That analyst tested almost 8,000 fibers. That's dedication! He's a legit hero for putting so much time and effort into this case. He deserves a lot of credit.
If the film is right, those fibres found in his car could of come off his clothes, they say he was playing with her on his lap during the party so the fibres could of been transferred. Also, sniffer dogs are trained to find dead bodies these days, were they not around then, it was quite a small area to bury her.
The more I watch shows like that, the more I see why my mum never ever allowed me to stay alone with anyone regardless if they were male or female or if they were relatives or friends.
You just take your eyes away even for a second....and your child is gone. I know how it feels like. But there was a happy end for us. God! Every child is so very precious!
You and your mom were lucky. Most parents don't have that sort of luxury and HAVE to rely on friends, family and child care workers in order to survive in life because they have to work and deal with issues that come up.
I don't mind watching other people's kids for a bit at parties but when they gotta go to the bathroom and need help? It's time to go get the kid's mom and dad, I'm not helping with that thanks. No normal person volunteers to do that, especially for people they don't even know well, that's unbelievably creepy.
No one but me and dad. My mom, sisters. . My kids never left my site. I'm a helicopter mom. Lol My kids are happy with that, on occasion they say mom it's all gd. I would (ok not on here).
Having two little ones of my own and another on the way, my alarm bells would have been going off immediately. So tragic something like this can happen and within only seconds
The pain of losing a child is one thing, but never having the closure of at least knowing what happened to them and where their remains are? I can't imagine it.
@@linanicolia1363 it does give the family a sense of closure though. Maybe giving them a proper burial or being able to visit their graves helps their grief. I've heard a lot of missing people families' say all they want is to find the remains of their loved ones.
That's why Israel is the greatest nation in the world 🌎 because 90% of the times they gave the bodies of thousands of little Palestinian children to thier moms and dad's after killing them ❤️❤️
It's surprising to me that no-one is talking about the amazing forensic work of the gentlemen and his wife for pointing out the catalogue detail. I think Hughes would not have been convicted without this information. Much of the case hinged on it too.
That guy's dedication to detail fiber analysis was also crucial in catching a guy who sexually assaulted and killed his aunt and her two little daughers in Anchorage.
Agree, the acting is good, which is noteworthy considering it's likely produced in qite short time. The eyebrowraisers is typically about items, and circumstances in scenes.
@@alexanderchristiansen1018 Nobody reporter her missing and possibly was not even from the area. Either an orphan or runaway that was involved with bad people. Always makes me sad that someone can be born and die without a name or anyone mourning them.
If any grown man asked to escort my children to the bathroom, I would be on high alert and warn every mother there. I remember once being a kid in a park and the park “ranger” was obsessed with the tiny little boys I was with. I was only 11 but I knew he was a pedo. He wanted to “watch the boys slide down the slide” and tickle them when they landed. There were adults all around us. How do adults not look out for things like this? Or why do they not speak up when something is off. Speak up people! Be safe rather than sorry. Who cares if someone thinks you’re paranoid.
The problem is vast majority of kids that are harmed are done do by family members and / or close friends of the family. Predators groom the parents first, gain.their trust over months or even years.
Hughes was sentenced to 50 years in prison. He was released from prison on parole last August after serving nearly 30 years and is now a registered sex offender and living in a halfway house in Lynchburg, Virginia. Tell the community what you did with Melissa Brannen.
agree he should not have been released. He likely will do it again. Being registered a sex offender is not like a banner on your front lawn ; most of them do not show on any list when people are looking for one. They all want to charge a fee and that is a problem. Many of these freaks slip between the cracks . There is also another issue about the perv having done his time ; no he did not do his time. It was 50 years and not 30 !
He shouldn’t have been released until he told the truth and if he wasn’t going to do so he should been stuck in general population and left with all the dads in the prison until he spoke
He’s now working at food lion in Lynchburg VA. I am VERY close to 2 people who work there and they are beyond creeped out by him... and that was BEFORE they knew what he had done. Now they avoid him like the plague that he is.
Apparently Hughes is recently released for good behaviour. This is surely a sick joke. If he will not give up the body then he is not remorseful and should serve out his sentence.
If he shows where he put the little child, that is a given that he did kidnap and murder (rape can not be confirmed due to decomp) and back to prison he goes. So he will never, ever tell where the child has been put. Such a coward. Pray he does not act on his pedo impulses.
We here in the soft politically correct UK we are trying to push for the Law to be passed that if the accussed doesn't reveal where the deceased is then he/she stays in prison for the full duration of the sentence, which may I add is never long enough here...
Do you even expect that to happen? We don't live in this world wanting to teach every kid that everyone is out to harm them. Actually nobody wants that
@@AnaMaria-we6zs I said warn other parents. Watch over the kids around this guy. Not instill fear, or tell the kids. Not what I said. Did you watch this doc? This monster showed obvious disturbing behavior towards the children. Even offering to take kids to the washroom.
This is exactly why I never allowed anyone to be alone with my only child, my son. I always told him if anyone told him to keep a secret from me, that they would hurt me. I told him they were lying, that no one would ever be able to hurt me. You have to start saying this when your child is extremely young. I am not saying this mother did anything wrong. Its the crazy people who you have to worry about.
I used to say that to my son all the time when he was little like 3 4 5 years old I would say if they say they can hurt your parents I said they cannot they can not hurt daddy and I said daddy will kill them ,do you understand I said Daddy will kill them might have been harsh but he got the point
We've done that with our children as well. We found keeping it simple for them was the easiest for them to remember. The only people who were allowed to see or help them with their private parts if they needed wiping or there was a problem was us (their parents) and our doctor (only with us there with them). We told them we would NEVER send someone they didn't know to get them from ANYWHERE and that the only people they were allowed to go with were my parents and their Aunt and Uncle. Then we cut ties with my parents and now it's just Aunty Robin and Uncle Dave or their cousin Ainsley. If anyone says they'll hurt us if they don't let them do something to them or keep a secret they are to laugh and say good luck with that. Mom's a cop and Dad is ex military. Right from when they were old enough to understand we have taught them these things. Also we have taught them how to react if grabbed. As they get older we are teaching them self defense tactics that are reasonable for them to recall and easy for them to use. We do all we can to protect them from a world full of people who would do them wrong. It's scary but necessary.
@@andrewhorry9417 That is the WRONG thing to say. I'm a grandmother of a beautiful 16 year old young lady. In most instances of abuse, the abuser usually has a bond with their abuser...I KNOW that sounds crazy...but it's true, because 99% of abusers are a relative or close friends with the family. If you say you will "kill them", your children won't tell you, because they won't want that person killed. I've told my son to NEVER say that to his daughter as well. Just have a very open, honest, conversation with your children, and tell them they should always talk to you. But, if your child tells you anything that they've done wrong, be sure and let them know they have done the right thing in telling you. Let them know that their honesty is admired. I'm an older woman, and I told my son to tell ME if it should ever happen to his daughter. I WILL "take care" of the abuser...slowly, and as a retired RN,C I know the BEST ways to make someone suffer. Prison would be just fine for me...a bed, 3 hot meals a day, commissary, a TV in my room, and health care. My son needs to STAY a father. I've always been a country gal, and we are tough! (I could rope him, drag him behind my horse, into to my barn, and keep him tied up and tortured for weeks! LOL :)
@@danni1993 That is an aspect that I did not look at very deep and insightful but I think our in result is the same our methods are just different I do not know how to ride a horse LOL
Danni you are 100% correct. We spent the 80’s and 90’s focused on “stranger danger”, sadly that just made our children unprepared for the monsters in their family and family friends. Fortunately, since statistics have proven most sexual abuse comes from family or the families inner circle, we now have to teach our children a whole new set of rules. How do you explain to a 4 year old not to trust Daddy or Mommy? This has proven especially difficult for boys molested by their Dads. The average time before they tell someone is 10 years-minimum, since statistics show that type of abuse begins around THREE. I believe parental/familial sexual abusers need a different type of justice. It’s both heartbreaking and maddening.
I don't know what these parents are doing nowadays but you need to pay attention to your children watch them at all times don't let them out your sight
My mom always watching me and my brothers at all times she didn't let us even go to the bathroom with her standing right there by outside feel sorry for the parents God bless them and their daughter
Yeah but those monsters see their own children as children, they see yours simply as an object to do with as they please. That's why they can kill them so callously and remorselessly.
