Melanie Renee Metheny Missing Since 7/19/2006, Belle, WV [Archive]

Pauli

02-14-2008, 02:33 PM

I just received this on a bulletin from Myspace, it's from Melanie's mother

Feb 14, 2008 1:05 PM

Melanie is still missing

I am begging for any help that anyone thinks that they could possibly provide to us. Every effort that we have made for help has always come to an abrupt halt usually by the hands of the West Virginia, Kanawha County Sheriffs office who are handling Melanie's case. We have hired private investigators that took our money and stopped working the case when they were told to stay out of it. Also, family friends who had law enforcement backgrounds were also told to not get involved. Organizations that we have contacted for help(even just to help us with a reward) have gotten the run around by the sheriff's office by not returning their calls. We were told by one detective that he was playing phone tag with America's Most Wanted!!!! If it were their family member I am sure that they would not accept that as doing enough?

Does any of this make sense? Why would the Sheriff's office not want help if THEY cannot solve this case? Why do they not want anyone else involved? It angers me how the press picks and chooses who gets all of the news coverage. Is a young mother of 3 from West Virginia less important!!?? It is going on 19 months and we know nothing more than we did that heart wrenching day in July when my beautiful daughter fell off the face of the earth. It breaks my heart to think of her 3 lovely children growing up and not knowing how hard she worked to raise and keep them together.

Someone knows something!!! We will never stop until we find out what happened to her.

Any help is appreciated!! Thoughts, prayers, kind words, advice…anything,

Thank you,
Debi
(Melanie's mom)

Pauli

02-14-2008, 02:43 PM

http://www.wvgazette.com/images/minithumbs/Metheny.jpg)

July 21, 2006
Police, family baffled by disappearance

By Anna L. Mallory
Staff writer

Investigators with the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department were searching late last night for a missing mother of three.

Rescue crews and K-9 units scoured an area near Spring Fork Drive for 21-year-old Melanie Metheny.

Metheny hasn’t been seen for almost two days, and police spent Thursday trying to piece together what happened to her.

They said people’s tips led them to the region near Witcher Creek.

Metheny dropped her children off at Country Kids Daycare in Belle about 7 a.m. on Wednesday. When she didn’t return at 6 p.m. to pick them up and day-care employees couldn’t contact her, they began to worry.

Metheny’s family contacted police soon after. Family members suspect foul play. They’ve scoured the Kanawha Valley for a sign of her gold and tan 1998 Chevrolet Ventura van, to no avail.

“This has never happened,” said James Metheny, her father. “If she’s even going to be a couple minutes late, she’ll call somebody and tell them she can’t make it.”

Melanie Metheny’s boyfriend, Jared Davis, was the last person to see her on Wednesday, her father said.

He said she stays with Davis part-time in Campbells Creek, but lives on Midland Avenue in Belle.

Kanawha County Sheriff’s Lt. B.C. Stover said investigators are talking to all of Metheny’s family and friends, but have few leads.

He said right now they’re just trying to find out what kind of person she is.

Metheny, a former Riverside High student, wants to be a nurse and has been studying to enter college, her father said. She’s a quiet woman, he said, who spends her days taking classes to prepare for a college-entrance exam.

Metheny is white, 5 feet 3 inches tall, with long, straight strawberry-blond hair. She’s about 100 pounds and has brown eyes.

No one can say what clothes she was wearing last, Stover said.

About six months ago, another young woman went missing from the Belle area, Stover said. About a week later, she turned up after just spending time with a boyfriend.

Employees at the day care say they can’t believe that would be the case with Matheny.

Owner Peggy Keith said the mother has always been pleasant with employees and appears to take care of her children, ages 4 years, 2 years and 16 months.

The children have been attending the day care for about a year.

The two younger children are staying with their father’s mother and the 4-year-old is staying with his father. The family has yet to explain to them that their mother is missing.

“They’re too young,” said Donna Miller, their paternal grandmother.

Miller also said Matheny never would simply abandon her children. “Something has happened,” she said.

Anyone with information about Matheny can contact the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office at 357-0169.

To contact staff writer Anna L. Mallory, use e-mail or call 348-5163.

Pauli

02-14-2008, 02:43 PM

http://www.dailymail.com/news/News/2006072119/

Detectives have no leads
in case of missing woman

Friday July 21, 2006

Investigators with the Kanawha County Sheriff's Department this morning still had no leads in the search for a missing mother of three.

Detectives spent most of the day Thursday interviewing friends, family and other acquaintances who might have information in the disappearance of 21-year-old Melanie Metheny.

Investigators searched the Witcher Creek region in eastern Kanawha County until about 1 a.m. for Metheny, who hasn't been seen for almost two days.

"We will continuously put forth an effort to find her until she's found. We won't stop until we locate her," Sheriff's Lt. Bryan Stover said this morning.

Metheny dropped off her children at Country Kids Daycare in Belle about 7 a.m. on Wednesday. When she didn't return at 6 p.m. to pick them up and day-care employees couldn't contact her, they began to worry.

Owner Peggy Keith said Thursday the mother has always been pleasant with employees and appears to take care of her children, ages 4 years, 2 years and 16 months. The children have been attending the day care for about a year.

Soon after day care employees couldn't reach her, Metheny's family contacted police. Family members suspect foul play. They've scoured the Kanawha Valley for a sign of her gold and tan 1998 Chevrolet Ventura van, W.Va. license US8255, to no avail.

Metheny's father, James, told reporters Thursday that Melanie's boyfriend, Jared Davis, was the last person to see her on Wednesday.

James Metheny said his daughter stays with Davis part-time in Campbells Creek, but lives on Midland Avenue in Belle.

Stover said there are no suspects in Metheny's disappearance at this time.

Metheny, a former student at Riverside High, is studying to enter college and become a nurse. Her father said she spends her days taking classes to prepare for a college-entrance exam.

Metheny is white, 5 feet 3 inches tall, with long, straight strawberry-blond hair. She weighs about 100 pounds and has brown eyes. Police said no one has described the clothes she was wearing.

"It's hard to say what happened. You can guess a million different things. We don't like to do that. We try to stay optimistic," Stover said.

Anyone with information can contact the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office at 357-0169.

Pauli

02-14-2008, 02:44 PM

http://www.wtrf.com/story.cfm?func=v...&storyid=12499

Search for Missing Mom Continues

Posted 7/21/2006 05:09 PM

Family hoping investigators, psychic will help

Story by Ben Thompson

Day three of a search for a missing mom in Kanawha County turns up nothing. 21-year-old Melanie Metheny has been missing since Wednesday morning. She's described as 5 feet 3 inches tall, 100 pounds, with long blond hair.

On Friday, friends and family searched Campbells Creek for any sign of her. They think she encountered trouble. She was last seen dropping her kids off at daycare in Belle. Family members have consulted with a psychic to find the young mother of three.

So far, police can't seem to find any clues in her disappearance. "Right now there's no concrete leads as t owhere she may be. So were kinda at odds. We're gonna continue to work on it, continue to search for her till we find her," said Lt. B.C. Stover.

Also missing, Melanie's 1998 Chevy Venture van. If you've seen her or her van, please call the Kanawha County Sheriff's Department at 357-0169.

Pauli

02-14-2008, 02:44 PM

http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/showscripts/11sat.shtml#7

MATHENY UPDATE

SO FAR THERE's STILL NO SIGN OF A WOMAN MISSING FROM BELLE.

21-YEAR-OLD MELANIE METHENY DISAPPEARED WEDNESDAY MORNING.

HER FAMILY SAYS THE LAST THING THEY KNOW FOR SURE IS THAT SHE LEFT HER THREE CHILDREN AT A BELLE DAY CARE CENTER.

HER 19-98 CHEVROLET VENTURE MINI-VAN IS ALSO MISSING.

DEPUTIES RELEASED A COLOR ILLUSTRATION OF THE VAN YESTERDAY.

HER FAMILY WANTS THE PUBLIC TO HELP.

IF YOU HAVE SEEN MELAINE OR HER VAN CALL THE KANAWHA COUNTY SHERRIFS DEPARTMENT @ 357-0169

7/22/06

Pauli

02-14-2008, 02:45 PM

http://wowktv.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=12526

Missing Mothers Van Found
Posted 7/23/2006 07:59 PM

Kanawha County mother missing since Wednesday

There are new developments in the disappearance of a young Kanawha County mother. Melanie Matheny's van has been found.

21-year old Metheny was last seen dropping her kids off at day care Wednesday morning. Charleston police found her 1998 Gold Chevy Venture Van on Wyoming Street about 1:00 p.m. Sunday afternoon.

Kanawha County Sheriff's Deputies say neighbors first noticed the van about 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, that's six hours after Matheny was last seen.

