RECEIVING JUSTICE
Who was Shannon Melendi and what happened to her?
Shannon Melendi was murdered in Georgia in 1994
OVER 30 years ago, 19-year-old Shannon Melendi disappeared from work and never returned.
Now, her family is fighting to keep her killer behind bars.
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Who was Shannon Melendi?
Shannon Melendi was a 19-year-old student at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, when she disappeared from her job at a local softball field in DeKalb County on March 26, 1994.
She grew up in Miami, Florida, where she was involved in her high school debate team and was a member of the local soccer team. But her dreams and aspirations soared beyond her home, her parents told in 2020.
"She wanted to join the Navy in the JAG Corps and her whole plan was to go to Washington," her mother, Yvonne Melendi, said.
"She had a dream to be on the Supreme Court. And I don't doubt that she could have made it. "
What happened to Shannon?
As reported via Dateline, Shannon was murdered on March 26, 1994.
She had been taking score at a softball game at her part-time job when "the umpire at that game — a man Shannon had never met — approached her and asked her to lunch," per the outlet.
The umpire, named Butch Hinton, then "attacked Shannon" before kidnapping her and later murdering her in his home.
According to 11Alive News, the day after Shannon's disappearance, police found her car parked near a gas station with the keys still inside.
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Shortly after, the Emory hotline received a phone call from someone claiming to have Shannon.
Police traced the call to a phone booth and said they found Shannon's ring wrapped in tape inside a bag.
The evidence was traced back to Hinton because of traces of cobalt found on the tape.
He worked for Delta Airlines in Atlanta, and John Petrey, one of the lead prosecutors, said an aeronautical scientist they hired told them the cobalt came from an aircraft manufacturer or an aircraft repair place.
Just before the connection was made, however, responders rushed to Hinton's house, which had caught fire. He was charged with attempting to destroy a crime scene.
In 1995, Hinton was sentenced to seven years in prison for insurance fraud and arson.
Investigators "found possible evidence of other violent crimes against women, including a collection of women's sweaters," when digging up Hinton's yard and digging through his home, per 11Alive News.
"Buried in his back yard-- and we were amazed at that," Petrey said.
"And I was speaking to the jury later. I think it, quite frankly, scared the dickens out of the jury," he continued, in part.
"Sweaters, clothing that was found in a variety of sizes. It was way too small for his wife. Skirts, sweaters, blouses, buried. It was bizarre," he continued.
Despite their findings, investigators have never found Shannon's body.
What was Butch Hinton's trial verdict?
Butch Hinton was close to being released from prison for his convictions of arson and insurance fraud when Petrey said they believed they had enough evidence to charge Hinton with Shannon's murder, per 11Alive News.
It had been ten years since she disappeared from the softball field, and prosecutors said they had found evidence that Hinton was a sexual predator from a sexual assault conviction in his early 20s.
Prosecutors also took statements from his fellow inmates in which Hinton had implicated himself.
Hinton initially denied any involvement in Shannon's disappearance. When he was convicted by a jury in 2005 for her murder, he appealed the ruling.
However, when his appeals failed, he admitted to the crime and claimed that he "burned Shannon’s body in his back yard after raping her and killing her inside his house while his wife was away for the weekend," per the outlet.
Petrey said that Hinton raped Shannon and "left her tied up" the day he kidnapped her.
"Went to a movie with, I think, some nieces and nephews... came back, checked on her again, gave her a glass of water, raped her again, strangled her and killed her," he continued.
In a ruling by Georgia's judicial system, Hinton is up for parole about every seven years.
When Hinton was convicted for the murder of Shannon, he was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Shannon's family first fought to keep Hinton behind bars in 2012 with the decision coming down to a majority vote by a review board.
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They look into Hinton's files and they review letters and oppositions before each casts their vote.
The board once again reviewed the possibility of Hinton's parole in 2020.
Speaking to 11Alive News, Shannon's mother, Yvonne, said, "When you have to relive it, it's tough. It's very tough. He does have a sliver of hope. He shouldn't have any hope at all.
"They should just say, lock him up, throw away the key. Because that's where he belongs."
One year later, Hinton was still behind bars. In September 2021, reported that Shannon's father, Luis Melendi, said, "It has just been 27-28 years of insanity for our family having to deal with this criminal."
He added, "I don’t think I'll ever get closure. I was really hoping that we outlive him. Me and my wife. My wife just died of COVID and he’s still there."
NBC News reported that Hinton will again be up for parole in 2025.
"The family is determined not to let that happen. So, for the 30th anniversary of Shannon’s murder, they've dedicated themselves to raising awareness about Hinton’s parole hearing," the outlet reported.
March 26, 2024, marked the 30th anniversary of Shannon's murder.
On March 19, 2024, the family "held a commemorative ceremony at Shannon's high school in Miami," NBC News stated.
"They told the students Shannon’s story and emphasized how they needed help keeping Hinton behind bars so Shannon's death wouldn’t be in vain," the publication continued.
"I'm carrying this to the very end. Until this guy is no longer in existence, I will carry this fight," Luis told Dateline.
The family has a dedicated to Shannon and is hoping for people to sign a petition.
A Dateline episode about Shannon's case, Shannon's Story, premiered on NBC on February 4, 2021.
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As reported, it will air again on May 25, 2024.
It is also available on Peacock.
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