The Case of Melanie Melanson
Unsolved Homicide — Woburn, Massachusetts (1989)
On the night of October 27, 1989, 14-year-old Melanie Jo Melanson vanished in Woburn, Massachusetts. A high school freshman with her 15th birthday just weeks away, Melanie was excited about the future and immersed in the ordinary rhythms of teenage life. What was supposed to be an uneventful Friday night instead became the beginning of a mystery that has endured for more than 35 years.
That evening, Melanie told her grandmother she planned to spend the night at a friend’s house. Instead, she went to a party with a group of older teenagers in a wooded area near an industrial park on the outskirts of Woburn — a place known locally as a gathering spot for youth. As the party broke up in the early morning hours, Melanie was last seen with two older boys, James “Jimmy” Tresca and Eugene “Gene” Bertini, who later gave conflicting accounts of the final moments they spent with her and whom law enforcement believe were the last individuals to see her alive.
When Melanie failed to return home, police initially explored the possibility that she had walked away on her own. That theory was quickly abandoned. Investigators soon came to believe that Melanie was the victim of foul play and that she likely never left the area alive.
In the decades since her disappearance, authorities, private investigators, and volunteers have searched relentlessly for answers. Wooded areas in Woburn and the nearby Middlesex Fells have been combed multiple times. Excavations have been conducted following tips. Cadaver dogs, forensic specialists, and aerial searches have all been deployed. Despite these extensive efforts, no trace of Melanie has ever been found.
Today, investigators and Melanie’s family believe she was killed that night and that her remains may still be hidden somewhere in the local area. No one has ever been charged, and the case remains unsolved.
More than three decades later, Melanie’s family continues to seek justice and closure. They believe someone knows what happened — and that the right piece of information, shared at the right time, could finally bring answers.
As increased public awareness remains critical in ensuring that Melanie Melanson is not forgotten, this website was created by Melanie’s family to preserve the factual record of her case, honor who she was, and ensure that her story continues to be told.
Her family encourages anyone with information — no matter how small — to contact law enforcement at:
Woburn Police Department
Detective Mark Roffi
Tipline Phone Number: 781-933-1212 Ext: 4547
Tipline Email: [email protected]