Deputies do not know why the van was there and a search did not find what they're calling any positive evidence. Deputies will conduct a forensic exam.

Metheny, a mother of three, is described as 5 feet, 3 inches tall, and 100 pounds, with long blond hair.

If you have any information on Metheny's whereabouts call the Kanawha County Sheriff's Department at 304-357-0169.

Pauli

02-14-2008, 02:45 PM

http://www.dailymail.com/news/News/2006072432/

Police find woman's minivan

Monday July 24, 2006

Police have found the minivan of a woman missing since last Wednesday.

Charleston police received a tip about the van Sunday and relayed it to Kanawha County sheriff's deputies investigating the case, said Lt. Sean Crosier of the sheriff's department.

Deputies located Melanie Metheny's gold and tan minivan parked near the corner of Wyoming Street and Beuhring Avenue. The 21-year-old mother of three has been missing since Wednesday and neighbors said the van had been parked there since at least 2 p.m. that day.

Metheny was reported missing after she failed to pick up her kids up from a day care center Wednesday evening. Her boyfriend, Jared Davis of Campbells Creek, was the last person to see her, Metheny's father said Thursday.

Sheriff's department investigators will talk to Metheny's friends and family members to figure out why the Belle woman's car was on the West Side, Crosier said.

"We don't know why it's here," he said.

Deputies had the minivan towed to a secure location and were waiting on a search warrant before they could enter the vehicle for a thorough search, Crosier said. They didn't find any substantial clues by peering through the windows, he said.

The minivan did not appear to have been stolen, since the steering column remained intact and valuable items such as two cameras, a compact disc and a CD player also were still in the car, Crosier said. But police have not ruled out the possibility that the vehicle was stolen, he said.

A business card for a Belle Police Department officer sat on the front passenger seat, along with Metheny's identification papers for the state's Women and Infant Children child-nutrition voucher program.

Also in sight was a piece of paper with a handwritten St. Albans phone number and the words "3 bedroom, 2 bath, 15,000."

As of Sunday, investigators had no reason to think Metheny was looking for a new residence, Crosier said, adding that all phone numbers found in the van will be called.

Aside from the minivan, no other new leads have turned up in the search for Metheny, he said.

Metheny is white, 5 feet 3 inches tall, with long, straight strawberry-blond hair. She weighs about 100 pounds and has brown eyes.

Anyone with information about Metheny should contact the Kanawha County Sheriff's Department at 357-0169.

Pauli

02-14-2008, 02:46 PM

http://www.wvnstv.com/story.cfm?func=views...p;storyid=12553 (http://www.wvnstv.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=12553)

Missing Woman's Van Found
Posted 7/24/2006 06:14 PM

Sheriff's Deputies say there are still more questions than answers.
Story by Nicky Walters Email | Bio

Police now have more clues in the case of missing Kanawha County woman Melanie Metheny. They've discovered her van, checked some phone numbers and talked with someone who may have last seen the woman.

"There are probably more unanswered questions than there are answered," said Lt.Sean Crosier with the Kanawha County Sheriff's Department.

Deputies say they don't have any idea why the van was on the West Side or even if Metheny is the one who drove it there. Deputies say the van had been parked there since Wednesday afternoon, a few hours after Metheny was seen dropping her kids off at day care.

A woman who lives near where the van was found didn't want to be identified but says she thinks she saw Metheny as recently as Sunday.

"She was very thin, pretty, blondish brown hair," described the West Side resident.

The woman we spoke to was walking along Delaware Avenue near where the van was parked when she recognized a woman that fit the description of Melanie Metheny. When she went home and turned on the tv and saw the picture and the striking resemblance she immediately called police.

"I pray that it is her and this isn't a mistake but I'm pretty sure its not and she wasn't in the best of conditions," the woman said. "Anybody who is missing especially over here where the violence and the drugs are over here, I'd be afraid for anybody."

Deputies found some phone numbers inside the van and are in the process of conducting a forensic exam of the vehicle. They are hoping to find the missing link in time.

"Time in these situations is not on our side," said Lt. Crosier. "We're still very hopeful that we can find Melanie alive and well."

If you have any information on Metheny's whereabouts call the Kanawha County Sheriff's Department at (304) 357-0169.

Pauli

02-14-2008, 02:46 PM

http://wvgazette.com/section/News/Today/2006072419

July 25, 2006

Family searches West Side for missing Belle woman

By Morgan Kelly
Staff writer

Friends and family of Melanie Metheny combed Charleston’s West Side after the missing mother of three’s minivan was found there Sunday. All wondered why the Belle resident’s vehicle was in a neighborhood they say she had no reason to visit.

Metheny, 21, was reported missing Wednesday after she failed to pick up her kids up from a day-care center that evening.

Calls from West Side residents led Kanawha County sheriff’s deputies to Metheny’s gold minivan parked at the corner of Wyoming Street and Beuhring Avenue. Neighbors said the van had been parked there since at least 2 p.m. Wednesday.

"I didn’t even know she knew anyone down there,” said Matt Harper, the father of Metheny’s two youngest children.

He and Metheny’s father, James Metheny, drove the West Side’s streets looking for Melanie until 3:30 a.m. Monday, Harper said. A few people said they saw a woman matching Metheny’s description, but the leads went nowhere, he said.

Harper’s mother, Donna Miller, put up fliers all over the West Side on Monday, receiving prayers and condolences as she went, she said.

“She may not be down here, but it’s not going to hurt to put these fliers up,” Miller said.

Harper said he and Metheny split up eight months ago and have had limited contact since. During their three years together, he never knew of her to visit the West Side, he said.

Lt. Sean Crosier of the Sheriff’s Department said the case has not developed much since the discovery of the minivan Sunday.

A search of the vehicle turned up several documents and phone numbers, but further investigation did not yield anything substantial as of Monday afternoon, Crosier said. Investigators continue to conduct interviews, he said.

Metheny only came to Charleston for nursing classes at the Garnet Career Center on downtown’s Dickinson Street, said Jared Davis, her current boyfriend. He and Metheny have been together for about five months, he said.

Davis knows people on the West Side, but not in the area the minivan was found and no one Metheny knew well enough to visit without him, he said.

Recent news reports quoted James Metheny as saying that Davis was the last to see Melanie. Davis said he last saw her before he left for work around 7 a.m. Wednesday.

He later tried to call her around noon, but she did not pick up, he said. She usually called him at least once before noon, but never called him Wednesday, Davis said.

Metheny stayed with him in Campbells Creek after apparently leaving the house she shared with her two teenage brothers, Davis said. She often complained that the boys were messy and ate the food she bought for her children, he said.

He and Metheny were looking for a bigger place and had called a few places, Davis said.

Metheny’s minivan had several objects lying on the passenger seat, including a piece of paper with a handwritten St. Albans phone number and the words “3 bedroom, 2 bath, 15,000.”

A business card for a Belle police officer was also in the front seat. Metheny apparently filed a report not long ago about a woman threatening to beat her up, according to Belle Police Chief R.J. Sizemore.

The woman approached Metheny about speeding through their neighborhood, the two argued and the woman told Metheny, “‘I’ll kick your scrawny little a--,’” Sizemore said.

Very little came of the incident, Davis said. The only threat to him and Metheny came from a juvenile who recently stole her minivan, he said. The van was recovered in Ravenswood, he said.

Metheny apparently confronted the boy once and he picked up a rock when she turned to walk away, Davis said. A friend who was with Metheny shouted out and the boy dropped the rock, he said.

James Metheny also disappeared a few years ago, but returned when people began looking for him, Sizemore said. As he recalled it, James left after fighting with his wife at the time.

“He got tired of her crap and left home,” Sizemore said. “He was gone long enough to get them concerned.”

When asked if Melanie would ever just leave, Davis said she would never “forget about her kids unless she was forced to.”

Pauli

02-14-2008, 02:46 PM

http://www.dailymail.com/news/News/2006072516/

Family members searching
West Side, hanging up fliers

Tuesday July 25, 2006

Friends and family of a missing Belle woman searched Charleston's West Side after the woman's minivan was found there Sunday.

Melanie Metheny, 21, a mother of three, was reported missing Wednesday after she failed to pick up her kids up from a day care center that evening.

Calls from West Side residents led Kanawha County sheriff's deputies to Metheny's gold minivan parked at the corner of Wyoming Street and Beuhring Avenue. Neighbors said the van had been parked there since at least 2 p.m. Wednesday.

"I didn't even know she knew anyone down there," said Matt Harper, the father of Metheny's two youngest children.

He and Metheny's father, James Metheny, drove the West Side's streets looking for Melanie until 3:30 a.m. Monday, Harper said. A few people said they saw a woman matching Metheny's description, but the leads went nowhere, he said.

Harper's mother, Donna Miller, put up fliers all over the West Side on Monday, receiving prayers and condolences as she went, she said.

