Melanie was last seen on the evening of October 27, 1989, at a party at an industrial park near the Woburn/Stoneham line, about a mile from her home in Woburn, Massachusetts. She was last known to be in the company of two boys she knew. They told conflicting stories after her disappearance, each claiming the other had been the last person to see Melanie. One said he last saw her standing at the head of the trail in the early morning hours of October 28.

Melanie did not take any personal belongings or extra clothing with her when she vanished. Police originally thought she had run away to Florida. She had run away once before, but in the past she always got in touch with her family to let them know she was okay. Her loved ones haven't heard from her since her disappearance.

Melanie's family says she was happy with her life at the time of her disappearance and wouldn't have run away. She was looking forward to her upcoming birthday and the removal of her braces. She was a freshman at Woburn High School at the time of her disappearance, and looking forward to an upcoming transfer to Northeast Vocational High School. Her parents had problems with alcohol, so she was raised by her grandmother and aunts. Her grandmother has since died.

In August 1992, an anonymous telephone caller told police to look for Melanie's body in an area pond. Investigators did search the pond, but found no evidence connected to her case. Melanie was in her freshman year at high school when she disappeared. Police believe she was the victim of foul play and is still in the general area. Her case remains unsolved.