Melanie James was last seen in Farmington, New Mexico on April 20, 2014. Her sister saw her walking with an unidentified African-American man near McKinley Elementary School in the vicinity of 20th Street and Butler Avenue in Farmington, New Mexico on April 20, 2014.

James said she planned to enroll in classes at San Juan College and fill out job applications, then return home by 5:00 p.m. She never came home, however. When her sister came back to the area to look for her, she couldn't find her. She had sometimes dropped out of sight for days at a time, but she's never been gone for this long.