"She may not be down here, but it's not going to hurt to put these fliers up," Miller said.

Harper said he and Metheny split up eight months ago and have had limited contact since. During their three years together, he never knew of her to visit the West Side, he said.

Lt. Sean Crosier of the Sheriff's Department said the case has not developed much since the discovery of the minivan Sunday.

A search of the vehicle turned up several documents and phone numbers, but further investigation did not yield anything substantial as of Monday afternoon, Crosier said. Investigators continue to conduct interviews, he said.

Metheny came to Charleston for nursing classes at the Garnet Career Center on downtown's Dickinson Street, said Jared Davis, her current boyfriend. He and Metheny have been together for about five months, he said.

Davis knows people on the West Side, but not in the area the minivan was found and no one Metheny knew well enough to visit without him, he said.

Recent news reports quoted James Metheny as saying that Davis was the last to see Melanie. Davis said he last saw her before he left for work around 7 a.m. Wednesday.

He later tried to call her around noon, but she did not pick up, he said. She usually called him at least once before noon, but never called him Wednesday, Davis said.

Pauli

02-14-2008, 02:47 PM

http://sundaygazettemail.com/section/News/...News/2006072510 (http://sundaygazettemail.com/section/News/Other%20News/2006072510)

July 26, 2006

Family offers reward to find missing woman

By Morgan Kelly
Staff writer

As the search for Melanie Metheny trudges along, her family offered a reward Tuesday for information leading them to the missing mother of three.

Family members did not say how much the reward would be, but they hope the offer will help jump-start a case that has moved forward very little since the 21-year-old Belle resident’s minivan was found Sunday on Charleston’s West Side.

Metheny was reported missing one week ago after she failed to pick up her kids from daycare Wednesday evening.

“Right now we’re grasping at straws,” said one of Metheny’s aunts, who asked to remain unnamed. When contacted Tuesday, she was printing posters with the reward offer to hang around Kanawha and Fayette counties, including in Charleston, she said.

“We’re not focusing in one small area,” she said. Metheny’s parents “aren’t getting any sleep and the kids are asking where their mother is.”

Official efforts have so far not produced new information or inspired any theories, said Lt. B.C. Stover of the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department.
Investigators continue to follow up on tips from the public, pore over “thousands” of phone records and talk with Metheny’s family, he said.

Deputies were still going over items and documents found in Metheny’s minivan, but with no luck, he said. Calls from West Side residents led Kanawha County sheriff’s deputies to Metheny’s gold minivan parked at the corner of Wyoming Street and Beuhring Avenue.

Neighbors said the van had been parked there since at least 2 p.m. Wednesday, but police and Metheny’s family say she apparently had no reason to visit the West Side.

The case’s “odd set of circumstances” makes it difficult to work, Stover said: “You have to start somewhere and work your way backward.”

Metheny’s family and friends have spent several hours a day since last week driving around Kanawha and Fayette counties looking and asking, said Bill Daniel, a friend of Metheny’s mother Debbie Metheny. Both came up from Virginia.

“It’s pretty much what our lives have become,” Daniel said. “I can’t think of anything better for us to do.”

The drives yield sightings, rumors and theories, but not what the family really wants, Debbie Metheny said.

“Too many theories, we’re tired of theories,” she said as she rode around Kanawha City Tuesday.

“Right now we’re just concentrating on finding her.”

Metheny is white, 5 feet 3 inches tall, with long, straight strawberry-blond hair. She weighs about 100 pounds and has brown eyes.

Anyone with information about Metheny should contact the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department at 357-0169.

Pauli

02-14-2008, 02:48 PM

http://www.wboy.com/story.cfm?func=viewsto...p;storyid=12598 (http://www.wboy.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=12598)

Reward Offered In Case Of Missing Woman

Posted 7/26/2006 11:53 AM

The woman has not been seen for more than a week.

The family of a missing mother of three is offering a reward in hopes of getting new leads in the case.

The amount being offered in the effort to locate Melanie Metheny has not been specified, but the family hopes the offer will help jump-start the aging case. There have been no further leads since the 21-year-old Belle resident's minivan was found Sunday on Charleston's West Side.

Metheny was reported missing one week ago after she failed to pick up her kids from daycare Wednesday evening.

The family admits it is grasping for straws, and is printing posters with the reward offer to hang in areas of Kanawha and Fayette counties.

Investigators continue to follow up on tips from the public, and are poring pore over "thousands" of phone records and talk with Metheny's family. Deputies were still going over items and documents found in Metheny's minivan, but with no luck. Calls from West Side residents led Kanawha County sheriff's deputies to Metheny's gold minivan parked at the corner of Wyoming Street and Beuhring Avenue.

Neighbors said the van had been parked there since at least 2 p.m. Wednesday July 19th, but police and Metheny's family say she apparently had no reason to visit the West Side.

Metheny's family and friends have spent several hours a day since last week driving around Kanawha and Fayette counties looking and asking, said Bill Daniel, a friend of Metheny's mother Debbie Metheny. Both came up from Virginia.

Metheny is white, 5 feet 3 inches tall, with long, straight strawberry-blond hair. She weighs about 100 pounds and has brown eyes.

Anyone with information about Metheny should contact the Kanawha County Sheriff's Department at 357-0169

Pauli

02-14-2008, 02:48 PM

http://www.wtrf.com/story.cfm?func=viewsto...p;storyid=12609 (http://www.wtrf.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=12609)

New Fliers, New Website for Missing Woman

Posted 7/26/2006 05:02 PM

The Kanawha County woman disappeared one week ago today.

A reported reward, a website posting and new fliers are being used to help find the young mother of 3. Melanie Metheny disappeared last Wednesday after dropping off her 3 children, including Michael Lilly's son, at day care.

When asked, "Have you told him that you don't know where she is?" Michael Lilly said, "No, we're kind of trying to shield the children from it as much as we can right now."

That is becoming more difficult. Fliers are posted near the home Metheny shared with her boyfriend, in the town where her family lives, and in the Charleston neighborhood where her van was found last weekend. While the family, now reportedly offering a reward, is frustrated, Passersby are concerned.

"We can't understand it," said Belle resident Joyce Hill, "There's a lot of leery people around, and comes around in the neighborhood too and everything, so its hard to tell what happened to her."

Kanawha County Sheriff Deputies say there's nothing new in Melanie's disappearance but her family says those fliers have led to tips that cause them to search neighborhoods like Campbells Creek over night.

"If anyone wants to come out and help search around Campbells Creek," Lilly said. When asked "Any reason why, other than the fact that she lived there?" Lilly responded, "Well, we have a few ideas but like I said we can't really speculate on anything. We don't really know anything yet."

Lilly says they will search until the 21 year old is found because the family "can't have any closure without knowing."

If you have any information regarding her whereabouts, call the Kanawha County Sheriff's Department at 357-0169.

Pauli

02-14-2008, 02:49 PM

http://wvgazette.com/section/News/2006072917

July 30, 2006
Metheny case lead fizzles

By Veronica Nett
Staff writer

What looked like a lead in the search for a missing Belle woman now appears to represent a whole new missing-person case.

Jackson County sheriff’s deputies said a logger found the decomposed body of a nude adult white female in a remote part of the county Friday afternoon. At first, they suspected the body might be that of Melanie Metheny, the 21-year-old mother of three who has been missing since July 19.

But in a media conference held Saturday, Sheriff Michael Bright announced that his investigators were almost certain the body was not Metheny’s.

Still, they had not yet determined the body’s identity, Bright said.

The woman was a brunette in her early to mid-20s, about 5-feet-7 to 5-feet-8 inches tall and weighing 120 pounds. She wore a thin gold necklace, and a pink spaghetti-strap tanktop was found near the body, Bright said.

There are no missing persons from Jackson County matching the description of the woman, according to Bright. He would not comment on the cause of death, but said there is no question her death was a homicide. The body appeared to have been at the site for two to seven days, he said.

Evidence indicates the woman was killed at another location and her body dropped at the remote site, he added.

“We’re kind of at a standstill” in the investigation, Bright said. “We don’t think she was killed there; we have another crime scene somewhere else.”

The results of a sexual-assault-kit analysis will be released Monday, he said.

A detective from the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department assisted with the investigation in Jackson County on Friday.

Metheny was reported missing after failing to pick up her three children from Country Kids Daycare in Belle.

Her gold and tan 1998 Chevrolet Ventura minivan was found last Sunday parked on Charleston’s West Side. Kanawha deputies said the van was parked at the corner of Wyoming Street and Beuhring Avenue the same day Metheny went missing.

None of the leads or tips in the Metheny case have panned out so far, and detectives are at an impasse, Kanawha Sheriff’s Lt. Brian Stover said.