Street Rider ... why bust their kneecaps... poke out the eyes of pedophiles so they can’t see children period. I can’t believe I said that ............
The scientist that looked at all the fibers has an art of doing this. I've seen him on another episode, and the way he handles these investigations are so well done and he does his job oh so well.
She would be 35-36 years old now. As a mother of two children (a 9 year old daughter and a 14 year old daughter) I can't even begin to understand how she was able to go on all these years not knowing. This truly is a mother's worst nightmare!! Just listening to cases like this make me feel that sick feeling you get in the pit of your stomach that happens when you are feeling anxiety. It's just so scarry how something that should be so normal and not dangerous at all... like attending a get together in your apartment complex with your child and lots of other parents and children can end up being the setting for the worst thing that could ever happen!!
these types of beasts are prepared to take a child from a crowded place have thought of everything he could've chloroformed her or something similar to knock her out anything to keep her quiet sick bastard should've been put to death
@@robertmcintyre4653 what are you talking about? Guy was at the party for an hour or two playing with all the kids and Melissa trusted him.. Thats why he could have gone with her without suspicion..
Nickii Youngblood Also, every child's parents should get in their heads not to let their child out of their sight when they're out in public somewhere because all it takes is one second for somebody to grab someone's child. When Melissa and her mother went to that party, her mother should've been sticking to her like glue. Really, it would've been best that they didn't go to the party because little kids tend to wander off. They don't really pay attention to whose watching them or whatever.
Sorry, but teaching/expecting children to "make a scene" is completely unrealistic and a form of victim shaming. Many children enter the situation with nothing but the "freeze" aspect of fight/flight/freeze response. I know; I was one of them.
He probably is. Maybe most of the guys in jails are pedos, so he is amongst friends. Don't believe they rough up these guys....they are all creeps and murderers in these jails. It would be very rare to find a decent man serving a multiple decades sentence.
@lina nicolia. It's something like less than 10% of prisoners who are in for crimes against children. Probably over 90% are drug related in one way or another & it's estimated there are around 400,000 actually innocent people in jail in the states, mostly due to narrow minded fools (such as yourself) serving on the Juries.
This story is so sad. It was so sad when Melissa's parents spoke in front of everybody. Why would they let that damn monster out of prison after he killed that little girl? I don't know what's wrong with our justice system.
Please, I would like to ask a question that we are from Africa. I followed the story of this painkiller and the criminals came to it. Which year will he be released from prison? Do you think that he is the perpetrator, but could he not be innocent?
I watched a video earlier today about a child who was abducted and killed and I was filled with a burning rage. With this one I'm filled with a deep, deep sadness.
To all young ladies out there, If possible: DO NOT HAVE CHILDREN! There are too many evil and bad people out there. To lose a child would be devastating! So the choice is yours. Sad world we live in. I say jail is too good for them perpetrators of evil.
To quote Dr. Phil “people can not see what they themselves would never do”. It’s beyond the realm of comprehension for normal people who would never dream of doing something like this so it tends to be more difficult to pick up when you’re already preoccupied.
@@DatGrA2b ikr, but it's less than 2 years if a cop did it (drug charges) eg stealing drug from drug bust. And most cases of cop framing innocent people, cover up causing the death of kids by ignoring signs of abuse, they rarely get any jail time.
@@DatGrA2b a man went to prison for looking at erotic CARTOON .. because the characters looked so young .. he got 27 years if I remember correctly ❤️🌷 God bless the US of A.. ALSO A 19 YEARS OLD was sentenced as a rapist because his gf was 16 .. AMERICANS ARE GENIUSES no wonder why they love WWE, Israel and voted for Trump .. smartest people on earth.
Gosh this police work makes me so happy and incredibly impressed. It also shows how too many officers investigating modern day cases have no excuse for dropping the ball, when these guys were able to solve this one at a time in which technology and techniques were nowhere close to being as advanced as they are today!
Patricia Gallacher Sometimes the child is a runaway from a religious group. If so no one from the Religious/Cult group will look nor put in a missing report for the child/teenager.
Sadly, there may not have been much forensic evidence for analysis. That hinders identification, also, it is possible someone in the child’s family was responsible.
It was the 80’s 🤷🏻♀️ men used to call my mom “mother in law” and tell her they just knew I’d grow up to be beautiful when I was only about 8, it always made my stomach turn but didn’t seem to phase my mom.
The narrator voice and background music effect is perfect match, never tired to listen to the this narrator's episodes. That's incredible gift from God to this amazing narrator.
Haha I think about that in every re-enactment ... imagine if someone 'identified' those actors in the street ... I can just imagine a little old lady bashing them with her handbag XD
@@yukiefromoz2573 That actually happened to actor Michael Moriarty in the late '70s after playing Nazi SS officer Eric Dorf in the m4tv series "Holocaust." An elderly survivor woman "identified" him and started hitting him with an umbrella. She was arrested for assault but Mike insisted that charges be dropped after hearing her story. Dorf, a fictional character, was modeled on Adolph Eichmann.
The worst thing is that he is out.. Free man.. And her mother lives in hope that her child will come back one day.. This is a tragedy.. Melissa is dead but her mom lives in hope.. Omg
The mum never changed the phone number in hope that maybe just maybe her baby might call her... I think deep down she would of known her child was not alive anymore, but keeping the same phone number was a way to cope with the reality.. so very sad 😔
I've done it myself. Even some ten-fifteen years later I still think back on it. It wasn't challenging from a technical perspective - there was no dialogue to memorize - but it was a little challenging, emotionally, in the days after. Of the roles I have plaid it has stuck with me quite a bit. The case I presented was part of an unsolved murder series. To this day it's still cold.
They actually don't always know the context in which the scenes they are shooting. My husband is a talent agent here in LA and I've been on lots of sets. A show like this has so many scenes and it's just a single day, paid gig and when it's a non-speaking role the actor doesn't always know what is going on until after post-production. Sounds weird doesn't it. But I would think they would appreciate knowing that they played a part in preserving a story that hopefully will have justice as its final end.
If someone makes you uncomfortable around your kids go with your instinct. I had a family member i didnt want around my daughter he seemed off and thank god i went with my feeling cause this POS is now serving time for child molesting
I actually uploaded a video about this case. It truly angers me that the man convicted of kidnapping poor little Melissa has been released. I truly hope that he is haunted by what he did for the rest of his life. It takes a truly evil man to kidnap and kill a child.
I don't mean about this case I mean in general,I'm not sure how I would feel about making A deal with someone who knew the whereabouts of my missing loved one the killer sometimes enjoys screwing with the victims family
Do you know the heroic soldiers you thank everytime you see them for "their service" and protecting your country ? .. Probably they killed countless of innocent children 🙏😇😇 .. keep thinking you are a good person living in the greatest nation on earth .. work hard drink beer, watch sports and don't stop paying taxes to support Israel and to fund wars 🌷❤️🌎
@@angmoulton8528 The body found in the Interstate median. The body was in bad shape, and they took an educated guess on her age. It was a small, 26 year old woman who had been murdered by her husband. 😢 To Chloe, reopen the case and do what? 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
@@sludge8506 Thanks for clearing that up. Many people on this thread were disturbed that at the time, she could not be identified. Of course, i knew that there must have been some follow up on that situation. And thanks again for clearing it up.
I understand this monster (Caleb Hughes) served (only about half) his sentence and was eventually released about a year ago. Where is the justice in this???
Please, I would like to ask a question that we are from Africa. I followed the story of this painkiller and the criminals came to it. Which year will he be released from prison? Do you think that he is the perpetrator, but could he not be innocent?
My son was murdered in 2015, he was raped also. It makes me want the death penalty for all the child killers, and pedi files. In Iowa there is no death penalty. I believe that there's a special place in hell for murderers and child abusers.
I'm so sorry for your loss🥺. My heart aches for you. I have 2 sons and a new granddaughter and I can only imagine what you are feeling. Words are inadequate, I know, but, I'm sorry for your horrible loss.
