He settled in to watch a movie, enjoying a snack and a cigarette. The next morning, September 16, Susie grew worried when she didn't receive his customary call. She contacted his colleagues, who, also concerned by his absence from work, went to the hotel to check on him. When he didn't answer their knocks, a hotel manager unlocked the door and made a grim discovery. Greg was found lifeless on the floor of the locked room.
Initially, the scene presented a puzzle to Beaumont Police Detective Scott Apple. There were no signs of a break-in or struggle, and robbery was ruled out as Greg's wallet, containing cash, was untouched. The initial assumption was that he had died of natural causes, perhaps a heart attack. However, the postmortem examination conducted by Dr. Tommy Brown revealed a far more violent and perplexing reality. Greg had suffered catastrophic internal injuries, including broken ribs, lacerations to his liver, and a hole in his heart, consistent with severe blunt force trauma. With no external signs of such a violent struggle, apart from a small wound to his scrotum, Dr. Brown ruled the death a homicide.
The investigation stalled for months, leaving Susie and the police with no clear answers. The breakthrough came when investigators re-examined the hotel room and discovered a tiny, almost imperceptible hole in the wall, which led them to the adjacent room, 349. There, they found a corresponding hole that had been crudely patched with toothpaste and toilet paper. The occupants of that room had been three electricians from Wisconsin: Lance Mueller, Timothy R. Steinmetz, and Trent Pasano, who were in town for work.
The police investigation revealed that on the night of Greg’s death, the men had been drinking heavily in their room. Mueller was recklessly handling his 9mm semi-automatic pistol, at one point pointing it at a coworker, who ducked just as Mueller pulled the trigger. The bullet missed the coworker, pierced through the shared wall, and struck Greg Fleniken as he was relaxing in his room. Instead of checking on the occupant of the next room or notifying hotel staff, the men attempted to conceal the bullet hole and went to the hotel bar to continue drinking. They only learned of Greg's death the next day when they saw his body being removed from the room, but they remained silent.
It wasn't until Mueller's coworkers came forward that police were able to piece together the tragic events. In June 2011, nine months after the shooting, Lance Mueller was arrested. He eventually pleaded no contest to manslaughter. In October 2012, a judge sentenced him to 10 years in prison. During the sentencing, the judge noted Mueller's extensive criminal history with drinking and driving and stated his reckless behavior would eventually have killed someone. In an emotional victim impact statement, Susie Fleniken addressed Mueller directly, saying, "You are finally forced to look at yourself, look at your life that you still have, while Greg is reduced to powder inside of a box in the home he never got to come back to."
In September 2012, Susie Fleniken filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Mueller, his companions, the MCM Elegante Hotel, and its security company. The civil case was reportedly resolved before going to trial in April 2015. The bizarre and tragic case drew national attention, highlighting a senseless loss of life caused by a sequence of reckless actions. Greg Fleniken's family had offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest, a testament to their desperate search for justice.