- advertisement -
In hopes to jump-start the case, the Metheny family has offered a reward for information leading to her whereabouts.

Pauli

02-14-2008, 02:50 PM

Metheny Still Missing

Amanda Barren

When she didn't pick her three children up from daycare about a month ago, her family knew something was wrong. But little did they know, they might never talk to Melanie Metheny again.

The 21-year-old from Belle vanished without a trace on August 19th. It's been a sleepless month filled with tireless searches that have turned up empty.

Life may never be the same for Melanie Metheny's father.

“This is something you hear about on unsolved mysteries or something,” said Metheny. “This is not something that happens to you or your family. This is all new to me.”

For nearly a month, Jimmy Metheny, family, and friends have been searching for his 21-year-old daughter not knowing where to look.

The pain for her father is clear. Understanding his angst is unimaginable.

“There are people who are never found,” said Metheny. “I've got to look at that reality.”

The reality of only finding Melanie’s body has been a cold one. Just three weeks ago, a woman’s body was found in Jackson County, and just last week, one in wood. Neither of them was Melanie.

The latest one was a Metheny, but as it turns out, it was Sherry Metheny. Then, there have been the sightings. Along Kanawha Boulevard and at a west end hardware store not far from where her van was found.

“I've never known her to be on the west side, so it just baffles me,” said Metheny.

So now, a weary father and a family wait for answers they might not ever get.

The family is hoping anyone with information will turn it over to authorities. If you know anything, you are asked to call your local police department.

Pauli

02-14-2008, 02:50 PM

http://www.wtrf.com/story.cfm?func=viewsto...p;storyid=13368 (http://www.wtrf.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=13368)

Missing Mom Still a Mystery

Posted Wednesday, August 23, 2006 ; 05:37 PM

There have been few leads since her van was discovered.

Five weeks after a local mother disappeared, and she's still missing.

Melanie Metheny dropped her kids off at daycare in Belle on the morning of July 19th, and she hasn't been seen since. Family members have scoured the area around her Campbell's Creek home. Investigators have chased down leads, but still nothing.

A few days after she disappeared, detectives found her mini-van on Charleston's west side.

Metheney is 5'3", about 100 pounds, and has long blonde hair.

If you have any information in the case, call the Kanawha County Sheriff's Department at 357-0169.

Pauli

02-14-2008, 02:50 PM

http://www.wtrf.com/story.cfm?func=viewsto...p;storyid=14706 (http://www.wtrf.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=14706)

Search Continues for Missing Kanawha Woman

Posted Tuesday, October 3, 2006 ; 05:55 PM

New efforts are underway in the search for a mother who was last seen after she dropped her kids off at a daycare in Kanawha County.

Melanie Metheny has been missing since July 19th.

Her father says a Web site has been setup with more information on his daughter. The family is also handing out a new flyer with her picture. Metheny dropped off her three children at the Country Kids Daycare in Belle at 7 a.m. on the 19th.

He says the site contains more information that will hopefully help lead police to her.

"It's unbelievable that she wouldn't contact anybody or anything like that for this long. She had three kids and she's been a mother," said James Metheny.

If you have any information about Melanie Metheny, contact the Kanawha County Sheriff's Department at 357-0169.

Pauli

02-14-2008, 02:51 PM

http://sundaygazettemail.com/section/News/2006102038

October 21, 2006 Web Tools: [print] [email]

Search ongoing for missing mother from Belle

Metheny’s family launches Web site

By Dave Gustafson
Staff writer

Three months have passed since Belle resident Melanie Metheny, a mother of three, vanished. This week, her family members launched a Web site, www.findmelanie.com, and increased their reward to $5,000 in hopes of finding her.

“Somebody somewhere has to know something,” said her grandmother, Sandra Winnings. “You try to be optimistic, but it’s been three months. It’s been 13 weeks.”

Metheny’s oldest child is 4 years old. None are old enough to understand the situation.

“What can you tell them? What can you say?” Winnings said. “They don’t understand time, thank God. The one says, ‘Mommy’s going to come and get me when she finds her keys.’”

Kanawha County deputies said tips are coming in slowly.

“We’re just following up on every lead that we can,” Detective R.A. Lane said. “But nothing new has been brought up.”

Police and family members still have no idea why or how Metheny disappeared.

Winnings said family members have blanketed the area with reward and missing-person posters.

The family has visited churches and asked the congregations for help. “There are lots of them praying for her,” Winnings said.

Metheny, 21, was last seen July 19 by her boyfriend, Jared Davis, with whom she sometimes stayed in Campbells Creek. Her family and friends got worried that night, after she failed to pick up her children from Country Kids Daycare in Belle.

A few days later, her gold minivan was found parked at the corner of Wyoming Street and Beuhring Avenue on Charleston’s West Side.

Metheny is white, 5 feet 3 inches tall, about 100 pounds, with long strawberry-blond hair and brown eyes. She wants to be a nurse and was taking classes to prepare herself for college-entrance exams.

Anyone with information about Metheny can call the sheriff’s department at 357-0169.

Pauli

02-14-2008, 02:51 PM

http://www.wsaz.com/home/headlines/3560982.html

Metheny Still Missing

Amanda Barren

When she didn't pick her three children up from daycare about a month ago, her family knew something was wrong. But little did they know, they might never talk to Melanie Metheny again.

The 21-year-old from Belle vanished without a trace on August 19th. It's been a sleepless month filled with tireless searches that have turned up empty.

Life may never be the same for Melanie Metheny's father.

“This is something you hear about on unsolved mysteries or something,” said Metheny. “This is not something that happens to you or your family. This is all new to me.”

For nearly a month, Jimmy Metheny, family, and friends have been searching for his 21-year-old daughter not knowing where to look.

The pain for her father is clear. Understanding his angst is unimaginable.

“There are people who are never found,” said Metheny. “I've got to look at that reality.”

The reality of only finding Melanie’s body has been a cold one. Just three weeks ago, a woman’s body was found in Jackson County, and just last week, one in wood. Neither of them was Melanie.

The latest one was a Metheny, but as it turns out, it was Sherry Metheny. Then, there have been the sightings. Along Kanawha Boulevard and at a west end hardware store not far from where her van was found.

“I've never known her to be on the west side, so it just baffles me,” said Metheny.

So now, a weary father and a family wait for answers they might not ever get.

The family is hoping anyone with information will turn it over to authorities. If you know anything, you are asked to call your local police department.

Pauli

02-14-2008, 02:52 PM

http://www.statejournal.com/story.cfm?func...p;storyid=24902 (http://www.statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=24902)

New Leads in Case of Missing Mother in Kanawha County

Posted Friday, June 8, 2007 ; 04:44 PM
Updated Friday, June 8, 2007 ; 06:39 PM

CHARLESTON -- Investigators in Kanawha County are choosing their words carefully concerning new developments in the disappearance of Melanie Metheny.

Lt. Sean Crosier with the Kanawha County Sheriff's Department said he is extremely encouraged by new information that has come to light in just the last few days.

The 21-year-old Metheny was last seen the morning of July 19 after dropping her children off at day care in Belle.

A few days later, detectives found her mini-van on Charleston's West side.

Since then, investigators have been working closely with Melanie's family to try to track down any clues.

They say it was one of those family members who brought them a tip this week that they call very promising.

"The family's been very helpful so they brought forth this new information and we're very hopeful this will shed some really good light on the investigation and bring about a positive resolution to a case that's now nearly 11 months old," said Crosier.

Detectives have been conducting interviews to try to follow up on this new information but are reluctant to release any more details.

If you have any information concerning Melanie Metheny's disappearance, you're urged to contact the Kanawha County Sheriff's Department at 357-0169.

Pauli

02-14-2008, 02:52 PM

http://www.dailymail.com/story/News/200706...ice-and-courts/ (http://www.dailymail.com/story/News/2007061351/Police-and-courts/)

Police have information on missing woman

Police say they have new information about a missing Kanawha County woman who was last seen nearly a year ago.

Melanie Metheny, a 21-year-old mother of three, has been missing since July 19, 2006.

"We have been conducting some interviews. Hopefully, this lead will turn up some new information," said Kanawha County Sheriff's Lt. Sean Crosier. "Hopefully, we are going to be able to generate some good investigative leads that result in a positive resolution."

In 2006, Metheny was reported missing after she failed to pick up her kids from a day care center.

Two days later, rescue crews and K-9 units searched an area near Spring Fork Drive for Metheny but found nothing.

Police found her missing gold and tan minivan July 23 on Charleston's West Side. Neighbors said at the time that the van had been parked there since at least 2 p.m. on July 19.

"Time is of the essence," Crosier said Tuesday. "It has been 11 months now. Certainly we are not giving up hope that she is alive but as time drags on hope tends to diminish."

