Untitled Page

The home, one-half mile west of SH 9A on Benson Park Road, was a crime scene.

At that time, Paul Abel was the sheriff of Pottawatomie County. His office, along with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, investigated the case as a murder and kidnapping, news archives show. Deputies searched the area around the home on foot and horseback, covering 160 acres, while a search by helicopter covered a 6-square-mile area, finding no sign of Melody or any clues.

At the onset of the investigation, the motive for the crime remained a mystery — and that mystery has continued for 25 years.

Melody’s brother, Randy, who was a high school senior in 1983, said he believes whoever killed Paul abducted his sister. He said he wants to know what happened to her after that and where she is today. He and his sister were close. “It’s been hard. I always think in the back of my mind that she’s going to show up, dead or alive,” he said. Randy, his wife and children have stayed in the Shawnee area all these years, he said, in hopes that one day his sister might call. Melody also has three sisters who want answers and closure.

For years after Melody vanished, the family made posters and placed them around the area, as they prayed someone would call with information. When news broke April 7 that a skull and skeletal remains were found in the Earlsboro area, Melody’s family contacted the sheriff’s office to ask if they could possibly belong to Melody. Sheriff’s deputies waited for the medical examiner’s office to determine a sex for the bones and searched old dusty case files that had long been stored and forgotten.

A forensics expert has since determined the skeletal remains belong to a male, 17 to 23-years-old, but no identity has been made. But through the process, Sheriff Kurt Shirey said the case of Paul’s murder and Melody’s disappearance is open for further investigation. While Melody’s family said they wished the bones had belonged to her so they could have closure, they also continue to hold out hope that she’s still alive. Randy said he has given a sample of his DNA to sheriff’s deputies to enter into a national computer database in case there’s a possible match to any bodies or remains found over the past 25 years.

Jim Patten, the chief deputy at the sheriff’s office, is taking the lead in the new investigation. He said an extensive investigation commenced in 1983 and several interviews were conducted, but a suspect was never identified. News archives show there were no signs that a domestic dispute occurred. Investigators said they still believe the evidence points to Melody being the victim of abduction. “Everything I’ve seen indicates she was removed from that location against her will,” Sheriff Shirey said.

As part of the new investigation, deputies are focusing on anything they can find —old case reports, interview notes and crime scene photographs — trying to go back over each piece of the puzzle. With new advances in technology, it is possible they can have evidence re-analyzed, which could bring more answers, Patten said.

Back in the 1980s, there were several people living in this area who are now in prison for serious crimes, including murder, Patten said. Detectives plan to conduct more interviews as part of the new investigation into this cold case. Because the couple’s home was destroyed in a grass fire years ago, there are no clues to follow.

Since reopening the case, Patten said they’ve discovered that Melody was listed as missing, but she was never officially entered as a missing person in the law enforcement databases. She has now been officially listed with the National Crime Information Center.

While deputies are in contact with members of Melody’s family, it isn’t believed that any of Paul’s family members still live in the area, Patten said, and no one knows how to contact them. Reports show Paul was a British national who received citizenship here.

Investigators hope awareness about this crime could result in new clues.
“We want to bring every situation to a close that we can,” Shirey said. “We’ll stay with the case until all possible leads are exhausted.” Shirey, who retired from a career at the Shawnee Police Department before becoming sheriff, said this unsolved case is like many he’s seen over the years. He said many man hours are spent working cold cases, and the work always stays on the minds of detectives. “The investigation is pretty much never-ending,” Shirey said. “You can’t leave this work on the weekends and hours off — it’s still on your mind.” In 1983, Melody was described as being 4 feet, 11 inches tall and weighing 135 to 140 pounds, with hazel eyes and light brown curly hair.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call Chief Deputy Patten at (405) 275-2526.