Originally released in December 2024, I take a closer look at the unsettling case of 30-year-old Debra Melo, who vanished on June 20, 2000, under deeply suspicious circumstances. Debra had been trying to leave a controlling relationship with her husband, Luis Melo. According to him, they argued on the way home from her doctor’s appointment in Weymouth, Massachusetts, and she asked to be let out of the car on busy Route 18. He claimed he returned to find her gone—but Debra’s pocketbook, wallet, ID, and phone were left behind, something that made no sense to the people who knew her best.

The episode features an interview with Steve Demoura, Debra’s brother-in-law and a tireless advocate for her case. Together, they explore the emotional toll on the family, the eerie timing of her disappearance—just a week before Molly Bish went missing—and the haunting legacy of Taunton’s Silver City Galleria Mall, a place tied to both memories and mystery.It’s the first in a two-part series, and it’s as much about justice and advocacy as it is about the crime itself.

On Friday, June 20, 2025, we will gather at Memorial Park in Debra's hometown of Taunton, Mass, in remembrance of Debra, to share memories and a message of hope.

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Boston 25 News coverage of the 25th anniversary of Debra's disappearance by Bob Ward, June 2025

The Boston Globe's Cold Case Files by Emily Sweeney about Debra's case 25 years on

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