WOBURN, Mass. — In Woburn, nearly 40 years after Woburn teenager Melanie Melanson disappeared, her cousins are behind a new push to find her.
“We believe Melanie deserves a proper burial. And that the folks that are involved are held accountable,” Billie-Sue Hutchins, one of Melanie’s first cousins, told me.
Hutchins was just 9-year-old when her older cousin, Melanie Melanson disappeared.
She remembers Melanie’s vibrant spirit.
“Christmas Eve we would pack in 15-20 cousins into a room and have Christmas Eve. She was so much fun,” she remembered.
Melanie Melanson was last seen on October 27, 1989 at a party with other teens in the woods of Woburn.
Over the years, there have been extensive search of those woods and other locations in Woburn.
Soil samples collected during the search tested positive for the presence of human decomposition, but Melanie has never been found.
Billie Sue is among a group of cousins determined to find Melanie.
“We do know that she was murdered. We’ve come to accepting that did happen. What we can’t accept is that she does not have a proper burial,” Hutchins said .
The family has set up a new website, www.MelanieMelanson.com , to spread awareness.
They are launching a GoFundMe to raise money for a larger reward.
That reward now stands at 5-thousand dollars.
And Woburn Police have assigned a new detective to Melanie’s case.
After all this time, Billie-Sue, and Melanies family hopes someone will give them the information they need.
“Have a conscience and finally do the right thing. Let’s lay Melanie to rest in a proper way,” Billie-Sue told me.
Tips should be sent to Woburn Police at 781.933.1212 Extension 153.
Tips can also be emailed to: policeinfo@woburnpd.com
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