25-year-old Michele Wallace was born in 1949 in Forest Park, Cook County, Illinois. She was active as a child and was deemed a 'tomboy.' She loved to swim and often hung out with her parents, George Sr. and Margaret . Since she was the only daughter, her father relished in her ability to keep up with her brother.
After Michele graduated from Riverside-Brookfield High School in 1967, she visited Africa and Spain. She returned to the U.S. to attend Utah State University. However, she left, with two years of completed coursework, and moved to Aspen, Colorado. Skiing, which she viewed as more of a sport than a game, had become her new past-time. She rarely traveled without her backpack and was often accompanied by Okie — her German Shepherd companion.
Margaret was accustomed to the 'home-body' life, and lived vicariously through Michele's traveling adventures. George Sr., a business owner, was impressed by Michele's extroversion and cherished her fearlessness.
To make ends meet, Michele held a job as a highway worker. The position granted her the opportunity to bask in nature. During her breaks, she utilized her photography skill to capture still-life.
One location which Michele favored was West Gunnison. She was in awe of the mountains and the spacious terrain, as well as the city's residential areas, which were perfect additions to her portfolio. She had been living in the city for awhile and gained a few friends; her laid-back demeanor was a redeeming quality.
While Michele's friends were graduating from the university, or starting families, she was fulfilling her niche. She had chosen to be in the midst of an atmosphere which granted her more than enough terrain and mountains to work with. As a long-time city dweller, she loved the getaway; so much that she had become a resident. Although she still acknowledged where she was born and raised, she embraced the Rockies.
Her dog, Okie, provided Michele the protection against strangers. He was large; so he wasn't difficult for others to notice. His loyalty to Michele was instinctive and he rarely left her side.
August 1974:
When Michele failed to phone her family to inform them of her well-being, police feared she was a possible murder victim. She always maintained contact with her parents; sometimes her calls totaled two or three in one day. So for the contact to have ceased so abruptly was uncharacteristic of her. The build-up of the anxiety gradually took its toll on her mother. To function was difficult for her because she dreaded what tragedy had become of her daughter.
Chris Matthews, who was a rancher, informed police he was certain Michele was the woman who offered a ride to him and Roy. He mentioned that he had met Roy the previous night, and they both talked in the Columbine Bar the next day. At the time, he knew Roy only on a first-name basis.
As both men were standing outside of the bar, Michele offered to drive them to their destinations. Chris accepted. Then Roy claimed he needed a ride because he was experiencing trouble with his pick-up truck. Chris was surprised because Roy told him that he didn't own a vehicle of any kind at all.
However, Michele was serious about her offer. Roy sat in the passenger seat and Chris sat in the backseat with Okie. After Michele dropped Chris off at his destination, she proceeded driving while Roy remained in the passenger seat. She was never seen again.
July 1979
A family found two sun-bleached, braided ponytails in a paper-bag less than a mile from their cabin in West Gunnison. Later, Forensic Analyst Joseph Snyder confirmed the hair did, in fact, belong to Michelle. But the location of Michele's remains were unknown.
August 1992
Michele's skull was found in a bush during a NecroSearch. 20 years earlier, her father told police she had a gold tooth which she received during a dental procedure. According to Michele's dental records, the gold tooth found attached to the skull was a match. The rest of her skeletal remains were found on an incline, and lying in such a position in which indicated to the search team that she had been tossed.
Also found were articles of undergarments and a hiking boot with the skeletal remains of a human foot. The samples of evidence were examined and confirmed to have belonged to Michele. A hairbrush, found in Michele's backpack, contained long strands of hair in the bristles. One strand was tested and bared a match to the sun-bleached ponytails found 18 years prior.
During an autopsy, a cause of death couldn't be determined. Since Michele's flesh had been eaten away, no closure was possible. Michele finally had a proper burial and she rests next to her mother.
September 1993
During Roy Melanson's trial, prosecutors pinpointed him as Michele's murderer:
Roy remained in the car with the intention to rape Michele. When she resisted, he attacked her and then carried her lifeless body to the mountain incline. Her skeletal remains were found in the same position in which she had landed after Roy tossed her. Also noted was that Roy had released Okie from the car and he (Okie) ran away .
A jury found Roy guilty of first-degree murder and he was sentenced to life without parole.
Notes
- A few days after Michele's disappearance, one of her college friends died in a car accident.
- One week later, Okie wandered onto a farm and was fatally shot by a rancher who claimed to have been protecting his livestock. He was identified by his dog tag.
- Margaret Wallace committed suicide six weeks after Michele's disappearance. George Sr. found her sitting up-right in bed and clearly lifeless. She consumed a fatal dosage of barbiturates.
- Prior to Margaret's death, she had become a shadow of her former self and was riddled with depression. A suicide note, which she penned, was on her end table and included, "When you find our daughter, bury her next to me." Her wish was granted.
