Found Deceased NC - Andrew Tench, 31, driving from Belmont to Charlotte, car found abandoned in Monroe, 24 Mar 2024

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**MISSING PERSON**

Gaston County Police is seeking information regarding the whereabouts of Andrew Douglas Tench, a 31-year-old resident of Belmont.

He was reported missing by his family on March 26, 2024.

Tench was last seen on Sunday, March 24, 2024, around 11:30 pm, leaving his Belmont residence for Charlotte in a 2010 Hyundai Elantra. The vehicle was later found abandoned in Monroe, NC.

Andrew Tench is a white male, approximately 5'05" tall, weighing about 135 lbs. He was last seen wearing blue jeans and a black t-shirt.

If you have any information on Andrew Tench's whereabouts, please contact Detective H. King at 704-866-3320.

Case #2024-00020946.



Belmont to Charlotte is only about 15 miles Google Maps, while Belmont to Monroe is 40+ miles Google Maps. Why would Andrew drive to Monroe if his destination was Charlotte?
 
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His fingerprints and DNA are on file from an assault arrest in 2016, perhaps that will help in locating him, if they treat the car like a possible crime scene and take prints. If it's his car, obviously his would be in there, but perhaps there would be prints of someone else who is also in the system. Long shot but one LE usually checks. Register of Actions
 
His fingerprints and DNA are on file from an assault arrest in 2016, perhaps that will help in locating him, if they treat the car like a possible crime scene and take prints. If it's his car, obviously his would be in there, but perhaps there would be prints of someone else who is also in the system. Long shot but one LE usually checks. Register of Actions
But LE doesn’t do that routinely in MP cases. Which as we here at WS know, can be extremely problematic down the road.
 

*****
According to Tench’s mother Tracie Blanton, Monroe is an unusual place for the car to be.

“He is really close to me,” she said. “He tells me a lot and he’s never mentioned Monroe ever.”

Blanton along with her daughter and Tench’s sister, Tasha Newman, traveled to Monroe on Thursday to search the area where his car was found. They distributed flyers and spoke with local residents in hopes of gathering any leads.

The circumstances surrounding Tench’s disappearance are puzzling. His phone is going straight to voicemail, and his car was found with the seat adjusted to a position that wouldn’t fit him comfortably. Additionally, receipts from Charlotte and Matthews were discovered inside the vehicle.

*****
 

Tench's family is asking the community to join them in their search party prayer vigil on Saturday.

*****
"Andy is not gone of his own free will," Blanton said with certainty. "I don’t care if I got to walk the entire city of Charlotte to put out posters to look for my son, I'm going to do it,"

Blanton said she is no longer waiting and wondering if her son will return -- instead, she is going out to find him with hopes her community will join too.

"We will put up posters the fliers and stuff and work our way out and search every inch around there," Blanton said.

*****
 
One of the early articles I read said Andy was last seen leaving his home on March 24th.
But this video, and the article linked to it, says he was last seen at Bar 316 in Charlotte. He was there celebrating his 31st birthday. The article doesn't give us an exact time he was there but surely there's surveillance footage from inside the bar. It would help to know who he met there and under what circumstances he left.

The Bar at 316 in Charlotte is only about 12 miles from Belmont (taking approximately 20 minutes to drive). And it's less than 30 miles from the bar to Monroe.
 
But LE doesn’t do that routinely in MP cases. Which as we here at WS know, can be extremely problematic down the road.
Yes, I should have said "routinely checks in crime scenes". NOT so much in missing persons, which are often viewed as voluntarily unless evidence points otherwise. Thanks for pointing that out. Sad but true.
 
His relatives told Channel 9′s Erika Jackson that they learned Tench was celebrating his birthday at The Bar at 316 in South End. Gaston County police confirmed this was the last place he was seen, according to witnesses.

They said they would be searching the area and handing out hundreds of flyers in that area on Saturday in hopes that someone would come forward with information.

“When I didn’t get a call or a text about feeding his cats or something that got me concerned. I started calling, and it just kept ringing and going to voicemail,” Blanton explained. “Tuesday, when he didn’t come home, I was going crazy because I knew he would not go that long.”

The missing person’s report has a home address in east Charlotte listed on the report. We have reached out to CMPD about how that house is connected to the investigation
 
:(
Family members are confirming that Andrew Tench is deceased. A POI has been arrested for related charges.

Family says missing Belmont man is dead, person charged in connection to case

Andrew Tench, 31, last told his family he was going to Charlotte for a birthday celebration on Sunday, March 29. They haven’t heard from him since. On Thursday, family members confirmed with WBTV that Tench is dead.

Press release from Charrlotte-Mecklenburg PD.


Charlotte, N.C. – (Thursday, April 11, 2024) – Detectives with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department have charged a suspect in connection to the missing person investigation involving Mr. Andrew Tench.

