Episode Details
Back to Episodes
First Responder: The Killing of Melissa Lamesch
Season 11
Episode 10
Published 1 month, 2 weeks ago
Description
Melissa Lamesch was just days away from becoming a mother. The 27-year-old EMT from Mt. Morris, Illinois, was full-term and scheduled to be induced any day. On November 25, 2020—the day before Thanksgiving—her home went up in flames.
Firefighters forced their way inside and found Melissa dead on the kitchen floor. At first it looked like a tragic accident. Then the autopsy told a different story: no smoke in her lungs, normal carbon monoxide levels, and clear signs of strangulation. Someone had killed her before the fire ever started—and then tried to burn the evidence.
The investigation zeroed in on Matthew Plote, a firefighter-EMT and the father of her unborn son. What began as a relationship full of promises ended in a calculated cover-up. DNA under Melissa’s fingernails, a web of lies, and a secret Plote was desperate to keep would eventually unravel everything.
Timestamps
02:38 Melissa’s Final Days
09:57 The Father Revealed
18:18 Racing to the Scene
29:57 Questions After the Fire
53:20 The Autopsy Changes Everything
1:12:36 Clues Start Adding Up
1:23:52 Charges and Conviction
Firefighters forced their way inside and found Melissa dead on the kitchen floor. At first it looked like a tragic accident. Then the autopsy told a different story: no smoke in her lungs, normal carbon monoxide levels, and clear signs of strangulation. Someone had killed her before the fire ever started—and then tried to burn the evidence.
The investigation zeroed in on Matthew Plote, a firefighter-EMT and the father of her unborn son. What began as a relationship full of promises ended in a calculated cover-up. DNA under Melissa’s fingernails, a web of lies, and a secret Plote was desperate to keep would eventually unravel everything.
Timestamps
02:38 Melissa’s Final Days
09:57 The Father Revealed
18:18 Racing to the Scene
29:57 Questions After the Fire
53:20 The Autopsy Changes Everything
1:12:36 Clues Start Adding Up
1:23:52 Charges and Conviction