MA DEBRA MELO: Missing from Weymouth, MA - 20 June 2000 - Age 30
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Akoya
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ACTIVE SEARCH!
Taunton front yard dug up as part of police search in unnamed investigation
TAUNTON — City workers and Taunton police were looking for something Thursday when they dug up part of a suburban front lawn. But authorities aren’t saying what.
“We can’t comment on an ongoing investigation,” said Gregg Miliote, spokesman for the office of Bristol District Attorney Thomas Quinn.
One conspicuous visitor to the scene was Steven DeMoura, former husband of Patricia White — whose sister Debbie Melo has been the subject of intensive police searches since she disappeared in June 2000.
Taunton front yard dug up as part of police search in unnamed investigation
TAUNTON — City workers and Taunton police were looking for something Thursday when they dug up part of a suburban front lawn. But authorities aren’t saying what.
“We can’t comment on an ongoing investigation,” said Gregg Miliote, spokesman for the office of Bristol District Attorney Thomas Quinn.
One conspicuous visitor to the scene was Steven DeMoura, former husband of Patricia White — whose sister Debbie Melo has been the subject of intensive police searches since she disappeared in June 2000.
Akoya
Well-known member
http://www.wcvb.com/article/crime-tape- ... d/12092953
Crime tape surrounds Taunton home; backhoe digs up front yard
Search around home may be connected to Debbie Melo disappearance
TAUNTON, Mass. — Crime tape surrounded a home and a backhoe was brought in to excavate the front yard of a home in Taunton Thursday.
5 Investigates said the search, which took place in the front yard of the home on Bryan Drive near the corner of Ashleigh Terrace, may be related to the disappearance of Debbie Melo. Sources tell 5 Investigates police were using a cadaver dog at the site throughout the day.
Witnesses at the scene said the backhoe dug a deep hole and a parks and cemetery crew was called in to take down a big tree in front of the home.
Melo disappeared in the summer of 2000 after an argument with her husband. Melo's husband Luis Melo claimed that the two had an argument and that she demanded to leave the vehicle which was on Route 18 south of the former Weymouth Naval Air Station.
Luis claimed that he later drove by the same road but she was nowhere to be found.
Neighbors said the area was once a wooded area that was developed into single family homes in recent years. The current homeowners appeared to be fully cooperating with police, and neighbors said they have only been living at the location for approximately a year.
Police left the scene around 7 p.m. Thursday.
A spokesperson for the Bristol County District Attorney's Office said the search was part of an ongoing investigation. "We do not comment on pending investigations," the statement said.
Crime tape surrounds Taunton home; backhoe digs up front yard
Search around home may be connected to Debbie Melo disappearance
TAUNTON, Mass. — Crime tape surrounded a home and a backhoe was brought in to excavate the front yard of a home in Taunton Thursday.
5 Investigates said the search, which took place in the front yard of the home on Bryan Drive near the corner of Ashleigh Terrace, may be related to the disappearance of Debbie Melo. Sources tell 5 Investigates police were using a cadaver dog at the site throughout the day.
Witnesses at the scene said the backhoe dug a deep hole and a parks and cemetery crew was called in to take down a big tree in front of the home.
Melo disappeared in the summer of 2000 after an argument with her husband. Melo's husband Luis Melo claimed that the two had an argument and that she demanded to leave the vehicle which was on Route 18 south of the former Weymouth Naval Air Station.
Luis claimed that he later drove by the same road but she was nowhere to be found.
Neighbors said the area was once a wooded area that was developed into single family homes in recent years. The current homeowners appeared to be fully cooperating with police, and neighbors said they have only been living at the location for approximately a year.
Police left the scene around 7 p.m. Thursday.
A spokesperson for the Bristol County District Attorney's Office said the search was part of an ongoing investigation. "We do not comment on pending investigations," the statement said.
Akoya
Well-known member
http://turnto10.com/news/local/latest-o ... ebbie-melo
Taunton, Mass. —
A massive search Thursday in front of a Taunton home was for Debbie Melo, a missing mother from Taunton who was last seen 17-years ago, that's according to Melo's former brother-in law.
NBC10's Matt Reed is live outside the home where the search was conducted and has the latest, Matt.
That former brother-in law Steven DeMoura confirmed to the Patriot Ledger Friday morning. that the search here on Bryan Drive in Taunton was in fact for Debbie Melo.
But the brother-in law won't confirm or deny if anything was found and officials are remaining silent on the investigation.
No investigators Cadaver dogs or excavators on Bryan Drive in Taunton Friday.