Not taking your eyes off your 5-year-old when they walk across the room by themselves at a party isn't helicopter parenting. I'm not blaming the mother though
They mention an unidentified body that they thought might be Melissa that they said remained unidentified. A body found on a highway median in Virginia in 1991 has been identified as 28 year old Marta haydee Rodriguez and I believe she is the body mentioned because I can find no other mention of an unidentified body that was found on a highway median just before Caleb Hughes trial. When her body was found she was originally thought to be much younger. Her husband has been charged with her murder and also confessed to killing a girlfriend in 2009 and disposing of her body near where Marta was found.
Back then, people did NOT discuss this kind of thing... employers did not want to deal with it and they just stuck their head in the sand and pretended everything was okay. Heck, it is the year 2020 and some employers still do this.
Being that her body still hasn’t been found after 30 years it probably means he put her in a dumpster somewhere and she’s lost in the endless landfill somewhere. He only had 2½ hours and 12 miles (including the 4 miles from his house to the party) so she most likely would have been found otherwise. It’s so heartbreaking.😔
She put in the incinerator that was less the. 300 feet away from the apartments. Incinerators that were run by people who were friendly with the killer.
What if he was the killer of the ten year old girl,stands a chance why was he not looked at for that crime too,he's prob a serial killer,should never ever be let out.
It's crazy I'm sure they could prove more if they Re looked at things with today's technology. I felt sickened when they said this girls body was found and they never identified her. They didn't even say if they looked at if he could in involved which I found strange. It breaks my heart that a child can be found dead and not identified. Probably means nobody was ever looking for her as a missing child. How can a child be a nobody to anyone it's sole destroying.
This case is heartbreaking and it absolutely terrifies me. All those people there and no one saw anything? There were so many warning signs.... it’s too sad.
Jessica MayMay DorkMotion Comedy I know..!It's very sad. It would've made me very worried when that man kept talking to Melissa throughout the party. I think I would've told my child, come on lets go. We're out of here. And I would've went with her to go get our coats.
dcdddddd1 right! I would be warning all of the other moms telling them to get their kids away from that perv! I mean, he offered to take the kids to the restroom!!! Wtf
dcdddddd1 • And, as a single mother going back to my apartment with my child, at night, after blowing off an apparent perv, I’d either have called Security to escort us back; or even gone to the home of another family member or friend that night. And I’d had already made sure I was a licensed and responsible gun owner.
@@QueenJessi818 yeah.. Right.. Now you would have done everything You need to understand that back then it was a safe small town, Christmas time, everyone was very relaxed.. He needed 10 seconds to go with a child that trusted him.. You would have done nothing.. Its just a sad thing and a bad luck.. So dont talk silly things
people like this act really nice while incarcerated, then when they get out, they become their sick, disgusting selves again!! I agree, that until they tell where the body is, they need to stay in prison!!
I lived up the road from Melissa and her mom. Her mom worked at the jewelry store in Springfield Mall. I remember how much this gripped our community when she went missing. It'd crazy to know how long it's been since she went missing.
I remember when this happened. That guy had been eyeing little Melissa at the party and when the child said that she had to use the restroom that creep offered to take her to the bathroom. Sick bastard.
Not victim blaming here, but don’t let young kids go to the bathroom alone when strangers are around or in strange places. So many kids have been taken this way, even older kids. It is so easy for parents to be distracted, it only takes seconds for something like this to happen.
I remember that as it was close to the area I was living at. I had a granddaughter that very age and we were going to a Christmas party that very next week. NO one took their eyes off of her it was not a good time for us and our hearts were heavy for the Mother and the little girl that was abducted. My theory was since he was a maintenance worker for that her knew the area very well and he also knew when there was a trash pickup and put her in the dumpster that would be scheduled for pickup probably be the very next day and that is why they never found her. We so wanted to find her and our hearts were broken for the family.
If he’d put the body in a dumpster it would have been found. It would have been idiotic to do so. If he did kill her it probably would have been off the complex site he worked at.
The luminol had negatively affected the blood in the car so they couldn't get a sample. Then why hadn't the police taken swabs from all over inside the car before spraying the damn luminol? Sometimes I want to tear my hair out watching these videos
If the blood wasn't visible without the use of luminol it's doubtful they would be able to get DNA. Back then they needed a good size spot to test it & get a full profile.
@@dortesandal4303 😆 It's growing. I recently watched another video about a 5yo boy who went missing leaving his mother bereft. Then a year later a strange boy turns up who the police said *was* the boy, but the mother said it definitely wasn't her son. The police demanded she take the boy home and live with him, just to make sure! So she ended up with a boy that wasn't her son and was getting very frustrated with the whole situation. I know exactly how she feels !!!!!
@@vmm5163 completely absurd! But I Guess that is just the state of the World - for right now. Hope you and the patch are having a lovely Day - very tired, so Will rest for a little....damn Imagine that - taking in a complete stranger because the police said so and you just know in your gut that IT is not your child,,,,sounds like a horror flick!
@@dortesandal4303 yea this film Changeling is about that...en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changeling_(film) based on the real case see: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_Collins Captain J.J. Jones, convinced her to "try the boy out" by taking him home.
The dirtbag has been released in 2019 because of "good behaviour". Shameful to release him after only 29 years. Good behaviour would be telling where the body is so the mom can finally be at peace.
I seen a day time show (can’t remember which one) but the predators said they would swiftly hit the child in the throat or stomach...knocking the wind out of them, so they couldn’t scream.
Rip little Melissa. And I hope your family has been able to find peace in their lives., you will meet again., until then Melissa watch over your mummy. Xx
Please, I would like to ask a question that we are from Africa. I followed the story of this painkiller and the criminals came to it. Which year will he be released from prison? Do you think that he is the perpetrator, but could he not be innocent?
FU, B. I'm a retired MAN who does almost all the housework as my wife still works, and I happen to have a load of swimming attire in the washer at this moment. To hell with all of your prejudices.
So this weird guy who gave parents a very uncomfortable feeling is gone, a child is missing at same time and no one has the intelligence to put one and one together?
The second that guy gave me the creeps I would have removed him from the party. Forcibly if necessary. People are too worried about offending people who set them off. I personally don't care about offending anyone.
I lived not far from where she went missing, an Although I was around the same age as her this is a story I still haven't forgotten after all these years! Once in a while I google her name, 2021 now, I always prayed she would have been found ! Some things you just dont forget
When he offered too take Melissa too the bathroom that’s should have rang alarm bells too her mother when he said that if only she’d have realised in time !
They never said he offered to take Melissa to the bathroom. other parents found it weird that he offered to take their children to bathroom. We don’t know if Melissa’s mom was made aware of what he was doing.
I realize it’s easier to say this in hindsight, but it’s frustrating that no one kept a close eye on Caleb & asked him to leave after his suspicious behavior with the kids at the party. I understand this was a decades ago & times were different, but I would not let my kids out of my sight. How did no one see him grab her?
It's a noble thought, but it won't do any good. It would be frustrating because your hands would always be tied by the 'laws' and stupid procedures. We need more real life 'Dexters' is what we need.
So sad that you can’t even have a Christmas party with neighbors and take your eyes off your kid for 3 seconds and someone takes your baby! You think your safe and there’s a creeper just waiting for his opportunity. And how could he be so selfish to never tell what he did with her . Her poor mother I hope after all these years she’s doing well!
I think this should change the guidelines on luminol. Spray a small cordoned off area, not light up the entire area. Then if some appears, swabs for DNA in a drip, grip or possible splatter area, then finish with the luminal in that cordoned off area. To me, this might be more painstaking, but you would have DNA, and blood presence proof to back up the swabs taken. In cases like this, it would have more than likely turned up DNA proof. Apparently he was standing in enough blood to transfer two places, really three in his car alone, and his sneakers.
I once knew an FBI agent who worked on this case. Off the record, he assured me that Caleb Hughes was participatory in the murder of Melissa Brannen but there was not enough evidence to secure a murder conviction; thus they went with the "abduction with attempt to defile" since that was a solid case. The rumor at the time was that others were also involved in the murder. It was a dark story so I won't say anything else other than her body may not be in the D.C. area. I hope Melissa's loved ones can hold tight to the assurance of God's special love for little children. I have to believe that He somehow protected her from the horrors of her situation.