- In 2006, yet another tragedy struck the Wallace family. George Sr. was beaten to death in his home by burglers.
After Michele graduated from Riverside-Brookfield High School in 1967, she visited Africa and Spain. She returned to the U.S. to attend Utah State University. However, she left, with two years of completed coursework, and moved to Aspen, Colorado. Skiing, which she viewed as more of a sport than a game, had become her new past-time. She rarely traveled without her backpack and was often accompanied by Okie — her German Shepherd companion.
Margaret was accustomed to the 'home-body' life, and lived vicariously through Michele's traveling adventures. George Sr., a business owner, was impressed by Michele's extroversion and cherished her fearlessness.
To make ends meet, Michele held a job as a highway worker. The position granted her the opportunity to bask in nature. During her breaks, she utilized her photography skill to capture still-life.
One location which Michele favored was West Gunnison. She was in awe of the mountains and the spacious terrain, as well as the city's residential areas, which were perfect additions to her portfolio. She had been living in the city for awhile and gained a few friends; her laid-back demeanor was a redeeming quality.
While Michele's friends were graduating from the university, or starting families, she was fulfilling her niche. She had chosen to be in the midst of an atmosphere which granted her more than enough terrain and mountains to work with. As a long-time city dweller, she loved the getaway; so much that she had become a resident. Although she still acknowledged where she was born and raised, she embraced the Rockies.
Her dog, Okie, provided Michele the protection against strangers. He was large; so he wasn't difficult for others to notice. His loyalty to Michele was instinctive and he rarely left her side.
August 1974:
When Michele failed to phone her family to inform them of her well-being, police feared she was a possible murder victim. She always maintained contact with her parents; sometimes her calls totaled two or three in one day. So for the contact to have ceased so abruptly was uncharacteristic of her. The build-up of the anxiety gradually took its toll on her mother. To function was difficult for her because she dreaded what tragedy had become of her daughter.
Chris Matthews, who was a rancher, informed police he was certain Michele was the woman who offered a ride to him and Roy. He mentioned that he had met Roy the previous night, and they both talked in the Columbine Bar the next day. At the time, he knew Roy only on a first-name basis.
As both men were standing outside of the bar, Michele offered to drive them to their destinations. Chris accepted. Then Roy claimed he needed a ride because he was experiencing trouble with his pick-up truck. Chris was surprised because Roy told him that he didn't own a vehicle of any kind at all.
However, Michele was serious about her offer. Roy sat in the passenger seat and Chris sat in the backseat with Okie. After Michele dropped Chris off at his destination, she proceeded driving while Roy remained in the passenger seat. She was never seen again.
July 1979
A family found two sun-bleached, braided ponytails in a paper-bag less than a mile from their cabin in West Gunnison. Later, Forensic Analyst Joseph Snyder confirmed the hair did, in fact, belong to Michelle. But the location of Michele's remains were unknown.
August 1992
Michele's skull was found in a bush during a NecroSearch. 20 years earlier, her father told police she had a gold tooth which she received during a dental procedure. According to Michele's dental records, the gold tooth found attached to the skull was a match. The rest of her skeletal remains were found on an incline, and lying in such a position in which indicated to the search team that she had been tossed.
Also found were articles of undergarments and a hiking boot with the skeletal remains of a human foot. The samples of evidence were examined and confirmed to have belonged to Michele. A hairbrush, found in Michele's backpack, contained long strands of hair in the bristles. One strand was tested and bared a match to the sun-bleached ponytails found 18 years prior.
During an autopsy, a cause of death couldn't be determined. Since Michele's flesh had been eaten away, no closure was possible. Michele finally had a proper burial and she rests next to her mother.
September 1993
During Roy Melanson's trial, prosecutors pinpointed him as Michele's murderer:
Roy remained in the car with the intention to rape Michele. When she resisted, he attacked her and then carried her lifeless body to the mountain incline. Her skeletal remains were found in the same position in which she had landed after Roy tossed her. Also noted was that Roy had released Okie from the car and he (Okie) ran away .
A jury found Roy guilty of first-degree murder and he was sentenced to life without parole.
Notes
- A few days after Michele's disappearance, one of her college friends died in a car accident.
- One week later, Okie wandered onto a farm and was fatally shot by a rancher who claimed to have been protecting his livestock. He was identified by his dog tag.
- Margaret Wallace committed suicide six weeks after Michele's disappearance. George Sr. found her sitting up-right in bed and clearly lifeless. She consumed a fatal dosage of barbiturates.
- Prior to Margaret's death, she had become a shadow of her former self and was riddled with depression. A suicide note, which she penned, was on her end table and included, "When you find our daughter, bury her next to me." Her wish was granted.
- In 2006, yet another tragedy struck the Wallace family. George Sr. was beaten to death in his home by burglers.