A completely different scene form just 24 hours earlier when crews ripped apart the front lawn of this yard
as part of a cold-case investigation.
It was suspected that Taunton Police were looking for Debbie Melo who disappeared 17-years-ago.
And on Friday, Melo's former brother-in law told the Patriot Ledger that police were in fact searching for her.
Debbie Melo disappeared on June 20th 2000 in Weymouth.
Melo's husband told police at that time he dropped his wife off on Route 18 in Weymouth following an argument and that she never showed up.
The home where Taunton Police searched on Thursday was a heavily wooded area back when Melo went missing.
When asked why crews were searching in this area the Bristol County District Attorney's Office only said they could not comment about on-going investigations.
NBC10 also reached out to the Taunton Police Department about this investigation and they directed all questions to the District Attorney’s office.
Taunton, Mass. —
A massive search Thursday in front of a Taunton home was for Debbie Melo, a missing mother from Taunton who was last seen 17-years ago, that's according to Melo's former brother-in law.
NBC10's Matt Reed is live outside the home where the search was conducted and has the latest, Matt.
That former brother-in law Steven DeMoura confirmed to the Patriot Ledger Friday morning. that the search here on Bryan Drive in Taunton was in fact for Debbie Melo.
But the brother-in law won't confirm or deny if anything was found and officials are remaining silent on the investigation.
No investigators Cadaver dogs or excavators on Bryan Drive in Taunton Friday.
A completely different scene form just 24 hours earlier when crews ripped apart the front lawn of this yard
as part of a cold-case investigation.
It was suspected that Taunton Police were looking for Debbie Melo who disappeared 17-years-ago.
And on Friday, Melo's former brother-in law told the Patriot Ledger that police were in fact searching for her.
Debbie Melo disappeared on June 20th 2000 in Weymouth.
Melo's husband told police at that time he dropped his wife off on Route 18 in Weymouth following an argument and that she never showed up.
The home where Taunton Police searched on Thursday was a heavily wooded area back when Melo went missing.
When asked why crews were searching in this area the Bristol County District Attorney's Office only said they could not comment about on-going investigations.
NBC10 also reached out to the Taunton Police Department about this investigation and they directed all questions to the District Attorney’s office.
Akoya
Well-known member
http://boston.cbslocal.com/2017/08/25/t ... bbie-melo/
Is Taunton Dig Connected To 17-Year-Old Mystery?
August 25, 2017 11:54 AM
TAUNTON (CBS) – A dig in the yard of a Taunton home may have been in connection with the mysterious disappearance of a woman who was reported missing nearly two decades ago.
On Thursday morning, police joined crews with heavy equipment to dig up a portion of the yard of a home on the corner of Ashleigh Terrace and Bryan Road.
The search involved a K-9 unit, and neighbor Sally Myatt says the dog went straight to one spot.
“The dog actually went to the big rock and he was around that rock and he was digging in a couple of places,” Myatt said. “The cops came and digged a little more.”
taunton1 Is Taunton Dig Connected To 17 Year Old Mystery?
Excavator digs in front yard of home on Bryan Drive. (WBZ-TV)
Another neighbor Sally Gordon says she saw some people taking pictures.
“They took some pictures, random pictures here and there, but I didn’t see them pull anything up,” Gordon said.
Authorities have not confirmed, but the dig may reportedly be connected to the unsolved disappearance of Debbie Melo.
The district attorney had no comment on the investigation. Police only would tell people in the neighborhood that they received a tip that led them to the yard.
debbiemelo Is Taunton Dig Connected To 17 Year Old Mystery?
Debbie Melo. (WBZ-TV)
The Taunton Daily Gazette reported that Steven DeMoura was watching the dig.
DeMoura is the former husband of Patricia White, whose sister Debbie Melo disappeared in June 2000.
debbiemelo1 Is Taunton Dig Connected To 17 Year Old Mystery?
A missing poster for Debbie Melo, who has not been seen since June 2000. (WBZ-TV)
Melo’s disappearance remains a mystery, and no one has been charged in her possible murder.
It did not appear anything was discovered during the dig. Dirt was put back in place by Thursday night and crews left the neighborhood.
Is Taunton Dig Connected To 17-Year-Old Mystery?
August 25, 2017 11:54 AM
TAUNTON (CBS) – A dig in the yard of a Taunton home may have been in connection with the mysterious disappearance of a woman who was reported missing nearly two decades ago.
On Thursday morning, police joined crews with heavy equipment to dig up a portion of the yard of a home on the corner of Ashleigh Terrace and Bryan Road.