Finding out that they sent feds out all over the country to find that outfit & that a sweet family happily gave it up to help, brought me to tears. With all the physical evidence he should have never been let out.
Luci Prima good believer also her body wasn’t found. But they know he kill her but they can’t put a murder charge against him if no body ain’t found...
There's no rehabilitation for animals like this. Announce him, send him into the yard and let justice take place. That's what I would want if that was my child.
The prosecutor, Bob Horan, died in 2022. He was also the prosecutor for the terrorst responsible for the CIA shootings in 1993, also covered in the FBI files. RIP, legend
God knows what this poor baby went through those final hours . Omg makes me sick. Now this guy is released I hope they followed him incase he went back to where he put her .I then hope hes walking along and someone takes him and beats him to death. I'm not a malicious person but children are so precious and she or any other child murdered did nothing to deserve this. So you must be a really sick pos monster to hurt anyone but especially children and anyone who does deserves a painful demise. It's the least they deserve.
One thing I found a little crazy -- When they located a family who had a duplicate outfit, they simply had them box it up and mail it to the FBI in Virginia! Nowadays, I imagine they would send FBI evidence people right to their house to pick it up.
After watching the latest news on Lori Vallows and her complete disinterest in coming clean with her children's whereabouts, I can only feel anger and total disgust for those whose only motivation is to truncate whatever prison sentence they will be imposed on crimes against minors. These people will not tell the police about what they did with the young victims. People like Caleb Hughes and even a disgusting parent like Lori Vallows need to be handed down an extremely harsh sentence.
Closure.... there would be no “ closure” in my entire life time if I were the mother of a child that was kidnapped, never to be found ... or even found dead!
I realise by law they have to know where the body is to convict him of murder, but Melissa was never seen again after her abduction, clearly means hes responsible for her murder also.
That analyst tested almost 8,000 fibers. That's dedication! He's a legit hero for putting so much time and effort into this case. He deserves a lot of credit.
Yeah, but unfortunately they let the bastard go free. Only served 30 of a 50 year sentence.
If the film is right, those fibres found in his car could of come off his clothes, they say he was playing with her on his lap during the party so the fibres could of been transferred.
Also, sniffer dogs are trained to find dead bodies these days, were they not around then, it was quite a small area to bury her.
Do you think it was a voluntary job? 🙄He probably put a couple of kids through college from overtime hours.
DoxyLady that’s a massive exaggeration and also an unnecessary one.
Loll I love the sarcasm
The more I watch shows like that, the more I see why my mum never ever allowed me to stay alone with anyone regardless if they were male or female or if they were relatives or friends.
You just take your eyes away even for a second....and your child is gone. I know how it feels like. But there was a happy end for us. God! Every child is so very precious!
👍👏
You and your mom were lucky. Most parents don't have that sort of luxury and HAVE to rely on friends, family and child care workers in order to survive in life because they have to work and deal with issues that come up.
Like how nobody gonna watch my kids idc
Your parents did well!
The footage of that beautiful, innocent little girl smiling is nothing short of haunting.
I don't mind watching other people's kids for a bit at parties but when they gotta go to the bathroom and need help? It's time to go get the kid's mom and dad, I'm not helping with that thanks. No normal person volunteers to do that, especially for people they don't even know well, that's unbelievably creepy.
No one but me and dad. My mom, sisters. .
My kids never left my site. I'm a helicopter mom. Lol
My kids are happy with that, on occasion they say mom it's all gd.
I would (ok not on here).
Having two little ones of my own and another on the way, my alarm bells would have been going off immediately. So tragic something like this can happen and within only seconds
@Nicole Jessica How old were these kids? 5's too old to help with that.
I agree with you.
@Nicole Jessica no, not weird at all. It's unusual for kids to need help past a certain age.
I am impressed how many police officers and military man come to search little girl. Thank you for all your work.
All they need is a taliban commander sit next to him.
They were all getting paid. Citizen volunteers were probably not paid. They are the real heroes.
The pain of losing a child is one thing, but never having the closure of at least knowing what happened to them and where their remains are? I can't imagine it.
she was kidnapped, raped and murdered and that is evident. In terms of finding remains, it does not bring back the dead.
@@linanicolia1363 it doesn't? Well damn.
@@linanicolia1363 it does give the family a sense of closure though. Maybe giving them a proper burial or being able to visit their graves helps their grief. I've heard a lot of missing people families' say all they want is to find the remains of their loved ones.
That's why Israel is the greatest nation in the world 🌎 because 90% of the times they gave the bodies of thousands of little Palestinian children to thier moms and dad's after killing them ❤️❤️
This monster needs a long walk and, a short drop into oblivion.
It's surprising to me that no-one is talking about the amazing forensic work of the gentlemen and his wife for pointing out the catalogue detail. I think Hughes would not have been convicted without this information. Much of the case hinged on it too.
That guy's dedication to detail fiber analysis was also crucial in catching a guy who sexually assaulted and killed his aunt and her two little daughers in Anchorage.
The acting in this series is surprisingly not bad. Sometimes reenactments can be cringeworthy but these are good.
Agree, the acting is good, which is noteworthy considering it's likely produced in qite short time. The eyebrowraisers is typically about items, and circumstances in scenes.
It’s so sad that that body on the side of the highway was never identified, just two sad story’s sorta crossing paths in a way...
I was thinking the same thing 😢
I have always feelt a little provoked by that part, how can a 13 year ild girl not be indentefied?
@@alexanderchristiansen1018 she is a Jane Doe. Maybe with new technology now she will get her name back
@@alexanderchristiansen1018 Nobody reporter her missing and possibly was not even from the area. Either an orphan or runaway that was involved with bad people. Always makes me sad that someone can be born and die without a name or anyone mourning them.
Does anyone know the name or case number given to the Doe? It would be interesting to see if research is being done on her.
Everyone thought him acting strange! and yet no one noticed him walk away from the party with a child, un bloody believable!!!
I know
EXACTLY
Even the mother herself,why let her child out of her sight in a party with strangers..
It just goes to show it can take only a few minutes.
Right! He did push Melissa’s mom, but no one noticed a thing 😢
Offered to take others' children to the bathroom?? Nope, ask him to leave.
Right?!?!?!
I know who in the hell volunteers to take little kids to the bathroom
ESPECIALLY a man. Um...no.
And let the police know
@@olivegrove2615 yes, for sure lol
When he offer to take kids to bathroom that was a red flag.
lol i think thats an understatement
That is the biggest red flag because I'd not expect a stranger to want to offer to take a kid to a private room where they are most exposed.
If any grown man asked to escort my children to the bathroom, I would be on high alert and warn every mother there.
I remember once being a kid in a park and the park “ranger” was obsessed with the tiny little boys I was with. I was only 11 but I knew he was a pedo. He wanted to “watch the boys slide down the slide” and tickle them when they landed.
There were adults all around us. How do adults not look out for things like this? Or why do they not speak up when something is off.
Speak up people! Be safe rather than sorry. Who cares if someone thinks you’re paranoid.
The problem is vast majority of kids that are harmed are done do by family members and / or close friends of the family. Predators groom the parents first, gain.their trust over months or even years.
Boomers
Wow. You seem super aware of your surroundings. I'm sure this has helped you in your life.
Also, ew, what a fucking gross man.
Hughes was sentenced to 50 years in prison. He was released from prison on parole last August after serving nearly 30 years and is now a registered sex offender and living in a halfway house in Lynchburg, Virginia. Tell the community what you did with Melissa Brannen.
agree he should not have been released. He likely will do it again. Being registered a sex offender is not like a banner on your front lawn ; most of them do not show on any list when people are looking for one. They all want to charge a fee and that is a problem. Many of these freaks slip between the cracks . There is also another issue about the perv having done his time ; no he did not do his time. It was 50 years and not 30 !
He shouldn’t have been released until he told the truth and if he wasn’t going to do so he should been stuck in general population and left with all the dads in the prison until he spoke
And... last thing I saw, he was working at a BURGER KING!!!!
It makes me so angry and I am not even related.
He’s now working at food lion in Lynchburg VA. I am VERY close to 2 people who work there and they are beyond creeped out by him... and that was BEFORE they knew what he had done. Now they avoid him like the plague that he is.
