Melissa Highsmith Part 1: The Woman with White Gloves

Melissa Highsmith Part 1: The Woman with White Gloves

On August 18, 1971, a classified ad was published for a single day in the Fort Worth, Texas newspaper, the "Fort Worth Star-Telegram." The ad read, "Babysitter wanted from 8 to 3:30 days, Spanish Gate apartments, call after 3 pm" with a phone number listed. On August 23, 1971, a woman who said her name was Ruth Johnson came to the door of Alta Highsmith, who had placed the ad, and said she was there to pick up Alta's 21-month-old daughter, Melissa Highsmith. Alta's roommate gave the baby to the woman named Ruth, who promised to return her that afternoon. Melissa Highsmith has never been seen again. The story of Melissa's abduction is a tale we will unfold for you with exclusive interviews, new information, and questions that seem as though they should be easy to answer.

UPDATE: In September, the Highsmith family contacted us about covering Melissa Highsmith’s story. We interviewed multiple family members for a two-episode series. We were already aware of possible DNA connections when the episodes aired, but we held that information in confidence at the family’s request. When the Highsmith family notified us of the DNA matches found on a commercial DNA testing website in late October, we connected them with a family member of another missing person we covered this year, Lisa Jo Schiele. You may remember her from the Barb Cotton series. Lisa Jo Schiele is a clinical laboratory scientist and amateur genealogist. We felt that Lisa’s expertise in the area could possibly assist the Highsmith family in finding Melissa. We also notified law enforcement before the episodes aired that one family member had impersonated law enforcement by their own admission to us and that we had a professional due diligence to notify law enforcement in the event this family member attempted to contact any of the then-unknown DNA matches.

Days after our series aired, the news broke that the family believed they had located Melissa. We are always very grateful and happy to learn that a missing person has been found alive and safe, so we were thrilled to see the news that Lisa Jo Schiele had helped the Highsmith family find a woman they believe to be Melissa. The Fort Worth Police Department released the following statement: “The Fort Worth Police Department (FWPD) is overjoyed to hear about how the Highsmith’s use of 23andme led them to Melissa. The Fort Worth Police Department will be conducting official DNA testing to confirm Melissa’s identity, and the department will provide an update once the official results have come in. 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.” We hope this decades-old cold case will be solved and look forward to what the police investigation reveals about the many questions that remain unanswered. We will wait for confirmation from law enforcement before commenting any further. We will always uphold the confidence of the families who entrust us with information, just as we did in Melissa’s case. We thank you all for continuing to share your treasured and much-loved missing family members with us. We are eternally grateful.

In May of 2023, the Fort Worth Police Department announced that DNA testing confirmed Melissa's identity. Despite the fact that the statute of limitations has expired, they asked that anyone with information please come forward.

If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.

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Episoder(536)

Kenna Harris Part 1

Kenna Harris Part 1

On March 31, 2020, 25-year-old Kenna Harris carefully packed a backpack with her medications, a yoga mat, and some of her other favorite belongings. Kenna then headed out of the family home in Monroe, Washington. There was a bus that was supposed to take her to her shift at work that day, but Kenna didn’t go to work and told the bus driver to go on without her. Instead, she walked to a nearby bank, withdrew some money, and then traveled via public transit to nearby Snohomish, Washington. It was after she arrived in Snohomish that she disappeared without a trace. Investigators were able to track her last known movements via an intricate web of surveillance footage and phone pings. In the months since Kenna disappeared, she has not been seen or heard from again. This is a story about Kenna, her life, and the mystery of her disappearance.If you have any information about the disappearance of Kenna Harris, please contact your local law enforcement agency or the Snohomish County, Washington Sheriff’s Office at 425-388-3845. You can follow Kenna’s story on social media at: Find Kenna Harris.UPDATE: On October 10, 2020, remains were recovered during a search for Kenna Harris. The remains have been identified as Kenna Harris and there were no signs of foul play.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

27 Jul 202057min

Danielle Bell

Danielle Bell

In September of 2001, 14-year-old Danielle Bell was living with her mom in Pensacola, Florida. Her parents had recently divorced and it was a difficult time for Danielle. On the evening of Friday, September 28, 2001, Danielle left to go to a party even though her mother had instructed her to stay home. She was seen at a high school party that evening by some of her friends. Later, she was seen at a different party with much older men. After that, no one has ever seen or heard from Danielle again. Following her disappearance, some disturbing details would surface about people who were in Danielle’s life but it remains unclear if they had anything to do with what happened to Danielle.You can follow Danielle's case on Facebook at: Missing Child Danielle Bell.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

20 Jul 202050min

Jacob Cabinaw

Jacob Cabinaw

On March 31, 2010, Jacob Cabinaw went to work and then spent the evening playing frisbee golf with friends. One of the friends reported that Jacob dropped him off at his car when they were finished and said Jacob was going back to his house to finish an assignment for one of his college courses that was due soon. However, Jacob never made it back to the home he shared with his mom. A few days later, his mother reported him missing to the local police. There were a few sightings and financial transactions over the next several days, but after April 2, 2010, Jacob Cabinaw was never seen or heard from again.If you have any information about the disappearance of Jacob Cabinaw, you are asked to call the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office at 231-995-5000.You can follow Jacob’s story on social media at Find Jacob Cabinaw.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