The search involved a K-9 unit, and neighbor Sally Myatt says the dog went straight to one spot.
“The dog actually went to the big rock and he was around that rock and he was digging in a couple of places,” Myatt said. “The cops came and digged a little more.”
taunton1 Is Taunton Dig Connected To 17 Year Old Mystery?
Excavator digs in front yard of home on Bryan Drive. (WBZ-TV)
Another neighbor Sally Gordon says she saw some people taking pictures.
“They took some pictures, random pictures here and there, but I didn’t see them pull anything up,” Gordon said.
Authorities have not confirmed, but the dig may reportedly be connected to the unsolved disappearance of Debbie Melo.
The district attorney had no comment on the investigation. Police only would tell people in the neighborhood that they received a tip that led them to the yard.
debbiemelo Is Taunton Dig Connected To 17 Year Old Mystery?
Debbie Melo. (WBZ-TV)
The Taunton Daily Gazette reported that Steven DeMoura was watching the dig.
DeMoura is the former husband of Patricia White, whose sister Debbie Melo disappeared in June 2000.
debbiemelo1 Is Taunton Dig Connected To 17 Year Old Mystery?
A missing poster for Debbie Melo, who has not been seen since June 2000. (WBZ-TV)
Melo’s disappearance remains a mystery, and no one has been charged in her possible murder.
It did not appear anything was discovered during the dig. Dirt was put back in place by Thursday night and crews left the neighborhood.
Akoya
Well-known member
http://www.tauntongazette.com/news/2017 ... d-not-over
Debbie Melo’s family says search of Taunton yard ‘not over’
TAUNTON - The investigation at the dig site on Bryan Drive is not over.
That’s the word from Debbie Melo’s former brother-in-law, Steven DeMoura, who posted a thank you on Facebook for the outpouring of support for his family.
“Once they are there again please show the neighborhood as well as everyone involved the respect for the reason that they are there,” DeMoura said.
“Obviously something was scented from the dogs on Bryan (Drive) and a tree was removed that was supplying the scent. What was the cause? Again, I’m not sure. They will soon find the source and hopefully we will all know soon,” DeMoura wrote on Facebook on Saturday, Aug. 26.
Debbie Melo, a Taunton mother of two, has not been seen since June 2000, when her husband Luis told police she got out of their car in Weymouth after a heated argument.
The Melos lived on Baylies Road less than a mile from Bryan Drive.
The front yard of the two-story, single-family house that now stands at 10 Bryan Drive on Thursday became the subject of an intensive police search.
Workers used an excavator to rip out a maple tree and dig a giant hole in a corner of the front lawn before filling in the hole with dirt and leaving.
Back in 2000 the land was still wooded and the house at 10 Bryan Drive had not yet been built.
“What will they find? I’m not sure....We searched high and low for years on any lead we had from Weymouth to Taunton. Always ending up with nothing but lost hope,” DeMoura wrote.
Police have referred all questions regarding the dig at 10 Bryan Drive to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office.
On Monday, DA Spokesperson Gregg Miliote said, “The digging last week was part of an ongoing investigation our office is involved in. We do not comment on pending investigations.”
He declined to comment as to when – or if – the digging will resume.
“So where is she now? That is the statement I keep in my head every day. Listening to every theory of what people think for 17 years and all we can do is look into it as far as I can. What else can we do ?” DeMoura wrote on Facebook.
“This is not an hour-long show of Criminal Minds episode and then it’s over. It’s our real life.”
DeMoura said he appreciates all the kind words posted on social media since news spread Thursday of a possible break in the case.
With reporting by Charles Winokoor
Debbie Melo’s family says search of Taunton yard ‘not over’
TAUNTON - The investigation at the dig site on Bryan Drive is not over.
That’s the word from Debbie Melo’s former brother-in-law, Steven DeMoura, who posted a thank you on Facebook for the outpouring of support for his family.
“Once they are there again please show the neighborhood as well as everyone involved the respect for the reason that they are there,” DeMoura said.
“Obviously something was scented from the dogs on Bryan (Drive) and a tree was removed that was supplying the scent. What was the cause? Again, I’m not sure. They will soon find the source and hopefully we will all know soon,” DeMoura wrote on Facebook on Saturday, Aug. 26.
Debbie Melo, a Taunton mother of two, has not been seen since June 2000, when her husband Luis told police she got out of their car in Weymouth after a heated argument.
The Melos lived on Baylies Road less than a mile from Bryan Drive.