Apparently Hughes is recently released for good behaviour. This is surely a sick joke. If he will not give up the body then he is not remorseful and should serve out his sentence.
A
@@sherylcoetzer1 I didn't know. When I googled, it said the body was never recovered
Absolutely!
If he shows where he put the little child, that is a given that he did kidnap and murder (rape can not be confirmed due to decomp) and back to prison he goes. So he will never, ever tell where the child has been put. Such a coward. Pray he does not act on his pedo impulses.
We here in the soft politically correct UK we are trying to push for the Law to be passed that if the accussed doesn't reveal where the deceased is then he/she stays in prison for the full duration of the sentence, which may I add is never long enough here...
Beyond me how not one parent warned other parents to keep watch over their kids around this obvious creeper at the party?!
Yeah.. This is so crazy..
But ok..
This hood was safe and they never thought something like that would happen.
Mother's world fell apart in a moment.
Do you even expect that to happen?
We don't live in this world wanting to teach every kid that everyone is out to harm them. Actually nobody wants that
@@AnaMaria-we6zs I said warn other parents. Watch over the kids around this guy. Not instill fear, or tell the kids. Not what I said.
Did you watch this doc? This monster showed obvious disturbing behavior towards the children. Even offering to take kids to the washroom.
Ah yes. Let’s blame the parents instead of murderer.
@@thenodesystem.2452 ~ why not? I blamed myself the few times I lost my children, and I wasn't at a drunken party!
This is exactly why I never allowed anyone to be alone with my only child, my son. I always told him if anyone told him to keep a secret from me, that they would hurt me. I told him they were lying, that no one would ever be able to hurt me. You have to start saying this when your child is extremely young. I am not saying this mother did anything wrong. Its the crazy people who you have to worry about.
I used to say that to my son all the time when he was little like 3 4 5 years old I would say if they say they can hurt your parents I said they cannot they can not hurt daddy and I said daddy will kill them ,do you understand I said Daddy will kill them might have been harsh but he got the point
We've done that with our children as well. We found keeping it simple for them was the easiest for them to remember. The only people who were allowed to see or help them with their private parts if they needed wiping or there was a problem was us (their parents) and our doctor (only with us there with them). We told them we would NEVER send someone they didn't know to get them from ANYWHERE and that the only people they were allowed to go with were my parents and their Aunt and Uncle. Then we cut ties with my parents and now it's just Aunty Robin and Uncle Dave or their cousin Ainsley. If anyone says they'll hurt us if they don't let them do something to them or keep a secret they are to laugh and say good luck with that. Mom's a cop and Dad is ex military. Right from when they were old enough to understand we have taught them these things. Also we have taught them how to react if grabbed. As they get older we are teaching them self defense tactics that are reasonable for them to recall and easy for them to use. We do all we can to protect them from a world full of people who would do them wrong. It's scary but necessary.
@@andrewhorry9417 That is the WRONG thing to say. I'm a grandmother of a beautiful 16 year old young lady. In most instances of abuse, the abuser usually has a bond with their abuser...I KNOW that sounds crazy...but it's true, because 99% of abusers are a relative or close friends with the family. If you say you will "kill them", your children won't tell you, because they won't want that person killed. I've told my son to NEVER say that to his daughter as well. Just have a very open, honest, conversation with your children, and tell them they should always talk to you. But, if your child tells you anything that they've done wrong, be sure and let them know they have done the right thing in telling you. Let them know that their honesty is admired. I'm an older woman, and I told my son to tell ME if it should ever happen to his daughter. I WILL "take care" of the abuser...slowly, and as a retired RN,C I know the BEST ways to make someone suffer. Prison would be just fine for me...a bed, 3 hot meals a day, commissary, a TV in my room, and health care. My son needs to STAY a father. I've always been a country gal, and we are tough! (I could rope him, drag him behind my horse, into to my barn, and keep him tied up and tortured for weeks! LOL :)
@@danni1993 That is an aspect that I did not look at very deep and insightful but I think our in result is the same our methods are just different I do not know how to ride a horse LOL
Danni you are 100% correct. We spent the 80’s and 90’s focused on “stranger danger”, sadly that just made our children unprepared for the monsters in their family and family friends. Fortunately, since statistics have proven most sexual abuse comes from family or the families inner circle, we now have to teach our children a whole new set of rules. How do you explain to a 4 year old not to trust Daddy or Mommy? This has proven especially difficult for boys molested by their Dads. The average time before they tell someone is 10 years-minimum, since statistics show that type of abuse begins around THREE. I believe parental/familial sexual abusers need a different type of justice. It’s both heartbreaking and maddening.
I can’t help but wonder about the other little girl they found and was never identified 💔
So much evil out there
She was 26. Her husband murdered her.
She finally was. It turned out that she was a small 26 year old woman who was murdered by her husband.
I don't know what these parents are doing nowadays but you need to pay attention to your children watch them at all times don't let them out your sight
My mom always watching me and my brothers at all times she didn't let us even go to the bathroom with her standing right there by outside feel sorry for the parents God bless them and their daughter
When you consider that a high percentage of these monsters have children of their own it makes it even harder to comprehend
Yeah but those monsters see their own children as children, they see yours simply as an object to do with as they please. That's why they can kill them so callously and remorselessly.
Statistically speaking, their children are often, if not always, victims of molestation and abuse, themselves. Sadly.
the churches are full of them
@Street Rider I'm all for vigilantism! I bet there'd be less crime and less sickos running around!!
Street Rider ... why bust their kneecaps... poke out the eyes of pedophiles so they can’t see children period.
I can’t believe I said that ............
The scientist that looked at all the fibers has an art of doing this. I've seen him on another episode, and the way he handles these investigations are so well done and he does his job oh so well.
She would be 35-36 years old now.
As a mother of two children (a 9 year old daughter and a 14 year old daughter) I can't even begin to understand how she was able to go on all these years not knowing. This truly is a mother's worst nightmare!! Just listening to cases like this make me feel that sick feeling you get in the pit of your stomach that happens when you are feeling anxiety.
It's just so scarry how something that should be so normal and not dangerous at all... like attending a get together in your apartment complex with your child and lots of other parents and children can end up being the setting for the worst thing that could ever happen!!
Teach your children to scream, fight and anything else they can do to not be taken!
these types of beasts are prepared to take a child from a crowded place have thought of everything he could've chloroformed her or something similar to knock her out anything to keep her quiet sick bastard should've been put to death
@@robertmcintyre4653 what are you talking about?
Guy was at the party for an hour or two playing with all the kids and Melissa trusted him..
Thats why he could have gone with her without suspicion..
Nickii Youngblood Also, every child's parents should get in their heads not to let their child out of their sight when they're out in public somewhere because all it takes is one second for somebody to grab someone's child. When Melissa and her mother went to that party, her mother should've been sticking to her like glue. Really, it would've been best that they didn't go to the party because little kids tend to wander off. They don't really pay attention to whose watching them or whatever.
dcdddddd1 You can’t just not go to Christmas parties
Sorry, but teaching/expecting children to "make a scene" is completely unrealistic and a form of victim shaming. Many children enter the situation with nothing but the "freeze" aspect of fight/flight/freeze response. I know; I was one of them.
They should have put him in general population and let inmates give him there kinda justice
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
I'm sure there were times the guards purposely had there backs turned
He probably is. Maybe most of the guys in jails are pedos, so he is amongst friends. Don't believe they rough up these guys....they are all creeps and murderers in these jails. It would be very rare to find a decent man serving a multiple decades sentence.
@lina nicolia. It's something like less than 10% of prisoners who are in for crimes against children. Probably over 90% are drug related in one way or another & it's estimated there are around 400,000 actually innocent people in jail in the states, mostly due to narrow minded fools (such as yourself) serving on the Juries.
Pete J thanks that’s what I personally believe as well! You said it perfectly!
This story is so sad. It was so sad when Melissa's parents spoke in front of everybody. Why would they let that damn monster out of prison after he killed that little girl? I don't know what's wrong with our justice system.
The justice system is so corrupt because most of the people who make the rules about sentences & the judges etc who pass them are paedophiles too
@@robertmcintyre4653 What makes you say that? By the way I miss the late 1980s when you could smoke in apartment clubhouses!
