FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — The husband of an Atlanta mother at the center of a decades-old cold case will remain behind bars.
Christopher Wolfenbarger faced a Fulton County judge Monday morning as his attorneys made an argument to set a bond for his release as he awaits trial in the murder and disappearance of his wife, Melissa Wolfenbarger. The judge ultimately denied his option for bond.
Melissa last spoke to her family on Thanksgiving 1998. The last recorded citing, according to police records, was made by her husband in 1999. About a mile from her home and near her husband's workplace, someone's remains were found scattered. Those remains were finally identified as Melissa in 2003, her loved ones learning she had been in a morgue the whole time they grappled with her disappearance.
More than 20 years later, her husband will stand trial accused in an indictment of "inflicting homicidal violence" sometime between Dec. 10, 1998, and April 29, 1999. This, according to attorneys for the state, was a sticking point as to why he should not receive bond.
"This defendant inflicted homicidal violence upon Melissa Wolfenbarger, his wife, who he was separated from," Attorney Brian Trepanier said. "Medical examiners were able to determine that the dismemberment appeared to have been done by a mechanical or electrical saw."
Attorneys for the state also brought up his previous record, citing since the 1990s he's facing four felonies largely due to thefts, has failed to appear to court for previous charges and a probation violation from 2003. Attorneys for Christopher cited his age and how his previous violations were, at this point, decades ago and he deserves the right to be presumed innocent until trial.
"Mr. Wolfenbarger is a risk of flight," Trepanier said, noting how when authorities showed up to his home for his arrest, he hid behind an alcove and dryer. "When fight or flight kicked in - what did he do? He fled."
Ultimately, the judge said, that's what swayed her decision. Arguing he deserves the right to be presumed innocent, Christopher was denied bond on the grounds of how his arrest played out.
For more on who Melissa was and her sister's journey in fighting for justice, watch the June 2024 video 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."
Melissa Wolfenbarger | More Than A Number
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.
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.
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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