ATLANTA — An Atlanta mother spoke to her family for the last time on Thanksgiving of 1998. Her family searched for her for years before they found she was in a morgue the whole time they were looking for her -- prompting a decades-long fight for justice in her murder.
Now, 25 years later, an arrest has been made in the death of Melissa Wolfenbarger. Authorities said that Melissa's husband, Christopher Wolfenbarger, has been charged with her murder.
Christopher Wolfenbarger has been booked into the Fulton County Jail on Aug. 6, and he is facing murder charges according to an arrest warrant.
11Alive previously reported how a police report said her husband never reported her missing to authorities; he also didn't tell family members of her disappearance. Documents cited that he told authorities in 2000 that he had seen her walking down the street near their home in March or April of 1999. Based on interviews conducted by police, Melissa Wolfenbarger had not been in contact with her husband since December 1998.
Atlanta Police Department held a press conference on Wednesday following the announcement with Melissa Wolfenbarger's mother and sister. Detectives were unable to provide detailed information on how they made their arrest, stating it could compromise the case.
"I don't have to watch the news anymore," Norma Patton, Melissa's mother, said. "We got him, and he's in jail. Lord help me, he stays there."
Reporters asked her sister if the two ever suspected Christopher Wolfenbarger, and she said they "knew it" was him. A detective later said that Christopher Wolfenbarger was always a person of interest in the case.
"There's just evil in his eyes," Tina, Melissa's sister, said, recalling a conversation with Patton.
A press conference was held Wednesday to give an update on the case. Watch it below:
Who was Melissa Wolfenbarger?
Melissa Wolfenbarger was known for the twinkle in her eyes, her sweetness and her deep love for animals, her sister Tina Patton said.
According to her, Melissa harbored dreams of becoming a veterinarian when she was a child and would bring any animal home -- whether it was a dog or even a skunk.
"If she saw a stray somewhere, she would bring it home," she said. "It didn't matter what it was; she would bring it home."
She was also studious and got good grades in school, Tina Patton recalled.
"She was sweet. She was quiet. She was always smiling, always laughing," Tina Patton said.
Melissa Wolfenbarger | More Than A Number
But then, as is typical with teenagers, she met a boy and fell in love.
"She changed. She'd sneak out the window. Before that, I was the one sneaking out of the window. You know, when you're a teenager, you're trying to go to the parties with the boys, and you just sneak out your window," Tina said.
Tina Patton said no one in the family was fond of the boy who stole her sister's heart. However, she got married. And by the time she was 21, she had two beautiful children of her own and was living in Atlanta.
By all accounts, she had her entire life ahead of her -- a mother with a bright future and years to come to watch her children grow up.
But then she disappeared.
Background on the case
It was 154 days after Melissa's family had last heard from her when police responded to an area less than a mile away from her home. According to a police report, it was a cool and rainy day on April 29, 1999, when calls came in about human remains found in the area of Avon Avenue and Hartford Place.
When officers arrived, there was a skull found in the road -- launching an investigation.
Then, 35 days later, on June 3, more dismembered remains were found in trash bags hidden around a wooded area close to Avon Avenue. This investigation continued with still no sign of Melissa Wolfenbarger.
It would take 1,369 days -- nearly four years of waiting -- until authorities were able to identify the discovered remains as Melissa Wolfenbarger.
It was her father who was able to lead the way in that discovery.
According to Tina Patton, when Carl Patton was arrested and later convicted of killing several people, he was able to bring attention to Melissa being missing.
"My mom was able to convince him to say something about my sister," she said. "And somebody in Atlanta saw it in the paper the next day and said, 'Wait a minute, there's some remains over here in the morgue. And the address, the vicinities are kind of close to where this girl lived. So let's go get DNA.'"
So, they went and got DNA records, finally connecting the dots in March 2003. This is how Melissa Wolfenbarger's family learned that she wasn't missing; she was dead.
Tina Patton said her dad helped bring that closure.
"Dad loved us," she said, stating that despite his own arrest, he would have never killed Melissa. "He was devastated. Just like us. He broke down and cried."
For over 20 years, the family has been fighting for justice for their loved one. Tina Patton, in particular, channeled her energy into talking to everyone about her sister so that more people could know about her.
"I've dreamt about her," she said. "She's telling me to help her, and it was like she was reaching out to me. 'Help me.' And I'm doing what I can. I'm opening my mouth. I'm talking to people."
Now, following this arrest, they are one step closer to receiving the closure they've fought decades for.
For more on who Melissa was and Tina's journey in fighting for justice, watch the June 2024 video below.
This story was an update to a "More Than A Number" piece. 11Alive's More Than a Number series seeks to humanize crime coverage by "giving a face to the victim and a voice to the family." If you would like to honor a loved one you lost, you can use the form below or email us at MoreThanANumber@11alive.com to tell us about them, and we will add them to our memorial page.
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