The front yard of the two-story, single-family house that now stands at 10 Bryan Drive on Thursday became the subject of an intensive police search.
Workers used an excavator to rip out a maple tree and dig a giant hole in a corner of the front lawn before filling in the hole with dirt and leaving.
Back in 2000 the land was still wooded and the house at 10 Bryan Drive had not yet been built.
“What will they find? I’m not sure....We searched high and low for years on any lead we had from Weymouth to Taunton. Always ending up with nothing but lost hope,” DeMoura wrote.
Police have referred all questions regarding the dig at 10 Bryan Drive to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office.
On Monday, DA Spokesperson Gregg Miliote said, “The digging last week was part of an ongoing investigation our office is involved in. We do not comment on pending investigations.”
He declined to comment as to when – or if – the digging will resume.
“So where is she now? That is the statement I keep in my head every day. Listening to every theory of what people think for 17 years and all we can do is look into it as far as I can. What else can we do ?” DeMoura wrote on Facebook.
“This is not an hour-long show of Criminal Minds episode and then it’s over. It’s our real life.”
DeMoura said he appreciates all the kind words posted on social media since news spread Thursday of a possible break in the case.
With reporting by Charles Winokoor
Scorpio
Well-known member
Taunton’s Debra Melo still missing, 20 years later
It was on Route 18, on the afternoon of June 20, 2000, that the pretty Taunton mother of two simply vanished after supposedly getting into an argument with her husband, Luis Melo.
www.boston25news.com
Taunton’s Debra Melo still missing, 20 years later
By: Bob Ward, Boston 25 News
Updated: June 24, 2020 - 5:08 PM
TAUNTON, Mass. — Every time I drive along Route 18 in Weymouth, I think about Debra Melo.
I have been covering Debra Melo’s case from the very beginning. And it has always bothered me.
It was on Route 18, on the afternoon of June 20, 2000, that the pretty Taunton mother of two simply vanished after supposedly getting into an argument with her husband, Luis Melo.
Two decades have come and gone since that day, and there is still not one single piece of evidence to tell anyone what happened to Debra and where she is right now.
On Wednesday, I spoke to Patricia White, Debra’s sister. Patricia described for me a heartache that has only grown over the passage of time.
“As I drive, wherever I go, I go by woods, if I do any of that. It’s constantly on my mind,” White said. It’s one of those things that will never go away until she is found.”
Luis Melo told police that he and his wife argued over money after she visited a dermatologist’s office.
Luis said Debra ordered him to pull over the car so she could get out. He said he did, and Debra stormed off and was never seen again.
Patricia White tells me her sister left behind her cellphone and her wallet, including her identification, in her husband’s car.
Patricia is confident her sister did not voluntarily run away.
“She would have told me if she was taking off. And leaving. She never said anything,‘' White said.
Steve D’Amoura is Debra’s brother-in-law. He tells me Luis and Debra had a volatile relationship, and that at the time of her disappearance, Debra was making plans.
“She already told us, ‘I’m going to get a divorce, I’m keeping the house, I’m taking the kids, he’s going to move out,’” D’Amoura tells me.
I tried to reach out to Luis Melo through a family member, but I was told, in no uncertain terms, that Luis was not interested in talking to me.
Twenty years.
Debra Melo is somewhere; people don’t simply vanish into thin air.
But where?
“I need to know,” Patricia White said. “I mean it’s 20 years, we need to know what happened to Debra. And we need to know where she is to bring her home.”
Call Massachusetts State Police if you can help.
Playing cards could help solve disappearance of Debbie Melo 21 years ago
Could a deck of playing cards help solve dozens of cold cases in Massachusetts? Massachusetts State Police introduced a set of playing cards with images of victims of unsolved homicides and missing person cases and is now handing them out to state prison inmates. Some of the unsolved cases in...
turnto10.com
Could a deck of playing cards help solve dozens of cold cases in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts State Police introduced a set of playing cards with images of victims of unsolved homicides and missing person cases and is now handing them out to state prison inmates.
Some of the unsolved cases in the deck go back 40 years. Authorities are hoping this new tool, which has been used in other states, will motivate inmates to share any information they have.
Among those featured in the deck of 52 cards is Debra "Debbie" Melo.
Melo was last seen on June 20, 2000, on Route 18 in Weymouth after an argument with her husband.
NBC 10 News was at the scene in August 2017 when investigators ripped apart the front lawn of a Taunton home searching for Melo, but the case went cold.
The Taunton mother has been missing for more than 21 years and her family still has no answers.
