Overview

• Full name: Opal Darlene Dunn Fleshman
• Known as: Darlene Fleshman
• Age at disappearance: 42
• Date last seen: September 2012; sources differ between September 8 and approximately September 15, 2012
• Home area: Union, Monroe County, West Virginia
• Last reported location: Southwest Roanoke, Virginia, including a reported stop at the Apple Valley Motel
• Case classification: Endangered missing person
• Current status: Unresolved; no publicly verified recovery or confirmed resolution as of October 19, 2026
• NamUs reference: MP41316, as reported in secondary case listings
• Main circumstances: Darlene traveled to Roanoke in connection with a proposed vehicle sale. A man interviewed by police acknowledged spending time with her and said he dropped her at a motel. She has not been heard from since.

Important date discrepancy: The Charley Project lists September 8, 2012, while a January 2026 WDBJ7 report, citing Virginia State Police, places her last known appearance on or around September 15, 2012. These dates should not be treated as interchangeable or conclusively reconciled.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Opal Darlene Fleshman: The Unsolved 2012 Disappearance from West Virginia to Roanoke, Virginia

In September 2012, 42-year-old Opal Darlene Fleshman traveled from her home area in Monroe County, West Virginia, to Roanoke, Virginia. She reportedly intended to sell her purple Chevrolet Cavalier to a man she had met online. What happened after that trip remains unresolved more than 14 years later.

Known to family and friends as Darlene, she disappeared without leaving a confirmed explanation for her whereabouts. Her vehicle became a central part of the investigation, and questions surrounding the last person known to have spent time with her have continued to attract attention.

On January 30, 2026, WDBJ7 published an investigation featuring Darlene’s sister, Patricia Phelps, and Virginia State Police Senior Special Agent Douglas Hubert. Their interviews provided important information about Darlene’s final reported movements and the continuing search for answers.

Although investigators have identified a man who reportedly spent time with Darlene shortly before she vanished, her disappearance has not been publicly established as a homicide, and no homicide charge related to her disappearance was verified.

Sources: WDBJ7 investigation and The Charley Project.

Case Summary

• Full name: Opal Darlene Dunn Fleshman
• Known as: Darlene Fleshman
• Age at disappearance: 42
• Date last seen: September 2012; sources differ between September 8 and approximately September 15, 2012
• Home area: Union, Monroe County, West Virginia
• Last reported location: Southwest Roanoke, Virginia, including a reported stop at the Apple Valley Motel
• Case classification: Endangered missing person
• Current status: Unresolved; no publicly verified recovery or confirmed resolution as of October 19, 2026
• NamUs reference: MP41316, as reported in secondary case listings
• Main circumstances: Darlene traveled to Roanoke in connection with a proposed vehicle sale. A man interviewed by police acknowledged spending time with her and said he dropped her at a motel. She has not been heard from since.

Important date discrepancy: The Charley Project lists September 8, 2012, while a January 2026 WDBJ7 report, citing Virginia State Police, places her last known appearance on or around September 15, 2012. These dates should not be treated as interchangeable or conclusively reconciled.

Sources: Charley Project case profile, Uncovered case profile, and WDBJ7, January 2026.

Background: Who Was Darlene Fleshman?

Opal Darlene Fleshman was born on January 10, 1970, and had connections to Union, a small community in Monroe County, West Virginia. Her maiden name was Dunn, and she generally went by her middle name, Darlene.

Her sister, Patricia Phelps, remembered Darlene as someone who brought excitement and personality into her life. In a January 2026 interview with WDBJ7, Patricia recalled how her sister introduced her to makeup, rock music, and the movie Footloose.

Those memories offered a personal perspective on a woman whose disappearance has often been reduced to a date, a location, and a missing-person photograph.

Patricia also described the difficulty of losing contact with someone who would ordinarily reach out when she needed assistance. The absence of communication became one of the family’s enduring concerns.

Physical Description and Identifying Features

According to The Charley Project, Darlene had brown hair, brown eyes, and stood approximately 5 feet 2 inches to 5 feet 6 inches tall. Her reported weight was around 115 pounds.

Her identifying characteristics included extensive freckles, a birthmark on her forehead, a scar on her lower abdomen, and several piercings. She wore black-framed eyeglasses and had no natural teeth.

The Charley Project also reports that Darlene had diabetes and experienced seizures. These medical conditions contributed to concerns about her safety, although available reporting does not establish whether either condition played a role in her disappearance.