Crosier said police have followed up many leads but he is hopeful the investigation will conclude soon.

Pauli

02-14-2008, 02:53 PM

http://www.statejournal.com/story.cfm?func...p;storyid=26545 (http://www.statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=26545)

Missing Melanie

Posted Thursday, July 19, 2007 ; 06:01 PM
Updated Thursday, July 19, 2007 ; 07:35 PM

Family searches for answers one year after young mother's disappearance

Story by Sara Gavin Email | Bio

BELLE -- For the family of Melanie Metheny, the past year has been a slow. "It's been a long, long year. A horrible year," said Sandra Winnings, Melanie's grandmother.

It's also been a year filled with few clues about what happened to the 21-year-old mother of three.

Melanie dropped her kids off at a daycare in Belle the morning of July 19, 2006. It was the last time anyone reported seeing her.

Family members said Melanie went missing just as she was reaching a turning point in life.

"She was trying to better herself going through school and becoming a pediatrician and she was trying to make a life for herself," said Rocky Metheny, Melanie's uncle.

Melanie's picture was set to appear on billboards advertising an adult education program just before she vanished.

Now, her loved ones have little hope of ever seeing her again.

"There's nothing that would make me happier than for her to walk through the door, but I don't think that's going to happen," said Winnings

One thing that hasn't changed - the family's dedication to solving the mystery of Melanie's disappearance.

"You gotta keep going and until something's found out, we're not going to stop. It doesn't matter how long it takes but I'm confident it's not going to take that much longer. I think they know what happened. They've just got to prove it," said Rocky Metheny.

For Winnings, it's closure that can't come soon enough.

"They say God won't put more on you than you can take and I've had about all I can take."

Kanawha County sheriff's detectives said they are continually following leads in Metheny's disappearance.

A suspect has yet to be named in the case.

Pauli

02-14-2008, 02:56 PM

Tuesday, August 1, 2006
6:14:00 PM EDT My Great Niece Is Missing, Please Help in the Search

http://cdn.news.aol.com/aolnews_photos/03/02/20060801172209990002

From: Jonibooger

Caption: Missing Melanie Metheny since 8 am on July 19. Last seen 8 am, Belle,W.V. Anyone with any information please contact family at 1-304-949-2125 or 1-304-421-2293. Please help.

Pauli

02-14-2008, 03:01 PM

MELANIE METHENY
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p149/Morgan2112_2006/MelanieMetheny2.jpg From TES Site Interesting - I was traveling back from North Carolina and traveled through West Virginia and stopped at a convenience store along the way and saw her missing poster. I called the number on the poster to see what was the latest and the phone number for her family was disconnected. I saw online her familie's home was burnt to the ground. Lost their child and their home burnt down. How much worse could it get? I have no idea how the family could be reached if there was new info or a tip.

http://goteem.16.forumer.com/a/melanie-metheny_post40.html

Pauli

02-14-2008, 03:07 PM

MELANIE METHENY Monday, June 25, 2007.

IT TOOK JUST TEN DAYS TO FIND JESSIE DAVIS'S BODY. BUT THE FAMILY OF A KANAWHA COUNTY WOMAN HAS BEEN WAITING FOR MORE THAN YEAR... AND STILL, NO ANSWERS. JAKE GLANCE IS LIVE IN THE NEWSROOM WITH MORE ON THIS STORY. 340 DAYS SINCE MELANIE METHENY WENT MISSING. HER FAMILY KNOWS THEY WILL NEVER SEE HER AGAIN ... BUT WHAT THEY WANT NOW IS ANSWERS. AND WHO KILLED MELANIE ISN'T THE ONLY QUESTION THEY HAVE.

Sandra Winnings/Melanie's Grandmother 173922 - "340 days." //173945 - "It will be a year next month."

SHE DOESN'T HAVE TO COUNT THE DAYS ... SHE KNOWS EXACTLY HOW MANY IT'S BEEN.

Sandra Winnings/Melanie's Grandmother 173956 - "I never dreamed it would be this long." JULY OF 2006 ...

21 YEAR OLD MELANIE METHENY, A MOTHER OF 3 ... DISAPPEARS. HER FAMILY NOW HAS NO HOPE LEFT OF EVER SEEING HER AGAIN, BELIEVING SHE WAS MURDERED ... WHAT THEY WANT TO DO ... IS FIND HER BODY.

Sandra Winnings/Melanie's Grandmother 174207 - "When you don't know, it's awful. I've got to know. I've got to know. And these people have got to be brought to justice."

MAKING IT WORSE ... WATCHING A SIMILAR DRAMA UNFOLD ON T-V. BUT WHAT'S NOT SIMILAR ... SEARCH TEAMS FOUND JESSIE DAVIS'S BODY, AND AN ARREST HAS BEEN MADE.

Sandra Winnings/Melanie's Grandmother 174029 - "The FBI is in there, there's search teams in there. There's all kinds of stuff. We're 11 months into this and we don't have any of that."

Jake Glance/Eyewitness News - "That's not to say there's no new evidence. In fact, Eyewitness News has obtained some evidence apparently so important to police, they asked us not to air it, fearing it could jeopardize the investigation."

THE KANAWHA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT DID TELL US THEY'RE STILL CONDUCTING INTERVIEWS AND POLYGRAPH TESTS ... LOOKING FOR THE BREAKTHROUGH MELANIE'S FAMILY IS WAITING FOR.

Sandra Winnings/Melanie's Grandmother 174253 - "I haven't worked, I haven't done anything but this for 11 months."

Sandra Winnings/Melanie's Grandmother 174345 - "I see this happening, and resolved. I feel sorry for that family, but 11 months of this I've had."

Sandra Winnings/Melanie's Grandmother 174602 - "We're at the same stage we were at a week in to this."

POLICE SAY THIS IS STILL AN ACTIVE INVESTIGATION, FOLLOWING UP ON THAT NEW EVIDENCE EVEN RIGHT NOW. IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION, CALL THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AT 357-0169 OR VISIT THE WEBSITE SET UP BY MELANIE'S FAMILY ... AT WWW - DOT - FIND MELANIE - DOT -COM. http://www.wvah.com/newsroom/shows/10mon.shtml http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a206/Angiex911dsptchr/MelanieM.jpg

Grande

03-13-2008, 10:36 AM

Thursday March 13, 2008
Deputies still working to find missing woman

Kanawha County sheriff's deputies are working with law enforcement officials in South Carolina to follow up on a lead about a woman who's been missing for almost two years.

Melanie Metheny hasn't been seen since July 19, 2006. The 21-year-old Belle woman's van was found four days later on Charleston's West Side, but no trace of her was ever discovered.

"We are still actively following up on leads, which led us to the state of South Carolina, where we sent detectives," Chief Deputy Johnny Rutherford said Wednesday. "We followed up on those leads and are in the process of working with South Carolina officials.

"However, at this point those leads have not been substantiated and we are just following up on them as we would in the Valley."

The day Metheny disappeared, she dropped off two of her three young children at a day-care center in Belle about 8 a.m., Kanawha sheriff's Detective R.A. Lane has said.

Roughly an hour later, someone -- possibly Metheny -- made a call from her cell phone to the auto-repair shop Wreck-A-Mended Paint & Body to talk about repairs for her minivan.

Then about 9:30 a.m., a second call was made from Metheny's phone, this one to her voice mailbox.

At 6 p.m. an employee from the day-care center called the grandmother of two of Metheny's children to tell her Metheny hadn't picked up her kids.

Metheny is now on the missing persons Web site for the Fox television show "America's Most Wanted."

http://www.dailymail.com/News/Kanawha/200803130132

wheezer

03-13-2008, 08:40 PM

KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- The search for a missing mother in Kanawha County has led detectives to South Carolina.

Melanie Metheny went missing in July, 2006.

Sheriff's deputies say Melanie dropped her children off at a daycare in Belle and never returned.

Investigators tell us in the last few weeks they received information a woman matching Melanie's description was spotted in South Carolina.

A couple of detectives went there, but we're told nothing has turned up.

Deputies say they continue to follow leads in the case.

http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/16660316.html

Pauli

06-26-2008, 12:46 PM

Do we have any of our members that live near Charleston WV? I received this email from a family member of Melanie's ..... If anyone can attend on our behalf, pm me and I will give you an email addy and phone number to contact Melanie's family.

Hi I know my nIece Melanie Metheny is on your web site. We are having a Melanie awarness day on July 19 2006 it is the 2 year mark of her dissapearance. The event is taking place in Charleston WV I was wondering if you might have any representatives in that area that would like to participate in our event. Donna Harper the Grandmother of Melanie's children is organizing the event I am in Florida and I am trying to help via the computer.