Her sister, Patricia White, is holding out hope and so are investigators.
“It’s something that bothers me every day and I think of her every single day,” White said. “I’m always thinking how we can get her name out there and keeping the public aware.”
The front of the cards include a photo, name, and facts about the case. The back includes tip line information and a mailing address.
“I love the idea It’s great to get out there and you know what, it doesn’t matter where it’s going, it just keeps everything spinning. It gets people talking and that’s what you want,” White said. “I have hope every day."
Woman who went missing 22 years ago still not found as mystery continues
Debbie Melo's family have all but given up hope that she is alive and well but still want her found and back home over 20 years since she mysteriously vanished
www.mirror.co.uk
Woman who went missing 22 years ago still not found as mystery of disappearance goes on
A woman who went missing 22 years ago has still not been found as the mystery of her disappearance continues.Debbie Melo has been not been seen since June 20, 2000 with her husband Luiz reportedly being the last person to see her.
Her husband has never been ruled out as a suspect, with police now opening the case files for the first time as part of the 22nd anniversary.
Her family have all but given up hope that the mum from Taunton, Massachusetts, is alive and well - but they still want her found and back home.
At around 4pm on June 20, 2000, police say that Debbie's husband Luis told officers that after he drove her to a doctor's appointment the couple got into an argument on Route 18 in Weymouth.
Debbie's sister, Pattie White, told CBS Boston's WBZ I-Team : "He just said that he dropped her off at the side of the road, they got into an argument, he let her out, he drove down to the end of the street turned around came back -- and that she was gone.
"That was his story. I asked him did you do something to her?' He said "No, no, no."
Lieutenant John Fanning, who works with the Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office, has said that detectives have never been able to corroborate Luis' story.
Instead, he believes someone did something to Debbie that caused her to not come home and that person may have told someone else.
Lieutenant Fanning says there is no evidence to suggest that the car stopped on Route 18, and confirmed that Luis has never been ruled out as a suspect.
According to Debbie's family, Luis didn't report her missing until the next day and failed two lie detector tests.
Patty also said his behavior has been very suspicious.
In 2017, police dug up a yard of a home in Taunton after receiving a tip-off that her body may have been there, but they found nothing.
Debbie's family said they had a troubled marriage, with Debbie mentioning that they were getting a divorce before she went missing.
Debbie Melo featured on unsolved homicide playing cards created by Massachusetts State Police
The state police featured a playing card on social media Tuesday with the unsolved case of a Weymouth victim.
www.wwlp.com
Debbie Melo featured on unsolved homicide playing cards created by Massachusetts State Police
The state police featured a playing card on social media Tuesday with the unsolved case of a Weymouth victim.Twenty-three years ago, on June 20, 2000, Debbie Melo went missing and has not been seen or heard from since that day. Her husband, Luis Melo, told the police that she got out of their car on Rt 18 in Weymouth and disappeared.
If you have any information that could be crucial to solving this case, you are asked to call 1-855-MA-SOLVE.
The Massachusetts State Police Department, the Massachusetts Department of Correction, the Springfield Police Homicide Unit, and the District Attorney’s Offices collaborated to create playing cards that feature homicide and missing persons on them.
The cards are funded by the Department of Correction and are made available to state prison inmates. With this, they hope that they will be able to find out additional information about the crimes on the cards.
Family seeks closure on 24th anniversary of Debbie Melo's disappearance
A Taunton mom has been missing for 24 years.
turnto10.com
June 2024
A Taunton mom has been missing for 24 years.
Debbie Melo was last seen on June 20, 2000-- 24 years ago exactly.
Her family is no longer convinced she's alive, but they still want her body found and returned home so they can finally find closure.
"Every year goes by, and the hardest part is no answers. we have no answers,” Patricia White, Melo’s sister said. "You just want a miracle. You just want answers."
Melo was 30 years old when she went missing.
Her husband, Louis Melo, told police the two got into an argument on Route 18 in Weymouth when Debbie Melo asked to get out of the car. When he turned around, he said she was gone.
The family said he didn't report her missing until the next day.
"Deborah wouldn't never have left her family never have would left. You know, her kids,"Steven Demoura, Melo's brother-in-law said.
He said the case has never closed, and police have continued to follow up on tips.
Without going into detail, Demoura said new information is shedding light on the day she went missing, and the person or persons responsible.
"It confirms everything that we thought," he said.
They are hopeful justice will be served
"That would just make the family feel at rest. You know right now what none of us are at rest," White told NBC 10.