Please, I would like to ask a question that we are from Africa. I followed the story of this painkiller and the criminals came to it. Which year will he be released from prison? Do you think that he is the perpetrator, but could he not be innocent?
@@mchil09 hes absolutely guilty and was released 2019 unbelievable
The problem with the justice system is, they need to make room for other criminals. There are too many of them. So sad a time we live in.
30:15 She was so adorable. RIP beautiful little angel.
I watched a video earlier today about a child who was abducted and killed and I was filled with a burning rage. With this one I'm filled with a deep, deep sadness.
Wow !…Wish they would leave the little kids alone !
Death penalty for all offenders 🤬
castration
It needs to be death penalty for anyone that rapes and or murders children.
To all young ladies out there, If possible: DO NOT HAVE CHILDREN! There are too many evil and bad people out there. To lose a child would be devastating! So the choice is yours. Sad world we live in. I say jail is too good for them perpetrators of evil.
@@jackieacheson4928 yes...make it a law.
Yes
He needed to serve ALL 50 YEARS !!!!!
Lexiaa Forever he should have gotten The Chair!
Karen Cronin it would take a while for execution 🤦🏽♀️ unless they push the case .
Karen Cronin I wish because her body wasn’t find they can’t sent him in the chair...
A very gud beating and sentencing , and denied water and food . Crazy dick .
Right.. Wasn’t he released last year?
Old crime documentaries THE BEST ONES
How did nobody see him escort the little girl out the party?
"There's a kitten out there in the hallway. Can you help me catch her? Okay, follow me."
@@LilacDaisy2 yes.. And?
That still doesnt change the fact that noone saw him leaving with her..
@@jonbonesmahomes7472 She asked how no one saw him "escorting" her. If she were following him, it wouldn't look like "escorting" at all.
Maybe he was dressed like them or dressed like the server
To quote Dr. Phil “people can not see what they themselves would never do”. It’s beyond the realm of comprehension for normal people who would never dream of doing something like this so it tends to be more difficult to pick up when you’re already preoccupied.
I cannot believe that they released him wtf is wrong with the justice system
Probably more like what's wrong with so many people to the point that the prisons are crowded with people even more dangerous than Hughes.
@@ThePeterDislikeShow yeah but than you have people doing lengthy prison sentence for drug offenses and other none violent offenses
@@DatGrA2b ikr, but it's less than 2 years if a cop did it (drug charges) eg stealing drug from drug bust. And most cases of cop framing innocent people, cover up causing the death of kids by ignoring signs of abuse, they rarely get any jail time.
@@DatGrA2b a man went to prison for looking at erotic CARTOON .. because the characters looked so young .. he got 27 years if I remember correctly ❤️🌷 God bless the US of A.. ALSO A 19 YEARS OLD was sentenced as a rapist because his gf was 16 .. AMERICANS ARE GENIUSES no wonder why they love WWE, Israel and voted for Trump .. smartest people on earth.
I believe many of the judges and appeal are pedophiles themselves and do not look harshly on pedophilia and child murder. Gross people!!!
Gosh this police work makes me so happy and incredibly impressed. It also shows how too many officers investigating modern day cases have no excuse for dropping the ball, when these guys were able to solve this one at a time in which technology and techniques were nowhere close to being as advanced as they are today!
Most cops are lazy and don't really care.
The 13,14 year olds body was never identified, who doesn't miss a young kid,something very wrong there!
Patricia Gallacher Sometimes the child is a runaway from a religious group. If so no one from the Religious/Cult group will look nor put in a missing report for the child/teenager.
R R or a runaway from a a group home. I know they don’t always get reported.
Could have been from another state or county...only so much details can be told anyhow it was about Melissa but sad regardless.
Sadly, there may not have been much forensic evidence for analysis. That hinders identification, also, it is possible someone in the child’s family was responsible.
My thoughts exactly! How does no one miss a young teen? Unless they were a runaway, but still. Tragic.
If someone had paid attention to my child like that I would have taken my child and left the party immediately
It was the 80’s 🤷🏻♀️ men used to call my mom “mother in law” and tell her they just knew I’d grow up to be beautiful when I was only about 8, it always made my stomach turn but didn’t seem to phase my mom.
The narrator voice and background music effect is perfect match, never tired to listen to the this narrator's episodes.
That's incredible gift from God to this amazing narrator.
I believe the narrator is Anthony Call, he also is the narrator of..& for tv show A Haunting..it a popular show.. :)
The poor guy who had to portray this monster in the re-enactment...no one wants to be that guy😢
Haha I think about that in every re-enactment ... imagine if someone 'identified' those actors in the street ... I can just imagine a little old lady bashing them with her handbag XD
He got paid for that gig.
Good actor tho....handsome too :)
Id feel weitd portrying the villian esp a killer
@@yukiefromoz2573 That actually happened to actor Michael Moriarty in the late '70s after playing Nazi SS officer Eric Dorf in the m4tv series "Holocaust." An elderly survivor woman "identified" him and started hitting him with an umbrella. She was arrested for assault but Mike insisted that charges be dropped after hearing her story. Dorf, a fictional character, was modeled on Adolph Eichmann.
Imagine being that family... A random FBI agent appears at your door and says they need your Big Bird outfit.
The worst thing is that he is out.. Free man..
And her mother lives in hope that her child will come back one day..
This is a tragedy..
Melissa is dead but her mom lives in hope..
Omg
I really truly honestly do send my condolences to her family,friends . May she rest in peace .
The mum never changed the phone number in hope that maybe just maybe her baby might call her... I think deep down she would of known her child was not alive anymore, but keeping the same phone number was a way to cope with the reality.. so very sad 😔
Must be hard for an actor to portray such an absolute monster!
Lubizzle86 I was thinking the same..
I've done it myself. Even some ten-fifteen years later I still think back on it. It wasn't challenging from a technical perspective - there was no dialogue to memorize - but it was a little challenging, emotionally, in the days after. Of the roles I have plaid it has stuck with me quite a bit. The case I presented was part of an unsolved murder series. To this day it's still cold.
They actually don't always know the context in which the scenes they are shooting. My husband is a talent agent here in LA and I've been on lots of sets. A show like this has so many scenes and it's just a single day, paid gig and when it's a non-speaking role the actor doesn't always know what is going on until after post-production. Sounds weird doesn't it. But I would think they would appreciate knowing that they played a part in preserving a story that hopefully will have justice as its final end.
The Democrat Party wants people like him living next to people like you and me.
I know right
If someone makes you uncomfortable around your kids go with your instinct. I had a family member i didnt want around my daughter he seemed off and thank god i went with my feeling cause this POS is now serving time for child molesting
I actually uploaded a video about this case. It truly angers me that the man convicted of kidnapping poor little Melissa has been released. I truly hope that he is haunted by what he did for the rest of his life. It takes a truly evil man to kidnap and kill a child.
I’m only 5 minutes into this story and already I can’t imagine how the mother must’ve felt. I have a young son of my own.......this is horrible!
The hardest part is probably not knowing what happened to your child or where she's at
we know what happened.. 😔 just never found the body..
I don't mean about this case I mean in general,I'm not sure how I would feel about making A deal with someone who knew the whereabouts of my missing loved one the killer sometimes enjoys screwing with the victims family
Do you know the heroic soldiers you thank everytime you see them for "their service" and protecting your country ? .. Probably they killed countless of innocent children 🙏😇😇 .. keep thinking you are a good person living in the greatest nation on earth .. work hard drink beer, watch sports and don't stop paying taxes to support Israel and to fund wars 🌷❤️🌎
@@cinemaparadiso5402 🤭 Your opinion doesn't matter,be gone 😈
to bad they didnt find her so they could have locked up that POS for life
my heart literally broke when they showed that little sesame street outfit😢
I hope they reopen the little 12 year old girl who was a Jane doe case and give her the justice she deserves
She was 26 and killed by her husband.
@@sludge8506 who?
@@angmoulton8528 The body found in the Interstate median.
The body was in bad shape, and they took an educated guess on her age.
