A Six-Year Old Missing Person Mystery

March 24, 2009

Six years ago this morning, something went terribly wrong at a home on Kent Road north of Atmore.  Melinda Wall McGhee, then 31, returned to her home about 8 a.m. after working the night shift as a nurse at a Bay Minette nursing home.

Her husband, Troy McGhee, was at work at Masland Carpets in Atmore. Their two children were at a babysitter, and Troy’s son from a previous relationship was at a dentist’s office. At about 8:30 the morning of March 24, 2003, Melinda McGhee spoke to her mother on the phone. It was the last time anyone known to Melinda would ever hear from her.

At about 4:00 that afternoon, husband Troy came home to find Melinda missing. There was blood and evidence of a violent struggle inside the home. He reported his wife missing.

Melinda’s vehicle was found parked near the house with her keys locked inside. Her purse and cellular phone were inside the residence. Foul play is suspected in her disappearance.

Over the years, there have been several searches for Melinda’s body or clues into the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.

As recently as early March, authorities searched an area off Perry Lane in Wawbeek for clues in Melinda’s disappearance. Perry Lane is about a mile north of Highway 31 off Sardis Church Road near Old Atmore Road. The location is about three miles north of the Florida/Alabama line and North Escambia.

On the last day of January, authorities searched a water-filled gravel pit off Jack Springs Roads near the Judson Cemetery between Atmore and Poarch, but they did not locate a body.

Anyone with information on McGhee’s disappearance is asked to call the Escambia County (Ala.) Sheriff’s Department at (251) 809-0741 or their local law enforcement agency.

Pictured above: Two photos of Melinda Wall McGhee who went missing in March 2003.

Comments

8 Responses to “A Six-Year Old Missing Person Mystery”

  1. Linda Pittman on February 24th, 2010 9:37 am

    I have tried to keep up with Melinda through Amanda. I haven’t heard from her in a long time and was just wondering if anything new ever came up on Melinda. My daughter went missing in 98 from Wetumpka, AL and we haven’t any new information. We do have cold case detectives working on it. Hopefully they will find something. This is what Melinda’s family needs to do. Contact the ABI and tell them to put someone on her case. They will do this for you. May God love you!! Linda Pittman

  2. Shelley on March 27th, 2009 11:46 am

    My heart goes out to Melindas family. I will never forget the day Melinda went missing. It is hard to believe that 6 years has gone by and there still has been no closure. As a mother I cannot imagine what her mother goes through each and everyday. I am so sad for her entire family. I am glad to see that some of the local businesses in Atmore still have her picture up to remind everyone she is still missing. It is so disheartening that after a few years it seems like less and less businesses in Atmore still have the flyers up. She is still missing and until she is found we as a community should still be making an attempt to do everything we can to find her. Someone, Somewhere knows something that could end this nightmare for her friends and family. I am so glad to see that the investigators are still working to find her and I hope and pray that she will be found soon.

  3. Melinda's Sister on March 24th, 2009 8:39 pm

    Thank you for keeping my sister’s case in the news. We thank everyone who continues to work on her case, such as law enforcement, community members, the search and rescue teams and everyone who continues to pray for our family. We will find out who took Melinda’s life on that beautiful March morning, six years ago.

  4. Rita Tullis on March 24th, 2009 7:48 pm

    My cousin, Melinda Wall McGhee, is in my family’s thoughts and prayers every day of our lives…I want to thank TC, the private investigator, still working on her case…One day we will have answers…Please visit Melinda’s myspace page that I made for her–http://www.myspace.com/missingmelinda…Thanks to all of you for your continued thoughts and prayers…Much love—

  5. Therra on March 24th, 2009 6:57 pm

    Bless this family and godspeed with the investigation. Older cases are solved all the time. Let’s hope this will be one of them.

  6. Sharon on March 24th, 2009 3:42 pm

    I believe she could have been kidnapped by a serial killer on the loose at that time. That is my opinion that is shared by others including some in law enforcement. The first newspaper reports say the crime scene was very similar to that of some victims of one of a killer they were looking for and they suspected. Melinda was not a person with enemies or bad family. It was an outside person who followed her. I hope the police do not give up on this. I lived in Mobile in 2002-03 when this happened and I remember how it was. God bless this family and the people searching for Melinda. Pray to GOD for answers and GOD will hear you and deliver you.

  7. Concerned on March 24th, 2009 2:24 pm

    My mother and I both, worked with Melinda when she worked as a nurse in the prison system. You would never met a more fun loving, kind, hard working person than Melinda. Hardly a day goes by that we don’t think of her. She always talked of Troy and her boys and we can’t imagine the heart ache her family has gone through all these years. Melinda was always so fun to be around and to work with and we miss her terribly. We will always keep her and her family in our thoughts and prayers. Maybe someday there will be closure.

  8. blondie on March 24th, 2009 12:24 pm

    this is someone in my family that was really close to me and my mom. we loved her alot. we miss her and hope the person responsible will be caught and we can put melinda where she needs to be.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News