Thank you so very much for your time
The family of Melanie Metheny
Aunt Leisa http://f457.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=1%5f32443%5fACXHtEQAAXxXSGO%2fMwpFwjG pMik&pid=2&fid=Inbox&inline=1

Faith

07-11-2008, 09:44 AM

Event to Keep Missing Woman Case Alive

Posted: 8:49 AM Jul 11, 2008
Last Updated: 9:19 AM Jul 11, 2008

KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- Nearly two years later still no closure for the family of Melanie Metheny.

Her family has never given up their search. The family says it so frustrating because someone knows what happened to this young mother.

Melanie disappeared on July 19, 2006. She dropped her kids off at a daycare in Belle and never came to pick them up.

Searches throughout eastern Kanawha County turned up nothing. Her family says she would never leave her children, and they are still searching and holding onto hope for some answers and some closure.

They are holding an event to help other families and to keep her case alive.

It will be July 19th, two years to the day from Melanie’s disappearance.

The event will be at the Moose Lodge in Charleston.

They will have things like fingerprinting and karate to help educate the public, and to make sure people don't forget that this mother is still missing.

From the video
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll116/helpfindthemissing/missing-10.jpg
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll116/helpfindthemissing/missing1.jpg

Interest Video
http://www.wsaz.com/charleston/headlines/24406799.html

Grande

07-11-2008, 10:14 AM

Here is the entire chat log referenced in that last post from Faith (Thank you Faith);

http://findmelanie.com/chat-log.htm

Faith

07-11-2008, 11:31 AM

YVW Grande, in the video it was stated nothing came from this chat.

Faith

07-18-2008, 09:48 AM

Friday July 18, 2008
Family still hurting over missing woman
by Ashley B. Craig
For the Daily Mail

Two years ago a young mother from Belle disappeared. Her family still holds out hope that she will be found.

The family plans to have an event this weekend at the Charleston Moose Lodge. Melanie Metheny Safety Awareness Day will be held on Saturday from 11 a.m to 1 p.m. on the second floor of the lodge. The event is open to the public and refreshments will be served, courtesy of the Charleston Moose.

Kanawha County Sheriffs deputies will be there to fingerprint children. Face-painting will also be provided at no charge for children.

Public safety officers and members of other organizations that help families deal with loss of loved ones from domestic violence and other crimes.

The goal of this event is to bring awareness to the community about safety, said Metheny's family.

Metheny, then 21, went about her day as normal. She dropped her three young children off at daycare near their home and then went about her day. That evening, when it came time to pick the children up she didn't show.

Her plans that day were to drop off school transcripts at West Virginia State University in Institute and then run other errands. Metheny planned to enroll in nursing classes offered there, family members said.

She dropped Ryan, then 4, Nathan, 2, and Hannah, 16 months, off at Country Kids Daycare in Belle about 7:45 a.m. on July 19, 2006, a Wednesday morning, and has not been heard from since.

Metheny's children now live with their grandparents on their fathers' side. Ryan, now 6, lives with his father and his parents. Nathan, 4, and Hannah, 3, reside with their father, Matt Harper and his mother, Donna Harper.

"We're still searching for answers, and we just keep on searching," Donna Harper said.

Harper is hopeful that they will find her, but also realistic, saying that she doesn't think anything good happened to Metheny.

The "horror stories" about what happened to Metheny float around the family causing pain more than anything else.

Some of the more colorful theories are that Melanie was kidnapped and taken to a trailer in Sissonville and burned inside, or that she was taken into the woods and burned and buried.

Harper assures that the police have investigated all of the "horror stories" and have found nothing. But Harper thinks about Melanie every day.

"It's hard not knowing. Your imagination runs wild," Harper said. "You don't know what to think, what to believe. It's hard not knowing what happened or where she is."

Harper recalls Metheny as a beautiful girl who always had a smile on her face.

"Her smile always reminded me of that movie star-Julia Roberts," Harper said. "It was so big and natural and she always had a smile on her face."

Nathan and Hannah stay with Harper at her home and she takes care of them as if they were her own children. The children know that their mommy is missing but they still ask about her.

"Out of the blue she'll [Hannah] ask me 'where's my mommy?' or she'll say 'let's go find my mommy'," Harper said.

Harper has told them that their mommy may not come home, and as children they bounce back, but it's a kind of hard to explain "double-hurt" for her.

Harper said it hurts not knowing what happened to Metheny and it hurts having to listen to such small children ask after their mother knowing there's nothing that can be done that hasn't been done.

A Web site was created to assist in the search, http://www.findmelanie.com with pictures and downloadable flyers for those wishing to help to post in their communities. Information about Metheny and a picture was also added to the America's Most Wanted Web site for missing persons.

Kanawha County Sheriffs continue to search for the missing mother of three. They searched areas that Metheny frequented but found her minivan parked on Charleston's West Side on July 23, 2006, just a few days after she went missing.

Metheny is described as strawberry-blonde haired, brown-eyed female who weighed about 100 lbs. at the time of her disappearance. She stands at 5 feet 3 inches tall and just turned 23 in June.

Metheny, according to family and friends, loved her children and an essay written by Metheny reflected that on the Web site dedicated to finding her.

"Being a single mom is not easy at all but watching my kids grow up and watching them learn new things for the first time is the greatest feeling I've ever had. I would not change them for the world and I don't know where I'd be right now if I didn't have them but I know my life wouldn't have as much meaning," Metheny said in the essay.

http://www.dailymail.com/News/200807180131

Mysticalmom

08-04-2008, 10:30 AM

Melanie Metheny Still Missing

Amanda Barren - http://www.wsaz.com/

When she didn't pick her three children up from daycare about a month ago, her family knew something was wrong. But little did they know, they might never talk to Melanie Metheny again.

The 21-year-old from Belle vanished without a trace on July 19th. It's been a sleepless month filled with tireless searches that have turned up empty.

Life may never be the same for Melanie Metheny's father.

“This is something you hear about on unsolved mysteries or something,” said Metheny. “This is not something that happens to you or your family. This is all new to me.”

For nearly a month, Jimmy Metheny, family, and friends have been searching for his 21-year-old daughter not knowing where to look.

The pain for her father is clear. Understanding his angst is unimaginable.

“There are people who are never found,” said Metheny. “I've got to look at that reality.”

The reality of only finding Melanie’s body has been a cold one. Just three weeks ago, a woman’s body was found in Jackson County, and just last week, one in wood. Neither of them was Melanie.

The latest one was a Metheny, but as it turns out, it was Sherry Metheny. Then, there have been the sightings. Along Kanawha Boulevard and at a west end hardware store not far from where her van was found.

“I've never known her to be on the west side, so it just baffles me,” said Metheny.

So now, a weary father and a family wait for answers they might not ever get.

The family is hoping anyone with information will turn it over to authorities. If you know anything, you are asked to call your local police department.

Mysticalmom

08-04-2008, 10:32 AM

http://www.findmelanie.com/

Could You Please Help Find Melanie Metheny
http://www.findmelanie.com/flyers/missing-melanie-metheny.jpg
http://www.findmelanie.com/flyers/mel-awareness-day.jpg

Mysticalmom

08-04-2008, 10:36 AM

http://www.wvgazette.com/
10/21/2006 - Search ongoing for missing mother from Belle

Melanie Metheny’s family launches Web site

By Dave Gustafson
Staff writer - http://www.wvgazette.com/

Three months have passed since Belle resident Melanie Metheny, a mother of three, vanished. This week, her family members launched a Web site, www.findmelanie.com, and increased their reward to $5,000 in hopes of finding her.

“Somebody somewhere has to know something,” said her grandmother, Sandra Winnings. “You try to be optimistic, but it’s been three months. It’s been 13 weeks.”

Metheny’s oldest child is 4 years old. None are old enough to understand the situation.

“What can you tell them? What can you say?” Winnings said. “They don’t understand time, thank God. The one says, ‘Mommy’s going to come and get me when she finds her keys.’”

Mysticalmom

08-04-2008, 10:37 AM

http://www.findmelanie.com/flyers/ncma-poster.jpg

Mysticalmom

08-04-2008, 10:43 AM

http://findmelanie.com/chat-log.htm
July 5th 2007...
"Please take a few minutes and read this chat log that was sent to us - if you think you know anything, please contact the police IMMEDIATELY. Someone knows more to this story, and it's time to let it out and give the family some closure"

Mysticalmom

08-04-2008, 10:43 AM

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=226788011
Myspace for Melanie

Mysticalmom

08-04-2008, 10:45 AM

http://www.findmelanie.com/
Here is the newest article from the Charleston Gazette -

A year and a half after vanishing, mystery -- and sorrow -- only deeper

By Gary Harki
Staff writer

February 24, 2008

Donna Harper remembers being in the emergency room when Melanie Metheny gave birth to her son Nathan.