It was a small, 26 year old woman who had been murdered by her husband. 😢
To Chloe, reopen the case and do what? 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
@@sludge8506 Thanks for clearing that up. Many people on this thread were disturbed that at the time, she could not be identified. Of course, i knew that there must have been some follow up on that situation. And thanks again for clearing it up.
@@tonyprice2256 It’s still a tragedy. Again, when they found her, it was reasonable to think she was a child. 😰
I understand this monster (Caleb Hughes) served (only about half) his sentence and was eventually released about a year ago. Where is the justice in this???
Please, I would like to ask a question that we are from Africa. I followed the story of this painkiller and the criminals came to it. Which year will he be released from prison? Do you think that he is the perpetrator, but could he not be innocent?
mchaal .. 2019 released and yes, there is a possibility that he is innocent of the said crime he was charged with.
There's no justice.
B
My son was murdered in 2015, he was raped also. It makes me want the death penalty for all the child killers, and pedi files. In Iowa there is no death penalty. I believe that there's a special place in hell for murderers and child abusers.
I'm so sorry for your loss🥺. My heart aches for you. I have 2 sons and a new granddaughter and I can only imagine what you are feeling. Words are inadequate, I know, but, I'm sorry for your horrible loss.
A special place in hell for murderers?
Three of the most prolific writers of the Bible were murderers.
I am so sorry for your loss. Tragic. We have the death penalty in my state. I agree with you.
The 'Helecopter Parent' don't seem so bad now, does it?
Not taking your eyes off your 5-year-old when they walk across the room by themselves at a party isn't helicopter parenting. I'm not blaming the mother though
They mention an unidentified body that they thought might be Melissa that they said remained unidentified. A body found on a highway median in Virginia in 1991 has been identified as 28 year old Marta haydee Rodriguez and I believe she is the body mentioned because I can find no other mention of an unidentified body that was found on a highway median just before Caleb Hughes trial. When her body was found she was originally thought to be much younger. Her husband has been charged with her murder and also confessed to killing a girlfriend in 2009 and disposing of her body near where Marta was found.
Marta Rodriguez. Her husband killed her.
Why did he still have a job there if he made so many people uncomfortable?
I think people at that particular party felt his manner was off. Thats how I heard it.
@@lorrainewadsworth9019 yes and he was saying inappropriate sexual things to the women there as well! I would have demanded he leave!
He made women and children uncomfortable. That’s just not enough to get fired from certain jobs. I can vouch for that.
Back then, people did NOT discuss this kind of thing... employers did not want to deal with it and they just stuck their head in the sand and pretended everything was okay.
Heck, it is the year 2020 and some employers still do this.
@@poppyfield1619 It was the late 80's. Unfortunately it was the uncomfortable acceptable norm.
They always let these monsters out to repeat
Being that her body still hasn’t been found after 30 years it probably means he put her in a dumpster somewhere and she’s lost in the endless landfill somewhere. He only had 2½ hours and 12 miles (including the 4 miles from his house to the party) so she most likely would have been found otherwise. It’s so heartbreaking.😔
Yeah. You're most likely right. He wanted to distance himself from her as soon as he could, I'm sure. Just horrible!
@Robert RMedina The FBI was already involved, was mentioned plenty of times in the video.
@Robert RMedina It's not like the title of the show isn't FBI Files...
His wife *testified* that 51 miles had been put on her car that evening. The show said 12.
She put in the incinerator that was less the. 300 feet away from the apartments. Incinerators that were run by people who were friendly with the killer.
What if he was the killer of the ten year old girl,stands a chance why was he not looked at for that crime too,he's prob a serial killer,should never ever be let out.
It's crazy I'm sure they could prove more if they Re looked at things with today's technology. I felt sickened when they said this girls body was found and they never identified her. They didn't even say if they looked at if he could in involved which I found strange. It breaks my heart that a child can be found dead and not identified. Probably means nobody was ever looking for her as a missing child. How can a child be a nobody to anyone it's sole destroying.
Melissa was 5 years old
@@cherylstevens6898 we are on about the older girl whose body was found while they were looking at this case and she was never identified
@@joannecarrigan9731 Sorry
@@joannecarrigan9731 no. Thats not what its about here..
Its a girl that was raped and killed..
Not the girl 12,13 yrs old that was never identified..
This case is heartbreaking and it absolutely terrifies me. All those people there and no one saw anything?
There were so many warning signs....
it’s too sad.
Jessica MayMay DorkMotion Comedy I know..!It's very sad. It would've made me very worried when that man kept talking to Melissa throughout the party. I think I would've told my child, come on lets go. We're out of here. And I would've went with her to go get our coats.
dcdddddd1 right! I would be warning all of the other moms telling them to get their kids away from that perv! I mean, he offered to take the kids to the restroom!!! Wtf
dcdddddd1 • And, as a single mother going back to my apartment with my child, at night, after blowing off an apparent perv, I’d either have called Security to escort us back; or even gone to the home of another family member or friend that night. And I’d had already made sure I was a licensed and responsible gun owner.
@@QueenJessi818 yeah.. Right.. Now you would have done everything
You need to understand that back then it was a safe small town, Christmas time, everyone was very relaxed..
He needed 10 seconds to go with a child that trusted him..
You would have done nothing..
Its just a sad thing and a bad luck..
So dont talk silly things
Jon bones Mahomes 🙄 think what you want to think about me, but don’t tell me what I would or wouldn’t do. You don’t know me. ✌️
people like this act really nice while incarcerated, then when they get out, they become their sick, disgusting selves again!! I agree, that until they tell where the body is, they need to stay in prison!!
I lived up the road from Melissa and her mom. Her mom worked at the jewelry store in Springfield Mall. I remember how much this gripped our community when she went missing. It'd crazy to know how long it's been since she went missing.
I saw this case also on Forensic Files. Glad this sick sob got caught!
🤢🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮 unbelieveable
@@rbailey2443 vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv vvvvvvvvvv Jim
Bed
X
There is true hidden sickness in the world surrounding children and setting another man like this free is simply proof of that. Vile. RIP
So true.
I remember when this happened. That guy had been eyeing little Melissa at the party and when the child said that she had to use the restroom that creep offered to take her to the bathroom. Sick bastard.
How could her mom accept his offer?!!!!
It was a red flag!
Not victim blaming here, but don’t let young kids go to the bathroom alone when strangers are around or in strange places. So many kids have been taken this way, even older kids. It is so easy for parents to be distracted, it only takes seconds for something like this to happen.
I remember that as it was close to the area I was living at. I had a granddaughter that very age and we were going to a Christmas party that very next week. NO one took their eyes off of her it was not a good time for us and our hearts were heavy for the Mother and the little girl that was abducted. My theory was since he was a maintenance worker for that her knew the area very well and he also knew when there was a trash pickup and put her in the dumpster that would be scheduled for pickup probably be the very next day and that is why they never found her. We so wanted to find her and our hearts were broken for the family.
😢
All dumpsters were searched before daybreak, probs more than once, heck, they were at his house within 3 hours of her disappearance!
If he’d put the body in a dumpster it would have been found. It would have been idiotic to do so. If he did kill her it probably would have been off the complex site he worked at.
Ash Miller You don’t know we’re which dumpster. If He put her at compactor that easy chop the body!!! Ether way I hope she find...
The luminol had negatively affected the blood in the car so they couldn't get a sample. Then why hadn't the police taken swabs from all over inside the car before spraying the damn luminol? Sometimes I want to tear my hair out watching these videos
If the blood wasn't visible without the use of luminol it's doubtful they would be able to get DNA. Back then they needed a good size spot to test it & get a full profile.
Sorry for my bad taste, but, how is that bald spot of yours coming?
@@dortesandal4303 😆 It's growing.
I recently watched another video about a 5yo boy who went missing leaving his mother bereft. Then a year later a strange boy turns up who the police said *was* the boy, but the mother said it definitely wasn't her son. The police demanded she take the boy home and live with him, just to make sure! So she ended up with a boy that wasn't her son and was getting very frustrated with the whole situation.
I know exactly how she feels !!!!!
@@vmm5163 completely absurd! But I Guess that is just the state of the World - for right now. Hope you and the patch are having a lovely Day - very tired, so Will rest for a little....damn Imagine that - taking in a complete stranger because the police said so and you just know in your gut that IT is not your child,,,,sounds like a horror flick!
