Found Alive TX - Melissa Highsmith, 21 mos, Fort Worth, 23 Aug 1971 *found alive in 2022*

[Keane]

51 years of absolute agony for the whole family. My heart goes out to them.

 

[Onebest]

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

“We found her!” - Baby Melissa abducted 51 years ago

Jeff Highsmith never met his eldest sister, Melissa, who was abducted in 1971 before he was born –...

www.missingkids.org

 

[SimplyCass]

Whoa! The Washington Post name-dropped Websleuths!

https://wapo.st/3GU6kFd

(The link is a gift article)

For decades, the family searched. They did podcast and newspaper interviews to keep Melissa in the spotlight. They commented on a Websleuths discussion forum set up for the case. They rushed to other states when they thought they had a lead.

(snipped by me)

Good work everyone on this happy ending.

 

[MadMcGoo]

WOW! I’m at a loss for words.

We need more ‘endings’ like this. I hope Melissa is safe and HAPPY!

 

[Sillybilly]

Wow, what a story. All those lost years but now new beginnings. I hope they have many, many more happy and healthy years together.

I held it together almost to the end of the article, and then ...

"And she wants to redo her wedding to her current husband, her sisters said, so her father can walk her down the aisle."

Lost it !!

 

[MadMcGoo]

Wow, what a story. All those lost years but now new beginnings. I hope they have many, many more happy and healthy years together.

I held it together almost to the end of the article, and then ...

"And she wants to redo her wedding to her current husband, her sisters said, so her father can walk her down the aisle."

Lost it !!

It’s not like I’m tearing up too. (I am)

“We found her!” - Baby Melissa abducted 51 years ago

Jeff Highsmith never met his eldest sister, Melissa, who was abducted in 1971 before he was born –...

www.missingkids.org

“This case is a perfect example of why we never give up hope here at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC),” said John Bischoff, who oversees NCMEC’s Missing Children Division. “We are overjoyed by the news that Melissa Highsmith has been reunited with her biological family who has been tirelessly searching for her for so long. This is a wonderful reminder to the public and to other families who have missing loved ones that answers are possible, even after five decades.”

 

[iamshadow21]

After this and Baby Holly, I'm ready for more happy endings. Bring it on! Let's help these kids get home.

 

[Midge Montana]

Omgoodness! I just first read this case last week!
I was shocked to see it in the news today. Miracles do happen!

 

[AliceInPain]

Color me skeptical- but I'll wait for the official DNA match.

Missing Kids reported that they did match dna with 23 and Me.

I read it was the siblings that matched with Melissa's kids/ their nieces, and that Melissa has not had her results from the LE DNA test yet.

I still have that woman claiming to be Brittany Renee Williams in mind, claiming to have DNA proof and even posting the document online. When the "official" DNA results (by LE/FBI) were done it showed she was not Brittany.

I don't think that's the case here, she looks so much like baby Melissa. But I'm usually also always sceptical until I see the official reports.

imo

 

[chaddylex]

I saw this on Facebook on Sunday that she is alive (just got back to work today, they only time I really get on Websleuths)
I belong to the "We Found Melissa" page. I really do think it's her. Melissa's dad tested on 23 and me and matched to Melissa's children from what I have read.
She did an interview yesterday that said she had a rough life growing up, never felt loved by her "mom" and ran away at 15 and "worked the streets." That makes me sad.

It's crazy how this all unfolded since The Vanished just released 2 episodes about her disappearance 2 weeks ago.

I hope the "official" DNA test proves this is her.

 

[meanmaryjean]

I read it was the siblings that matched with Melissa's kids/ their nieces, and that Melissa has not had her results from the LE DNA test yet.

I still have that woman claiming to be Brittany Renee Williams in mind, claiming to have DNA proof and even posting the document online. When the "official" DNA results (by LE/FBI) were done it showed she was not Brittany.

I don't think that's the case here, she looks so much like baby Melissa. But I'm usually also always sceptical until I see the official reports.

imo

I was tangentially involved in the Shannon Sherrill / Donna Walker hoax - made me extra cautious.

 

[InternetGhost91]

I saw this on Facebook on Sunday that she is alive (just got back to work today, they only time I really get on Websleuths)
I belong to the "We Found Melissa" page. I really do think it's her. Melissa's dad tested on 23 and me and matched to Melissa's children from what I have read.
She did an interview yesterday that said she had a rough life growing up, never felt loved by her "mom" and ran away at 15 and "worked the streets." That makes me sad.

