Episode 31: MURDERED: Melody Rhoades Husk – Neptune Beach, FL

A night of dancing with a trusted friend, a bold young woman vanishes, her truck abandoned, and her family left in torment. The murder of 19‑year‑old Melody Rhoades Husk shattered a loving family and raised unsettling questions about trust, betrayal, and the failures of a small‑town investigation.

Episode Summary

n November 1979, 19‑year‑old Melody Rhoades Husk left her Neptune Beach home to meet a friend at Hobo’s Discotheque. Melody was known for being brave and compassionate; she loved music, volunteered with the Special Olympics, and doted on her cats. She had recently moved back in with her parents after her marriage collapsed over her husband’s drug dealing and an alleged affair, and she was rebuilding her life. That night, she dressed in stylish jeans and a sweater and sat down with her friend at the club. The atmosphere was festive, but when the friend returned from the dance floor, Melody was gone, her truck still parked nearby. She never returned home.

Her disappearance sparked a search and a missing‑person report filed on November 24 after her family insisted the police accept it. The friend had not looked for her, and her family started searching, frustrated by the lack of official action. Thirteen months later, a skeleton with multiple stab wounds was discovered in the woods off San Pablo Road and was identified as Melody by a ring and clothing. The murder devastated her family and the community, and speculation swirled about the friend and her estranged husband, but no arrests were made. Decades later, her case remains open, and it still haunts Neptune Beach. The episode examines the timeline, the missteps in the investigation, and how the family’s fight for answers has turned into a legacy of advocacy for cold‑case victims.

If You Have Information

If you have any information about the murder of Melody Rhoades Husk, please contact the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit at (904) 255‑2626 or, to remain anonymous and possibly receive a reward, call First Coast Crime Stoppers at (866) 845‑TIPS (8477).

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