Does Murder Sleep on ID: How did Louisiana oilman Greg Fleniken die?
There were several questions surrounding the mysterious death of Greg Fleniken, a successful Louisiana oilman who was found dead in room 348 of the Elegante Hotel in Beaumont, Texas, in mid-September 2010. His death looked natural until a medical examiner determined that there was a hole in the victim's heart and that he suffered from several internal injuries. It was later discovered that he had been shot.
With little to no leads, the investigation into Greg's mysterious death hit a wall. Eventually, a patched bullet hole found in the hotel room indicated that he was shot from next door, where a group of union electricians were staying. The following June, one of them implicated Lance Mueller as the shooter. Lance even tried to cover up the crime. He pleaded no contest in the case.
Does Murder Sleep on ID chronicles Louisiana oilman Greg Fleniken's accidental shooting death in an episode titled No Checking Out. The official synopsis states:
"After Greg Fleniken checks into a Texas hotel, police find him murdered in his sleep; when the case runs cold, a Long Island PI joins the investigation and uncovers a chilling conspiracy that no one saw coming."
The upcoming episode is set to air on the channel at 10 pm ET this Wednesday, August 30, 2023.
Louisiana oilman Greg Fleniken died of severe internal injuries caused by blunt-force trauma
Every week, Greg Fleniken, a successful businessman, would take a two-hour journey from his home in Louisiana to Texas, where he and his brother laid the foundation for their flourishing oil enterprise. He often stayed at the MCM Eleganté Hotel in Beaumont. One such instance occurred on September 15, 2010, when the 55-year-old checked into room number 348.
The following morning, Greg's wife, Susie, failed to get in touch with him, and his colleagues eventually arrived at the hotel when he failed to show up for work. It was then that the hotel manager unlocked the door and found him dead inside the room.
Beaumont Police Detective Scott Apple told ABC News' 20/20 that Greg's death initially looked like it was from natural causes. They found more than $1,000 in cash still in the room, along with candy bars, soda, and cigarettes. The victim's childhood friend Miles Martin blamed "those damn cigarettes," believing "they finally...snuck up on him."
ABC News reported that Greg's body was sent to the medical examiner to confirm the theory that he died of a heart attack. However, Dr. Tommy Brown examined the body only to find that he had suffered severe internal damage. Injuries included broken ribs, lacerations to the liver and scrotum, and a hole in the heart, all caused by blunt force trauma. The death was then ruled a homicide.
Who fired the bullet that killed Greg Fleniken?
The outlet reported that a detailed investigation revealed that, besides a circuit breaker needing repair, nothing unusual happened and nobody had entered Greg Fleniken's room that night. Other guests staying in the neighboring room comprised electricians from Wisconsin who were working in one of the refineries in the locality. They even ruled out the robbery theory since all the cash was left behind in his room.
In the meantime, Greg's wife, Susie, hired a private investigator named Ken Brennan. His efforts, along with observations made by detectives, proved fruitful when they found an indentation in the wall adjoining the next room. They discovered a patched bullet hole in the wall. The shooting theory corroborated the injuries inside the victim's body.
The following June, Tim Steinmetz, one of the electricians who had been staying in the next room, admitted that one of his friends, Lance Mueller, fired the gun—a 9-mm Ruger—while he was drunk and playing with the firearm. Tim's version of events was backed by another electrician, who claimed that Lance fired a shot at the wall. This bullet killed Greg.
After learning that the shooter might get a plea deal, Tim claimed that Lance attempted to cover up the bullet hole in the wall using toothpaste and lied about it. Lance eventually pleaded no contest to manslaughter in 2012 and was sentenced to 10 years in prison in late October of that year. He has since been released from prison, as per The Cinemaholic.
Learn more about Greg Fleniken's killing on ID's Does Murder Sleep this Wednesday at 10 pm ET.
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