Metheny has been missing since July 19, 2006. The 21-year-old Belle woman's van was found four days later on Charleston's West Side, but no trace of her was ever discovered.

Harper, the grandmother to two of Metheny's three children, remembers that when Nathan was born, the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck and the doctor had to cut the cord, sending blood everywhere.

"You don't know what happened," said Harper. "It hurts. You lay in bed at night and you don't know if she was tortured, if it came swiftly."

You don't even know for sure that Metheny died, Harper said.

Metheny is now on the missing-persons Web site for the FOX television show "America's Most Wanted." Her case may also be presented on the show, said Kanawha sheriff's Detective R.A. Lane.

The day Metheny disappeared, she dropped off her three young children - Ryan, now 6; Nathan, 4; and Hannah, 3 - at a day-care center in Belle about 8 a.m., Lane said.

Roughly an hour later, someone - Lane said he is not sure if it was Metheny - made a call from her cell phone to the auto-repair shop Wreck-A-Mended Paint & Body to talk about repairs for her minivan.

Then about 9:30 a.m., a second call was made from Metheny's phone, this one to her voice mailbox.

At 6 p.m. an employee from the day-care center called Harper to tell her Metheny hadn't picked up her children. Harper picked up the kids, two of whom she has had custody of ever since.

Metheny's son Ryan is with his paternal grandparents, Harper said.

Metheny had been broken up from Harper's son Matthew for several months before she disappeared and had a new boyfriend, Jared Davis. Still, Harper said, she and Metheny remained close.

"Her and my son had two babies, and she lived here up until Matt broke up," Harper said. "And after that, she would still stop by; we would get the kids every other weekend."

Two days after Metheny disappeared, tipsters prompted rescue crews and K-9 units to search near Spring Fork Drive in the Witcher Creek area, but found nothing, Lane said.

Two days after that, police found Metheny's missing gold and tan minivan on the West Side. Neighbors said the minivan had been parked there since at least 2 p.m. July 19. That's when a woman first noticed it taking one of her usual parking spaces in front of her house, Lane said.

A 'crisis point'?

Police have followed many leads that went nowhere, Lane said. They are now going back and interviewing everyone again, essentially restarting the investigation, he said.

One thing police would like to learn more about is a mysterious red sport-utility vehicle. Police said that on the afternoon of Metheny's disappearance a witness on the West Side saw a woman inside the SUV struggling to free herself and yelling, "What about my babies?"

Police described the witness only as someone close to Metheny. Lane said police haven't been able to find the SUV.

"Somebody knows something about Melanie and they are keeping a tight lid on it right now," he said. "And we need closure. We need this thing to be solved. If anyone knows anything about her or her disappearance and they want to remain anonymous, they will remain anonymous."

Friends and family of Metheny's have set up a Web site, www.findmelanie.com, which offers a $5,000 reward for information that solves the mystery. The Web site also gives a detailed timeline of the days before the disappearance.

About 12 hours before Metheny disappeared, the Web site claims, she came to a "crisis point."

Lane said he had no information about Metheny suffering through a "crisis point," though he said he has heard rumors about Metheny owing drug dealers $300. While Metheny did use drugs in social settings, he said, he doesn't believe she owed anyone a large sum of money.

"That's asinine," he said. "She was saving to rent a house and get out of the apartment she lived in. She had money; it wasn't a huge amount, but if she needed to, she could use it if she was in that much trouble."

'We need to find out'

Both Harper and Lane say Metheny was a devoted mom.

"Her family members and her friends have said that you always really saw her with her kids except when she went to school," Lane said. "She would take them to their grandparents' houses and let them see them. ... She was a young woman that had three kids and wanted to make something out of her life and for her kids, to give her kids something she might never have had."

Metheny was taking classes to prepare herself for college-entrance exams. She wanted to be a nurse, Harper said.

"With her being gone this long, reality sets in and it makes you think that something worse has happened to her," Lane said. "Then again, you have hope that she is still alive out there. I mean, I've got hope."

Harper's mother died in November. Nathan and Hannah both noticed how sad their grandmother was.

"Little Nathan, he saw that I was upset and said, 'Well, Mamaw, I already lost my mommy.' It's pitiful. It's like a double hurt for me," Harper said. "Wherever the truth lies, we need to find out what happened to her. This needs to come out. These children need to know."

Mysticalmom

08-04-2008, 10:49 AM

http://www.amw.com/missing_persons/case.cfm?id=53193
Young Mother Disappears Without A Trace
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View Larger Detectives from the Kanawha Sheriff's Department are seeking the public's help in finding Melanie Metheny, 22, a mother of three who has been missing for 19 months.

At 8:00 a.m. on July 19, 2006, cops say Melanie dropped her children off at daycare.

According to Melanie's family, she was excited about going back to school for nursing and that was the day she planned to register. Her first stop was Garnet Career Center, an adult education organization, where she planned to pick up her transcripts. Melanie was then going to drive to West Virginia State University to enroll for classes.

But cops say nobody recalls seeing Melanie at Garnet and they don't believe she made it to the university.

The last verified communication Melanie had was at 9:09 a.m. when cops say she contacted an auto body shop to confirm an upcoming appointment. Police say Melanie has not been heard from since.

Cops: Search for Missing Mother Ongoing

Melanie Metheny is 5'3" and weighs 100 lbs. She has long blond hair and brown eyes.
View Larger Four days after Melanie's disappearance, police found her car, a 1998 Gold Chevrolet Venture minivan in Charleston, W. Va. in what authorities describe as a known drug area.

Was Melanie there to buy drugs? Was she the victim of a car jacking? Abduction? Investigators just don't know. But what they do know is Melanie's minivan was intact. The doors were locked and the only items missing were Melanie's cell phone and purse. Personal items, including CDs, were still inside.

Cops say the minivan provided few clues to Melanie's disappearance or whereabouts. Unable to retrieve any fingerprints from the car, including Melanie's, investigators were becoming increasingly uneasy -- making their search to find her even more urgent.

A week before her disappearance, police say Melanie had an altercation with an acquaintance who had stolen her car months earlier. The minivan was recovered with minor damage, but Melanie was still upset about the incident.

Police can't say for sure whether this incident had anything to do with Melanie's disappearance.

A Daughter Missing, A Family in Fear
Friends say Melanie was happy in the months leading up to her disappearance. She had a boyfriend she was excited about marrying and was saving money so the family could move into a bigger house. She was proceeding with her plans to pursue her dream of a career in nursing. Investigators say there was no indication that Melanie was planning on leaving her boyfriend, her family, but more importantly, her children -- all of whom await her return.

Melanie's grandmother, Sandra Winning -- who helped raise Melanie -- has made it her mission to help close this case. She's created a website and has plans to travel to Detroit to follow up on leads in Melanie's case.

Mysticalmom

08-04-2008, 10:51 AM

http://www.findmelanie.com/flyers/help-find-my-mommy.jpg
http://www.findmelanie.com/flyers/melanie-flyer.jpg

Mysticalmom

08-04-2008, 10:52 AM

http://www.findmelanie.com/news.htm
Detectives have no leads in case of missing Melanie Metheny
Friday July 21, 2006

Investigators with the Kanawha County Sheriff's Department this morning still had no leads in the search for a missing mother of three.

Detectives spent most of the day Thursday interviewing friends, family and other acquaintances who might have information in the disappearance of 21-year-old Melanie Metheny.

Investigators searched the Witcher Creek region in eastern Kanawha County until about 1 a.m. for Metheny, who hasn't been seen for almost two days.

"We will continuously put forth an effort to find her until she's found. We won't stop until we locate her," Sheriff's Lt. Bryan Stover said this morning.

Metheny dropped off her children at Country Kids Daycare in Belle about 7 a.m. on Wednesday. When she didn't return at 6 p.m. to pick them up and day-care employees couldn't contact her, they began to worry.

Owner Peggy Keith said Thursday the mother has always been pleasant with employees and appears to take care of her children, ages 4 years, 2 years and 16 months. The children have been attending the day care for about a year.

Soon after day care employees couldn't reach her, Metheny's family contacted police. Family members suspect foul play. They've scoured the Kanawha Valley for a sign of her gold and tan 1998 Chevrolet Ventura van, W.Va. license US8255, to no avail.

Metheny's father, James, told reporters Thursday that Melanie's boyfriend, Jared Davis, was the last person to see her on Wednesday.

James Metheny said his daughter stays with Davis part-time in Campbells Creek, but lives on Midland Avenue in Belle.

Stover said there are no suspects in Metheny's disappearance at this time.

Metheny, a former student at Riverside High, is studying to enter college and become a nurse. Her father said she spends her days taking classes to prepare for a college-entrance exam.

Metheny is white, 5 feet 3 inches tall, with long, straight strawberry-blond hair. She weighs about 100 pounds and has brown eyes. Police said no one has described the clothes she was wearing.