Sources: The Charley Project and WDBJ7 family interview.

The September 2012 Trip to Roanoke

The circumstances surrounding Darlene’s disappearance involve a journey from West Virginia into Virginia and a proposed sale of her automobile.

According to Virginia State Police Senior Special Agent Douglas Hubert, speaking to WDBJ7 in January 2026, investigators developed information suggesting that Darlene had connected with a potential buyer online.

The vehicle was a purple, two-door 1994 Chevrolet Cavalier bearing West Virginia license plate 6UR344.

Hubert cautioned that some details concerning the arrangement had not been independently confirmed. Nevertheless, investigators established that Darlene traveled to Roanoke and met the man associated with the proposed purchase.

The Last Reported Encounter

In the 2026 WDBJ7 investigation, Hubert publicly identified that man as Michael Iseman.

Hubert said he had personally interviewed Iseman about his interactions with Darlene.

According to Hubert’s account of that interview, Iseman stated that he and Darlene spent time together at his apartment. They reportedly traveled to a Walmart along Route 220, where Iseman purchased a telephone for her.

Iseman reportedly told investigators that they returned to his apartment before he drove Darlene to the Apple Valley Motel in Roanoke. He claimed that he then left with her Chevrolet Cavalier because he considered himself its owner.

This sequence reflects Iseman’s reported statements to investigators. It is not proof that every part of his account occurred as described.

Hubert told WDBJ7 that the investigation indicated Iseman was likely the last person to see Darlene in Roanoke.

There is no publicly verified account establishing where Darlene went after the reported motel drop-off.

Source: WDBJ7 investigative report.

Investigation History and Evidence

The Missing Chevrolet Cavalier

One of the most significant unresolved details involves Darlene’s purple 1994 Chevrolet Cavalier.

The Charley Project reports that the car disappeared around the same time Darlene did and was found abandoned in Roanoke in December 2012.

However, during his January 2026 interview, Hubert said he did not know the vehicle’s current whereabouts. He also indicated that its registration remained associated with Darlene and that the title had not been recorded as surrendered or salvaged.

These accounts are not necessarily contradictory: a vehicle can be located at one point and subsequently become unavailable or unaccounted for. Nevertheless, the publicly available sources do not establish its complete recovery, custody, or disposal history.

Important unanswered questions include whether investigators examined the vehicle for forensic evidence, whether records documented its transfer or storage, and whether it could still be located.

No publicly verified forensic results from the vehicle were identified in the sources reviewed.

Sources: Charley Project vehicle details and WDBJ7 investigator interview.

The Connection to Michael Iseman

Michael Iseman’s involvement in the reported vehicle transaction is an important investigative lead, but it requires careful distinction from his separate criminal history.

In the January 2026 WDBJ7 report, Hubert confirmed that he had interviewed Iseman about Darlene’s disappearance.

WDBJ7 also reported that Iseman was sentenced in 2015 to life imprisonment plus 20 years for killing his newly married wife and stabbing his stepdaughter in a November 2013 incident.

Those crimes occurred approximately one year after Darlene disappeared.

Iseman’s later convictions are established in the reporting, but they do not establish that he harmed Darlene or that her disappearance was a homicide.

No verified public source reviewed for this article establishes that Iseman was charged with an offense relating to Darlene’s disappearance.

His account of their last reported encounter remains relevant because investigators identified him as a likely last-known contact, not because a connection to her death has been proven.

Source: WDBJ7 case investigation.

Law Enforcement Involvement

The Charley Project identifies the Roanoke Police Department and West Virginia State Police as investigating agencies.

The January 2026 WDBJ7 reporting additionally confirms active investigative knowledge of the case within Virginia State Police, through Senior Special Agent Douglas Hubert.

The available reporting establishes that investigators interviewed at least one person connected to Darlene’s final known activities. It does not provide a complete account of every investigative interview, search, or evidence submission conducted since 2012.

Forensic Evidence and Missing-Person Databases

Publicly available information about physical and forensic evidence is limited.

The Charley Project states that Darlene’s belongings were located, but does not establish a complete inventory, the exact recovery locations, or the evidentiary significance of those items.

A secondary missing-person database, Uncovered, associates her case with NamUs number MP41316.

No verified public information located during this research establishes that DNA testing, investigative genetic genealogy, a confirmed remains identification, or a forensic match has resolved the case.

This absence of publicly documented results should not be interpreted as proof that investigators never collected evidence or conducted forensic testing.