Mr. Tench, 31, was first reported missing to the Gaston County Police Department (GCPD) on Monday, March 25, 2024. As a result of their investigation, it was determined that Mr. Tench was last seen within the city limits of Charlotte. Once it was determined Mr. Tench was last seen in Charlotte, the CMPD assumed the role as the lead investigative agency.

As a result of the continued investigation in conjunction with the Gaston County Police Department, D’Shaun Montrell Robinson, 31, was identified as a person of interest in this investigation.

During the morning hours of Thursday, April 11, 2024, CMPD homicide and missing persons detectives, along with the assistance of the Hickory Grove Division, executed a search warrant at the residence of Mr. Robinson who also voluntarily went to the Law Enforcement Center in Uptown (601 E. Trade St.) to speak with detectives. At the conclusion of the interview, Mr. Robinson was arrested and transferred into the custody of the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office and charged with the following:
  • Concealment of a death (Felony)
  • Identity Theft (Felony)
  • Financial Card Theft (Felony – 2 counts)
  • Financial Card Fraud (Felony)
  • Larceny of Motor Vehicle (Felony)
  • Financial Card Fraud (Misdemeanor – 3 counts)
Detectives with the CMPD will meet with family members of the victim to discuss the active missing person case.

The investigation into this case is active and ongoing. As additional information develops, it will be released by the CMPD’s Public Affairs Office. The public can also leave information anonymously by contacting Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 or Charlotte Mecklenburg Crime Stoppers. For additional information about this case, please refer to the report: 20240401-0913-00 & 20240401-0913-99.
 
:(
Family members are confirming that Andrew Tench is deceased. A POI has been arrested for related charges.

Family says missing Belmont man is dead, person charged in connection to case

Andrew Tench, 31, last told his family he was going to Charlotte for a birthday celebration on Sunday, March 29. They haven’t heard from him since. On Thursday, family members confirmed with WBTV that Tench is dead.

Press release from Charrlotte-Mecklenburg PD.


Charlotte, N.C. – (Thursday, April 11, 2024) – Detectives with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department have charged a suspect in connection to the missing person investigation involving Mr. Andrew Tench.

Mr. Tench, 31, was first reported missing to the Gaston County Police Department (GCPD) on Monday, March 25, 2024. As a result of their investigation, it was determined that Mr. Tench was last seen within the city limits of Charlotte. Once it was determined Mr. Tench was last seen in Charlotte, the CMPD assumed the role as the lead investigative agency.

As a result of the continued investigation in conjunction with the Gaston County Police Department, D’Shaun Montrell Robinson, 31, was identified as a person of interest in this investigation.

During the morning hours of Thursday, April 11, 2024, CMPD homicide and missing persons detectives, along with the assistance of the Hickory Grove Division, executed a search warrant at the residence of Mr. Robinson who also voluntarily went to the Law Enforcement Center in Uptown (601 E. Trade St.) to speak with detectives. At the conclusion of the interview, Mr. Robinson was arrested and transferred into the custody of the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office and charged with the following:
  • Concealment of a death (Felony)
  • Identity Theft (Felony)
  • Financial Card Theft (Felony – 2 counts)
  • Financial Card Fraud (Felony)
  • Larceny of Motor Vehicle (Felony)
  • Financial Card Fraud (Misdemeanor – 3 counts)
Detectives with the CMPD will meet with family members of the victim to discuss the active missing person case.

The investigation into this case is active and ongoing. As additional information develops, it will be released by the CMPD’s Public Affairs Office. The public can also leave information anonymously by contacting Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 or Charlotte Mecklenburg Crime Stoppers. For additional information about this case, please refer to the report: 20240401-0913-00 & 20240401-0913-99.
So what was the motive in this? Did DR murder Andrew or just dispose of his body after he died?
 

It's still unclear exactly how Tench died.


But by June, Tench's body has still not been found and his mother is taking action.
Now, Tracie Blanton, Tench's mother, is pushing CMPD to go digging for answers.

"Do they want me to go sit down in the middle of Anson County landfill and put flowers out," Blanton said. "Do you want us to sit down in a pile of trash and visit Andy there, or do they want to do the hard work ... it will be hard work but it can be done and we get Andy’s body recovered."
 
Recently, Tench’s mom set up a change.org link to petition for authorities to search the Anson County Landfill for her son’s body. However, police say they consulted with experts who believe there is not enough evidence to excavate the site.

CMPD also says there is no corroborative information regarding Robinson’s story of events leading up to Tench’s disappearance.

“I understand the weight of the grief, the anxiety and heartache a mother or any parent would experience when their child goes missing and from not having closure. You want answers. As a mother myself, I understand,” CMPD Deputy Chief Tonya Arrington said. “We will continue our efforts to bring about a resolution and closure for Andrew’s mother, his family, and this investigation.”
 

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