Missing from: Belle, West Virginia
Missing: July 19, 2006
Age at disappearance: 21
Height: 5’3″
Weight: 100 lbs
Hair Color: Blonde
Eye Color: Brown
Distinguishing Characteristics: Scars, Marks, Tattoos: Caucasian female. Pierced ears, surgical scar on left ankle.
Details of Disappearance: Melanie was last seen at approximately 8:00 am after dropping her children off at a daycare center in the vicinity of the 3000 block of E. Dupont Ave. in Belle, WV. On July 23, Metheny’s gold and tan 1998 Chevrolet minivan with the West Virginia license plate number US8255 was located abandoned in the vicinity of Wyoming Street and Beuhring Avenue in Charleston, West Virginia, in an area known for its drug activity. The vehicle had been at that location at least since 2:00 p.m. the day Metheny went missing; neighbors noticed it there, but did not connect it to her disappearance for several days.
The doors were locked and the van was intact with CDs inside, but it had apparently been wiped clean of fingerprints. The only items missing were Metheny’s purse and cellular phone. No evidence of Metheny’s whereabouts was uncovered at the scene, but several items were found on the minivan’s front seat, including a business card and a piece of paper with a phone number and a notation about a house for sale. Her family suspects foul play was involved in her case, as it is uncharacteristic of her to abandon her children. Her case remains unsolved.
Investigating Agency: Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office at (304) 357-0169
If you have any information on this case, please contact CUE Center for Missing Persons at (910) 343-1131 or call the CUE Center 24-hour tip line at (910) 232-1687. All information submitted to CUE Center for Missing Persons is confidential.