25-year-old Michele Wallace was born in 1949 in Forest Park, Cook County, Illinois. She was active as a child and was deemed a 'tomboy.' She loved to swim and often hung out with her parents, George Sr. and Margaret . Since she was the only daughter, her father relished in her ability to keep up with her brother.
After Michele graduated from Riverside-Brookfield High School in 1967, she visited Africa and Spain. She returned to the U.S. to attend Utah State University. However, she left, with two years of completed coursework, and moved to Aspen, Colorado. Skiing, which she viewed as more of a sport than a game, had become her new past-time. She rarely traveled without her backpack and was often accompanied by Okie — her German Shepherd companion.
Margaret was accustomed to the 'home-body' life, and lived vicariously through Michele's traveling adventures. George Sr., a business owner, was impressed by Michele's extroversion and cherished her fearlessness.
To make ends meet, Michele held a job as a highway worker. The position granted her the opportunity to bask in nature. During her breaks, she utilized her photography skill to capture still-life.
One location which Michele favored was West Gunnison. She was in awe of the mountains and the spacious terrain, as well as the city's residential areas, which were perfect additions to her portfolio. She had been living in the city for awhile and gained a few friends; her laid-back demeanor was a redeeming quality.
While Michele's friends were graduating from the university, or starting families, she was fulfilling her niche. She had chosen to be in the midst of an atmosphere which granted her more than enough terrain and mountains to work with. As a long-time city dweller, she loved the getaway; so much that she had become a resident. Although she still acknowledged where she was born and raised, she embraced the Rockies.
Her dog, Okie, provided Michele the protection against strangers. He was large; so he wasn't difficult for others to notice. His loyalty to Michele was instinctive and he rarely left her side.
August 1974:
When Michele failed to phone her family to inform them of her well-being, police feared she was a possible murder victim. She always maintained contact with her parents; sometimes her calls totaled two or three in one day. So for the contact to have ceased so abruptly was uncharacteristic of her. The build-up of the anxiety gradually took its toll on her mother. To function was difficult for her because she dreaded what tragedy had become of her daughter.
Chris Matthews, who was a rancher, informed police he was certain Michele was the woman who offered a ride to him and Roy. He mentioned that he had met Roy the previous night, and they both talked in the Columbine Bar the next day. At the time, he knew Roy only on a first-name basis.
As both men were standing outside of the bar, Michele offered to drive them to their destinations. Chris accepted. Then Roy claimed he needed a ride because he was experiencing trouble with his pick-up truck. Chris was surprised because Roy told him that he didn't own a vehicle of any kind at all.
However, Michele was serious about her offer. Roy sat in the passenger seat and Chris sat in the backseat with Okie. After Michele dropped Chris off at his destination, she proceeded driving while Roy remained in the passenger seat. She was never seen again.
July 1979
A family found two sun-bleached, braided ponytails in a paper-bag less than a mile from their cabin in West Gunnison. Later, Forensic Analyst Joseph Snyder confirmed the hair did, in fact, belong to Michelle. But the location of Michele's remains were unknown.
August 1992
Michele's skull was found in a bush during a NecroSearch. 20 years earlier, her father told police she had a gold tooth which she received during a dental procedure. According to Michele's dental records, the gold tooth found attached to the skull was a match. The rest of her skeletal remains were found on an incline, and lying in such a position in which indicated to the search team that she had been tossed.
Also found were articles of undergarments and a hiking boot with the skeletal remains of a human foot. The samples of evidence were examined and confirmed to have belonged to Michele. A hairbrush, found in Michele's backpack, contained long strands of hair in the bristles. One strand was tested and bared a match to the sun-bleached ponytails found 18 years prior.
During an autopsy, a cause of death couldn't be determined. Since Michele's flesh had been eaten away, no closure was possible. Michele finally had a proper burial and she rests next to her mother.
September 1993
During Roy Melanson's trial, prosecutors pinpointed him as Michele's murderer:
Roy remained in the car with the intention to rape Michele. When she resisted, he attacked her and then carried her lifeless body to the mountain incline. Her skeletal remains were found in the same position in which she had landed after Roy tossed her. Also noted was that Roy had released Okie from the car and he (Okie) ran away .
A jury found Roy guilty of first-degree murder and he was sentenced to life without parole.
Notes
- A few days after Michele's disappearance, one of her college friends died in a car accident.
- One week later, Okie wandered onto a farm and was fatally shot by a rancher who claimed to have been protecting his livestock. He was identified by his dog tag.
- Margaret Wallace committed suicide six weeks after Michele's disappearance. George Sr. found her sitting up-right in bed and clearly lifeless. She consumed a fatal dosage of barbiturates.
- Prior to Margaret's death, she had become a shadow of her former self and was riddled with depression. A suicide note, which she penned, was on her end table and included, "When you find our daughter, bury her next to me." Her wish was granted.