It's crazy how this all unfolded since The Vanished just released 2 episodes about her disappearance 2 weeks ago.

I hope the "official" DNA test proves this is her.

to me it feels almost too coincidental how it unfolded. and they reunited on thanksgiving? something feels off about this. jmo

 

[Richard]

51 Years Missing...

Melissa Suzanne Highsmith at 1 year and age progressed to 42
Abducted August 1971
Located November 2022

 

[meanmaryjean]

to me it feels almost too coincidental how it unfolded. and they reunited on thanksgiving? something feels off about this. jmo

Well, there WAS the whole Sherri Papini Thanksgiving 'miracle'...

 

[AliceInPain]

51 Years Missing...

Melissa Suzanne Highsmith at 1 year and age progressed to 42
Abducted August 1971
Located November 2022

I usually don't like their age progressions, they get it so much wrong too many times.
I know how they do it and why they think they do it right, but this is a perfect example why (imo) they may need to change their strategy. Melissa (if it is her) looks like her baby picture, not like a combination of her parents and/or her siblings. That is not how your looks as an adult works.

 

[MajorHoople]

Texas woman found by family 51 years after being kidnapped as baby

Melissa Highsmith, who family say was abducted in Fort Worth in 1971, located in South Carolina, more than 1,000 miles away

www.theguardian.com

Snippets:

(..)
The family used the results of a 23andMe DNA test, a birthmark on Melissa and her birthday to confirm that she indeed was the girl who had been taken from them 51 years ago.

(..)

Sharon Highsmith said her family connected with a clinical laboratory scientist and amateur genealogist named Lisa Jo Schiele to help them with interpreting the key DNA results and mining publicly available records to locate Melissa.

(..)

More info here:

Melissa Highsmith: Abducted girl home for holidays after 50+ years

Abducted girl home for holidays after 50+ years After 51 years, one family reconnected with their loved one this Thanksgiving. Melissa Suzanne Highsmith was 22 months old when she disappeared in 1971. Her mother, Alta Apantenco, had left the toddler in the care of her roommate and their home...

www.websleuths.com

Great work Lisa!

 

[Richard]

It would be interesting to know exactly who kidnapped her and where they are today. Kidnapping was a federal crime in 1971 with no statute of limitations.

Even if no criminal charges were to be made, it would be possible for her to file civil charges against perpetrators of her kidnapping.

LINK:

Federal Kidnapping Act - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[cocomod]

I was tangentially involved in the Shannon Sherrill / Donna Walker hoax - made me extra cautious.

It really is hard to trust, but this one did happen in a different way. The family found her instead of her coming forward. This is what makes me believe this is not a hoax. JMVHO

 

[Nancy Drew RN]

It would be interesting to know exactly who kidnapped her and where they are today. Kidnapping was a federal crime in 1971 with no statute of limitations.

Even if no criminal charges were to be made, it would be possible for her to file civil charges against perpetrators of her kidnapping.

LINK:

Federal Kidnapping Act - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Unfortunately, it's not looking optimistic for any charges to be brought, based on this article.

"The FWPD Major Case Unit will be working with the Highsmith family to continue the investigation into Melissa’s disappearance. Even though the criminal statute of limitations expired 20 years after Melissa’s 18th birthday, the Fort Worth Police Department is committed to completing this investigation to uncover all of the available information concerning Melissa’s abduction that occurred 51 years ago."

A spokesperson for the Fort Worth Police Department wouldn't elaborate on which criminal statute of limitations expired, but the only one WFAA could find that expires 20 years after a victim's 18th birthday was aggravated kidnapping.
The statute of limitations is set at seven years for kidnapping.

Federal kidnapping charges could still be filed, however, which carry no statute of limitations.
The criteria that need to be met for those charges to be filed are more stringent, per Dr. Alex Del Carmen, a criminologist and trainer for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
"If the individual crossed state lines, you could file charges. If they used the mail or any form of communicating on a national level to execute the kidnapping--that could be another instance," Dr. Del Carmen said.
"Thirdly, if ransom money was somehow involved, that could also get federal involvement. Still, I think investigators will have a really hard time being able to piece all of this together, considering how long ago this happened."

 

[InternetGhost91]

sort of a bittersweet ending for me that no one is being held accountable. think of all the time melissa lost with her family. JMO