@@dortesandal4303 yea this film Changeling is about that...en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changeling_(film) based on the real case see: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_Collins Captain J.J. Jones, convinced her to "try the boy out" by taking him home.
The dirtbag has been released in 2019 because of "good behaviour". Shameful to release him after only 29 years. Good behaviour would be telling where the body is so the mom can finally be at peace.
How did he even survive that long? Was he in complete isolation the whole time?
Please teach your children to scream when a stranger tries to take them somewhere.
Yeah but the biggest part is and the scariest part is is it's not even a stranger sometimes.
I seen a day time show (can’t remember which one) but the predators said they would swiftly hit the child in the throat or stomach...knocking the wind out of them, so they couldn’t scream.
Sometimes kids are fooled by strangers who say things like “ come see my dog”
@@nesadcruz7840 That's a sad truth..💔😿
@@PumaLyn Yeah. We live in a world where evil exists. Very young kids can’t discern who to trust and can easily be fooled even if we warn them.
Rip little Melissa. And I hope your family has been able to find peace in their lives., you will meet again., until then Melissa watch over your mummy. Xx
Please, I would like to ask a question that we are from Africa. I followed the story of this painkiller and the criminals came to it. Which year will he be released from prison? Do you think that he is the perpetrator, but could he not be innocent?
Of course she is dead.
@@mchil09 - he was released in 2019. No, he was not innocent. He got convicted in the court of law.
When a guy uses the washing machine somethings off. Lol 😆
Many men wash their own clothes, but not their belts and shoes, in the middle of the night.
@@linanicolia1363 that's true lina as a man I have never washed a belt at that
Nothing to joke about here. How cruel.
It upsets me that his belt knife was missing...it doesn't bare thinking about 😞
FU, B. I'm a retired MAN who does almost all the housework as my wife still works, and I happen to have a load of swimming attire in the washer at this moment. To hell with all of your prejudices.
Excellent forensics and all that police work. Great job, dectectives and crew. Great profiling.
"closure" the most meaningless and overused word in murder cases.
So this weird guy who gave parents a very uncomfortable feeling is gone, a child is missing at same time and no one has the intelligence to put one and one together?
The second that guy gave me the creeps I would have removed him from the party. Forcibly if necessary. People are too worried about offending people who set them off. I personally don't care about offending anyone.
I lived not far from where she went missing, an Although I was around the same age as her this is a story I still haven't forgotten after all these years! Once in a while I google her name, 2021 now, I always prayed she would have been found !
Some things you just dont forget
When he offered too take Melissa too the bathroom that’s should have rang alarm bells too her mother when he said that if only she’d have realised in time !
They never said he offered to take Melissa to the bathroom. other parents found it weird that he offered to take their children to bathroom. We don’t know if Melissa’s mom was made aware of what he was doing.
I realize it’s easier to say this in hindsight, but it’s frustrating that no one kept a close eye on Caleb & asked him to leave after his suspicious behavior with the kids at the party. I understand this was a decades ago & times were different, but I would not let my kids out of my sight. How did no one see him grab her?
I work retail and I'm astounded that even today, parents let their kids out of their sight for so long
@@JeremyPeeples True!! It doesn’t take long.
Why can’t he just tell them where she’s buried ? He’s never getting out anyways. Sick, sick person. I hope he burns in hell for eternity.
One of the comments above mentioned that he was released August 2019
he has been released unfortunately
Lorretta Lewis OMG. A child killer is on the loose. Which family is he going to destroy next? This is really disturbing honestly
Get out! He is out!
@@natalata1435 he was released way before 2019.
I lived in dc when this happened--released for good behavior--thats absurd
My thoughts exactly!
The cases that involve children make me want to get into law enforcement to put people who harm children away for good
It's a noble thought, but it won't do any good. It would be frustrating because your hands would always be tied by the 'laws' and stupid procedures. We need more real life 'Dexters' is what we need.
So sad that you can’t even have a Christmas party with neighbors and take your eyes off your kid for 3 seconds and someone takes your baby! You think your safe and there’s a creeper just waiting for his opportunity. And how could he be so selfish to never tell what he did with her . Her poor mother I hope after all these years she’s doing well!
I have heard that Melissa's mother has recently passed.
Why would you let a man come into a party not known by anybody?
Kids are a LOT more at risk from family members / friends of the family than by a stranger.
I think this should change the guidelines on luminol. Spray a small cordoned off area, not light up the entire area. Then if some appears, swabs for DNA in a drip, grip or possible splatter area, then finish with the luminal in that cordoned off area. To me, this might be more painstaking, but you would have DNA, and blood presence proof to back up the swabs taken. In cases like this, it would have more than likely turned up DNA proof. Apparently he was standing in enough blood to transfer two places, really three in his car alone, and his sneakers.
Correct
Remember when this was.. things have improved and technology has advanced
Luminol is used as a last resort.
Wonder how many perpetrators of crimes participate in such searches.
Her mom's tears broke my heart, RIP Elena.
My four year old daughter looks like Melissa .This case is stuck in my mind .I hope that someday they find any clue which lead to her
hope you and your daughter are both doing well.
the sad part is that he was released from prison in 2019
I have also heard that Melissa's mother has recently passed. Do you know if that is true?
I once knew an FBI agent who worked on this case. Off the record, he assured me that Caleb Hughes was participatory in the murder of Melissa Brannen but there was not enough evidence to secure a murder conviction; thus they went with the "abduction with attempt to defile" since that was a solid case. The rumor at the time was that others were also involved in the murder. It was a dark story so I won't say anything else other than her body may not be in the D.C. area. I hope Melissa's loved ones can hold tight to the assurance of God's special love for little children. I have to believe that He somehow protected her from the horrors of her situation.
Yeah, god really protected her. 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
I really wish I could live in the old west so vigilante justice would take care of these people themselves.
I've seen this play out on forensic files BUT this is more detailed information
Finding out that they sent feds out all over the country to find that outfit & that a sweet family happily gave it up to help, brought me to tears. With all the physical evidence he should have never been let out.
Why did this creep even recently get released from prison?
Luci Prima good believer also her body wasn’t found. But they know he kill her but they can’t put a murder charge against him if no body ain’t found...
White privilege....at its best...if the caracter was abit dark he have never seen the light of the day
How can some people hurt anyone just like THAT?
There's no rehabilitation for animals like this. Announce him, send him into the yard and let justice take place. That's what I would want if that was my child.
Personally the minute he started talking about taking kids to rest room and playing with them I would of kicked off big time and demanded he get out
The prosecutor, Bob Horan, died in 2022. He was also the prosecutor for the terrorst responsible for the CIA shootings in 1993, also covered in the FBI files.
RIP, legend
Most excellent detective work. When they searched for that JC Penney big bird outfit lookalike I was mesmerized.
God knows what this poor baby went through those final hours . Omg makes me sick. Now this guy is released I hope they followed him incase he went back to where he put her .I then hope hes walking along and someone takes him and beats him to death. I'm not a malicious person but children are so precious and she or any other child murdered did nothing to deserve this. So you must be a really sick pos monster to hurt anyone but especially children and anyone who does deserves a painful demise. It's the least they deserve.
What a hateful person you are.
One thing I found a little crazy -- When they located a family who had a duplicate outfit, they simply had them box it up and mail it to the FBI in Virginia! Nowadays, I imagine they would send FBI evidence people right to their house to pick it up.
Wow the scientist who was dealing with the fibers of clothes. He's incredible
After watching the latest news on Lori Vallows and her complete disinterest in coming clean with her children's whereabouts, I can only feel anger and total disgust for those whose only motivation is to truncate whatever prison sentence they will be imposed on crimes against minors. These people will not tell the police about what they did with the young victims. People like Caleb Hughes and even a disgusting parent like Lori Vallows need to be handed down an extremely harsh sentence.
I was so hoping for a good ending, or at least some closure, for her Mom. :(
Closure.... there would be no “ closure” in my entire life time if I were the mother of a child that was kidnapped, never to be found ... or even found dead!
I realise by law they have to know where the body is to convict him of murder, but Melissa was never seen again after her abduction, clearly means hes responsible for her murder also.
You must be a lawyer!!!
Thankyou for all your hard work and locking this man up.