13 Jul 20201h 1min

Shannah Boiteau

Shannah Boiteau

22-year-old Shannah Boiteau was last seen on June 22, 2016 around 3:00 PM in St. Cloud, MN. Shannah and her boyfriend were driving from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin to California because Shannah allegedly wanted to see the ocean. She left a note for her family explaining why she was taking this trip. It was on this trip to California that her boyfriend claims that he and Shannah got into an argument. He said that she got out of the car and ran into the woods. This is the last time anyone saw or heard from Shannah Boiteau. She has now been missing for four years and her loved ones are desperate for answers.If anyone has any information regarding the whereabouts of Shannah Boiteau please call Chippewa Falls Police Department 715-723-4424.You can follow Shannah’s case on Facebook at Help Find Shannah Boiteau.UPDATE: On April 26, 2025, human remains were discovered near the area where Shannah Boiteau was last seen. The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed on April 29, 2025, that the remains were identified as Shannah Boiteau. The St. Cloud Police issued a statement confirming that the case remains an active investigation, with continued collaboration between the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the medical examiner.This episode was co-researched and written by Marissa Jones and Erika Gwynn. To find more of Erika's work, please check out her podcast at https://www.apexandabyss.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

6 Jul 20201h 10min

Kimberly Flint

Kimberly Flint

On September 26, 2018, in rural Rusk County, Texas, a Jeep was found in a single vehicle accident with no drivers or passengers in the area. Police called the registered owner of the vehicle, James Flint, who stated that the Jeep belonged to his wife, Kim Flint. James Flint also told the police that Kim rarely drove the Jeep. He was at work when the police called him so he drove home to check on his wife. When James arrived home, Kim was nowhere to be found. The area around Kim’s vehicle was searched thoroughly by multiple police agencies, dogs, drones, and other resources, but in the time since that day, no trace of Kim Flint has ever been found.If you have any information about the disappearance of Kim Flint, you are asked to call the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office at 903-657-3581. You can follow Kim’s story on social media at: Find Kim Flint.UPDATE: The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office issued the following statement on January 28, 2022: “On Thursday, January 20, 2022, members of the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office, along with Texas Rangers and a forensic anthropologist from the University of North Texas, responded to a wooded area on property located near Richey Lane, in the Reklaw Community. Investigators with the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office obtained a search warrant after confirming information that human remains had possibly been discovered at that area.After Sheriff Valdez, RCSO investigators, the Texas Rangers and members of a forensic team responded to the location, human remains were recovered. The remains were taken to the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification for DNA testing and dental recognition. Yesterday, Thursday, January 27, 2022, Sheriff Valdez received preliminary reports that confirm that the remains recovered were those of Ms. Kim Flint. The family has been notified.As a part of the investigation, additional forensic testing will be completed in the near future.The Sheriff's Office would like to thank everyone who assisted in the investigation, especially those with the RCSO criminal investigation division, the Texas Rangers, and the forensic scientists from the University of North Texas.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

29 Jun 20201h 18min

Trudy Appleby

Trudy Appleby

On the morning of August 21, 1996, Dennis Appleby left his Moline, Illinois home to head to work, leaving behind his 11 year old daughter, Trudy, to spend the summer day at home. Around 9:30am, a neighbor saw Trudy with a man who appeared to be in his 20’s, with dark curly hair, wearing a baseball cap. The unidentified man was driving a silver or gray four door sedan. Dennis came home from work that evening and was surprised to find his daughter wasn’t home. He called his neighbors and some of Trudy’s friends but she wasn’t with any of them. That is when Dennis called the police to report Trudy missing. Trudy’s case went unsolved for more than 20 years but now, investigators believe they know who is responsible for Trudy’s disappearance.If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Trudy Appleby, please call the Moline Police Department at 309-524-2140.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

22 Jun 202041min

Jason Dies

Jason Dies

In June of 1991, 20-year-old Jason Dies returned from Operation Desert Storm when the USS Horne docked in San Diego, California. He was now on leave and had a month to report to a new duty station in Pensacola, Florida. Jason never showed up and was classified as an unauthorized absentee and later a deserter. Before Jason disappeared, he mailed some packages to his family back in Louisiana. He phoned them and asked them not to open the packages. The mystery of what was in the packages and what happened to Jason loomed over his family for years. What had he sent them? Military secrets? Was there some kind of conspiracy? When Jason’s younger cousin grew up, she embarked on a journey to find him. She opened the packages and started pressing for answers. If you have any information about the disappearance of Jason Dies, please call NCIS at 850-452-4211. You can submit a tip online at https://www.ncis.navy.mil.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

15 Jun 20201h 7min

Christopher "Cole" Thomas

Christopher "Cole" Thomas

22-year-old Cole Thomas had taken a break from college to work a construction job and earn some money. During the fall of 2016, he traveled from his home in Florida to work on a job in Minnesota. Right before Thanksgiving, a couple of co-workers that he had recently met asked Cole to drive them to North Carolina, presumably to spend the holiday with their families. Cole agreed to drive them but what he didn’t realize was that the people he thought were his friends, weren’t friends at all and that he was headed straight into danger that would cost him his life.If you have any information about the disappearance of Cole Thomas, you are asked to call the Benson, North Carolina Police Department at 919-894-2091.You can follow Cole's story on Facebook at Find Cole Thomas.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

8 Jun 20201h 16min

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