Sources: Charley Project profile, Uncovered case listing, and WDBJ7 investigation.

Theories and Unresolved Questions

Darlene’s disappearance raises several questions, but the available evidence does not support presenting any single explanation as an established fact.

What Happened After the Motel Encounter?

The reported drop-off at the Apple Valley Motel is central to the investigation.

Investigators have described Iseman as a likely last-known contact. However, the available reporting does not independently establish whether Darlene entered the motel, remained nearby, departed with another person, or traveled elsewhere.

Determining the accuracy of the reported drop-off and what occurred afterward remains an important unresolved issue.

Was the Vehicle Sale Completed?

Iseman reportedly told investigators that he took possession of the Chevrolet Cavalier because he owned it.

However, Hubert’s January 2026 remarks about the continuing registration and title status raise questions about how the transaction was documented.

The public record does not establish whether a valid sale occurred, whether payment was made, or whether any transfer paperwork was completed.

These questions concern the vehicle’s history and should not be treated as evidence of a particular crime without additional corroboration.

Did Darlene Experience an Emergency?

Darlene’s reported diabetes and seizure history make the possibility of a medical emergency relevant to her vulnerability.

However, no verified public evidence establishes that a medical event caused her disappearance.

Likewise, available sources do not establish that she voluntarily disappeared, suffered an accident, or was the victim of violence.

What Does Her Family Believe?

Patricia Phelps has continued seeking answers about her sister’s fate.

In her January 2026 interview, Patricia emphasized the importance of determining whether Darlene is alive or deceased and obtaining justice if she was harmed.

Her statements express the family’s uncertainty and desire for resolution. They should not be represented as proof that Darlene was murdered.

Source: WDBJ7 family appeal.

Latest Publicly Available Investigative Updates

January 30, 2026 — Virginia State Police Discuss the Case

The most substantive recent case-specific investigative report located was WDBJ7’s January 30, 2026, installment of Unsolved Virginia.

The report included an interview with Virginia State Police Senior Special Agent Douglas Hubert and an appeal from Darlene’s sister, Patricia Phelps.

The report established several important points:

• Investigators had interviewed Michael Iseman regarding his reported interactions with Darlene.
• Hubert publicly described the proposed vehicle sale and the reported Walmart and motel visits.
• Investigators continued to have questions about the Chevrolet Cavalier’s whereabouts.
• Darlene’s family continued seeking information and answers.

The report represented renewed public attention and additional investigative detail, not an announced arrest, identification of remains, or confirmed homicide determination.

Source: WDBJ7 January 2026 report.

September 2026 — Continued Public Awareness

A September 2026 article published by Virginia Dogwood included Darlene’s disappearance among unresolved Virginia cases.

The article summarized the earlier WDBJ7 reporting, including the proposed car sale, Iseman’s reported contact with Darlene, and the family’s continued uncertainty.

This was a retrospective awareness article rather than evidence of a new investigative breakthrough.

Source: Virginia Dogwood case roundup.

Case Status as of October 19, 2026

No publicly confirmed investigative developments after the January 2026 WDBJ7 report were located that establish an arrest in Darlene’s case, a recovery of her remains, an official homicide classification, or a resolution of her disappearance.

The available reporting does not establish that a new forensic discovery, DNA identification, or criminal charge has occurred.

Darlene’s case therefore remains publicly unresolved based on the sources reviewed.

Conclusion: The Search for Darlene Fleshman Continues

More than 14 years after Darlene Fleshman disappeared, her family is still waiting for an answer to a fundamental question: what happened to her after she traveled from West Virginia to Roanoke in September 2012?

Investigators have publicly identified an individual who reportedly spent time with her shortly before she vanished. They have also raised questions about the vehicle she brought to Roanoke and the circumstances surrounding its reported sale.

Yet the available evidence has not established Darlene’s ultimate whereabouts or fate.

For her sister Patricia, the case is not simply an unsolved investigation. It is the continuing absence of a family member remembered for her personality, shared experiences, and lasting influence.

Anyone with firsthand information about Darlene’s September 2012 trip, the purple 1994 Chevrolet Cavalier, her reported visit to the Apple Valley Motel, or her movements afterward is encouraged to contact Virginia State Police or an investigating law enforcement agency.

Even information that appeared insignificant in 2012 may help investigators clarify the timeline today. Tips should be provided directly to law enforcement rather than presented as unverified accusations on social media.

Darlene Fleshman remains missing, and her family continues to seek answers.