- In 2006, yet another tragedy struck the Wallace family. George Sr. was beaten to death in his home by burglers.
After Michele graduated from Riverside-Brookfield High School in 1967, she visited Africa and Spain. She returned to the U.S. to attend Utah State University. However, she left, with two years of completed coursework, and moved to Aspen, Colorado. Skiing, which she viewed as more of a sport than a game, had become her new past-time. She rarely traveled without her backpack and was often accompanied by Okie — her German Shepherd companion.
Margaret was accustomed to the 'home-body' life, and lived vicariously through Michele's traveling adventures. George Sr., a business owner, was impressed by Michele's extroversion and cherished her fearlessness.
To make ends meet, Michele held a job as a highway worker. The position granted her the opportunity to bask in nature. During her breaks, she utilized her photography skill to capture still-life.
One location which Michele favored was West Gunnison. She was in awe of the mountains and the spacious terrain, as well as the city's residential areas, which were perfect additions to her portfolio. She had been living in the city for awhile and gained a few friends; her laid-back demeanor was a redeeming quality.
While Michele's friends were graduating from the university, or starting families, she was fulfilling her niche. She had chosen to be in the midst of an atmosphere which granted her more than enough terrain and mountains to work with. As a long-time city dweller, she loved the getaway; so much that she had become a resident. Although she still acknowledged where she was born and raised, she embraced the Rockies.
Her dog, Okie, provided Michele the protection against strangers. He was large; so he wasn't difficult for others to notice. His loyalty to Michele was instinctive and he rarely left her side.
August 1974:
When Michele failed to phone her family to inform them of her well-being, police feared she was a possible murder victim. She always maintained contact with her parents; sometimes her calls totaled two or three in one day. So for the contact to have ceased so abruptly was uncharacteristic of her. The build-up of the anxiety gradually took its toll on her mother. To function was difficult for her because she dreaded what tragedy had become of her daughter.
Chris Matthews, who was a rancher, informed police he was certain Michele was the woman who offered a ride to him and Roy. He mentioned that he had met Roy the previous night, and they both talked in the Columbine Bar the next day. At the time, he knew Roy only on a first-name basis.
As both men were standing outside of the bar, Michele offered to drive them to their destinations. Chris accepted. Then Roy claimed he needed a ride because he was experiencing trouble with his pick-up truck. Chris was surprised because Roy told him that he didn't own a vehicle of any kind at all.
However, Michele was serious about her offer. Roy sat in the passenger seat and Chris sat in the backseat with Okie. After Michele dropped Chris off at his destination, she proceeded driving while Roy remained in the passenger seat. She was never seen again.
July 1979
A family found two sun-bleached, braided ponytails in a paper-bag less than a mile from their cabin in West Gunnison. Later, Forensic Analyst Joseph Snyder confirmed the hair did, in fact, belong to Michelle. But the location of Michele's remains were unknown.
August 1992
Michele's skull was found in a bush during a NecroSearch. 20 years earlier, her father told police she had a gold tooth which she received during a dental procedure. According to Michele's dental records, the gold tooth found attached to the skull was a match. The rest of her skeletal remains were found on an incline, and lying in such a position in which indicated to the search team that she had been tossed.
Also found were articles of undergarments and a hiking boot with the skeletal remains of a human foot. The samples of evidence were examined and confirmed to have belonged to Michele. A hairbrush, found in Michele's backpack, contained long strands of hair in the bristles. One strand was tested and bared a match to the sun-bleached ponytails found 18 years prior.
During an autopsy, a cause of death couldn't be determined. Since Michele's flesh had been eaten away, no closure was possible. Michele finally had a proper burial and she rests next to her mother.
September 1993
During Roy Melanson's trial, prosecutors pinpointed him as Michele's murderer:
Roy remained in the car with the intention to rape Michele. When she resisted, he attacked her and then carried her lifeless body to the mountain incline. Her skeletal remains were found in the same position in which she had landed after Roy tossed her. Also noted was that Roy had released Okie from the car and he (Okie) ran away .
A jury found Roy guilty of first-degree murder and he was sentenced to life without parole.
Notes
- A few days after Michele's disappearance, one of her college friends died in a car accident.
- One week later, Okie wandered onto a farm and was fatally shot by a rancher who claimed to have been protecting his livestock. He was identified by his dog tag.
- Margaret Wallace committed suicide six weeks after Michele's disappearance. George Sr. found her sitting up-right in bed and clearly lifeless. She consumed a fatal dosage of barbiturates.
- Prior to Margaret's death, she had become a shadow of her former self and was riddled with depression. A suicide note, which she penned, was on her end table and included, "When you find our daughter, bury her next to me." Her wish was granted.
- In 2006, yet another tragedy struck the Wallace family. George Sr. was beaten to death in his home by burglers.