"It's hard to say what happened. You can guess a million different things. We don't like to do that. We try to stay optimistic," Stover said.

Anyone with information can contact the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office at 357-0169.

Mysticalmom

08-04-2008, 10:53 AM

http://www.findmelanie.com/news.htm
Police, family baffled by disappearance

Investigators with the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department were searching late last night for a missing mother of three.

Rescue crews and K-9 units scoured an area near Spring Fork Drive for 21-year-old Melanie Metheny.

Metheny hasn’t been seen for almost two days, and police spent Thursday trying to piece together what happened to her.
They said people’s tips led them to the region near Witcher Creek.

Metheny dropped her children off at Country Kids Daycare in Belle about 7 a.m. on Wednesday. When she didn’t return at 6 p.m. to pick them up and day-care employees couldn’t contact her, they began to worry.

Metheny’s family contacted police soon after. Family members suspect foul play. They’ve scoured the Kanawha Valley for a sign of her gold and tan 1998 Chevrolet Ventura van, to no avail.

“This has never happened,” said James Metheny, her father. “If she’s even going to be a couple minutes late, she’ll call somebody and tell them she can’t make it.”

Melanie Metheny’s boyfriend, Jared Davis, was the last person to see her on Wednesday, her father said.

He said she stays with Davis part-time in Campbells Creek, but lives on Midland Avenue in Belle.

Kanawha County Sheriff’s Lt. B.C. Stover said investigators are talking to all of Metheny’s family and friends, but have few leads.

He said right now they’re just trying to find out what kind of person she is.

Metheny, a former Riverside High student, wants to be a nurse and has been studying to enter college, her father said. She’s a quiet woman, he said, who spends her days taking classes to prepare for a college-entrance exam.

Metheny is white, 5 feet 3 inches tall, with long, straight strawberry-blond hair. She’s about 100 pounds and has brown eyes.
No one can say what clothes she was wearing last, Stover said.

About six months ago, another young woman went missing from the Belle area, Stover said. About a week later, she turned up after just spending time with a boyfriend.

Employees at the day care say they can’t believe that would be the case with Matheny.

Owner Peggy Keith said the mother has always been pleasant with employees and appears to take care of her children, ages 4 years, 2 years and 16 months.

The children have been attending the day care for about a year.

The two younger children are staying with their father’s mother and the 4-year-old is staying with his father. The family has yet to explain to them that their mother is missing.

“They’re too young,” said Donna Miller, their paternal grandmother.

Miller also said Matheny never would simply abandon her children. “Something has happened,” she said.

Anyone with information about Matheny can contact the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office at 357-0169.

To contact staff writer Anna L. Mallory, use e-mail or call 348-5163.

Mysticalmom

08-04-2008, 10:54 AM

http://www.wvnstv.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=13368
Missing Mom Still a Mystery
Posted Wednesday, August 23, 2006 ; 05:37 PM

There have been few leads since her van was discovered.
Story by Ben Thompson

Five weeks after a local mother disappeared, and she's still missing.

Melanie Metheny dropped her kids off at daycare in Belle on the morning of July 19th, and she hasn't been seen since. Family members have scoured the area around her Campbell's Creek home. Investigators have chased down leads, but still nothing.

A few days after she disappeared, detectives found her mini-van on Charleston's west side.

Metheney is 5'3", about 100 pounds, and has long blonde hair.

If you have any information in the case, call the Kanawha County Sheriff's Department at 357-0169.

nanabillie

08-07-2008, 03:58 AM

After reading the chat log, I am surprised there has not been an arrested.

Grande

08-08-2008, 03:31 PM

Story of Missing Woman to Be Aired on America's Most Wanted
Updated Friday, August 8, 2008 ; 01:12 PM

A national television show plans to air a short segment on Melanie Metheny, who went missing more than two years ago after she failed to pick up her children at a day care center.

America's Most Wanted, which airs on the FOX network tomorrow night at 9 p. m. will air the piece.

The Kanawha County Sheriff's Department contacted them in hopes of bringing new clues. The Belle woman went missing on July 19, 2006

http://wowktv.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=42322

Amusedtdth

08-12-2008, 02:49 PM

After reading the chat log, I am surprised there has not been an arrested.

Me too! It sent chills down my spine. Someone needs to think about those little kids w/out their mamma and not their own selves.

Faith

10-30-2008, 09:57 AM

http://www.findmelanie.com/flyers/melanie-billboard.jpg

If your local to Melanie's area then you may have seen this billboard. It's another attempt to bring more awareness to Melanie's disappearance. Please, if you know anything, contact the police. It's been a long time now and it just gets longer everyday. Thank You.
http://www.findmelanie.com/

grammybears

10-31-2008, 08:46 AM

This is so sad, especially her own children. I pray that Melanie is found soon. It does not look good to me and it is scary that she would just vanish into thin air. From my reading I get the feeling that she was trying to make her life more secure.
Whoever took her will be found out one way or another and if they do not come foward they will be sorry in the end.

annalyzer

02-05-2009, 08:41 PM

No updates found. She's still missing. :(

MrzEzell

05-11-2009, 04:30 PM

I was reading the chat log and am somewhat surprised that no one has been able to confirm anything. What ever happened to the individuals having the chat? Couldn't anyone go and confirm such story at said location? It's very sad if the chat was true .. just sad.

Claycat

05-12-2009, 09:44 AM

how
frustrating

Claycat

05-12-2009, 10:30 AM

the
name
jeremy
is
in
my
head

annalyzer

05-12-2009, 10:46 AM

the
name
jeremy
is
in
my
head

She was last seen by her boyfriend Jared.

Claycat

05-21-2009, 09:16 PM

the
name
jeremy
is
in
my
head

I went to topix to see if anything was posted about Melanie. I didn't find anything about her, but I did find something curious. Evidently a police officer was put on administrative leave because of domestic battery in 2007. I wouldn't have thought much of it, but, at this link - first post, it looks like his name may have been Jeremy.

http://www.topix.com/forum/city/bell...OP73PRB0H9EP1T

I tried to locate the article that was connected to this discussion, but it was already gone. I googled and tried to find another mention of it, but I found nothing. Does anyone know anything about an officer named Jeremy who was in trouble for domestic battery in Belle, WV?

It may be nothing, but he sounds violent, and I wonder if he knew Melanie.

Claycat

05-22-2009, 06:16 PM

For some reason that link is not working. Try this one:

http://www.topix.com/forum/city/belle-wv/TSVOP73PRB0H9EP1T

P.I.Jane

07-20-2009, 02:37 PM

I came across the story about Melanie through another source, but came here immediately to read her thread. In reading through I saw the link to Melanie's missing site and began to read the guest book. I was moved to see how loved and missed Melanie is by her family and friends.

Yesterday marked 2 years since Melanie went missing. So sad for this family and her 3 children.

If you have time, read a few of these comments and see Melanie through her family's eyes. Very touching and heartbreaking at the same time. I pray she is found soon.

http://findmelanie.123guestbook.com/

awakening2lite

07-27-2009, 05:25 PM

awakening2lite

07-31-2009, 02:54 PM

(http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/eyewitness/0907/090721_0bbba273.shtml)
http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/eyewitness/0907/090721_0bbba273.shtml

THREE YEARS ANNIVERSARY
Disappearence of Young Mother Still Unsolved
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Reported by: http://www.wchstv.com/bluemail.gif (abaidya@wchstv.com) Atish Baidya (abaidya@wchstv.com)
Videographer: Jerry Criner
Web Producer: Atish Baidya
July 21, 2009 10:53pm

EYEWITNESS NEWS ONLINE VIDEO
C L I C K T O P L A Y
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Sandra Metheny has literally surrounded herself with memories of her missing granddaughter Melanie. Three years later, she's no better than the day she learned Melanie had vanished.

"[I'm] not good," she said. "No better than I was day one."

A digital photo frame sits right next to a collection of other framed photos. On the opposite wall, a collection of images of her missing granddaughter. The first thing you see when you walk into Sandra's home is a wall with a poster that reads, "Melanie Metheny is missing. July 19, 2006. Help bring her home."

It has obsessed me," she said. ""It is my life."

Melanie, 21, vanished after dropping her kids off at day care. A few days later Charleston Police later found her abandoned mini-van, which now sits in Sandra's yard.

"I'd like to have my granddaughter back," Sandra said.

A new website is up and running in the hopes someone has a tip that will finally give the family the answers they are searching for. On it, Melanie's mother wrote, "We'll never quit looking until you are brought back home."

Meanwhile, Sandra will continue searching, each exhausting day after day.

"I live it," she said. "I live it."
************************************************** *******************************************

Sandra Metheny speaks out about the Granddaughter she raised. (Click the link to view the video)