Killer Stories with Harvey Guillén - “Smooth-Talking Killer“ Roy Melanson

Episode Date: June 21, 2021

A lifelong drifter and con man, Roy Melanson charmed and manipulated his way into his victims’ lives beginning in the 1960s. As his crimes became more gruesome, his vagabond lifestyle made him virtually impossible to track down. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Due to the graphic nature of this killer's crimes, listener discretion is advised. This episode includes discussions of rape, murder, and assault. We advise extreme caution for children under 13. On the night of July 10, 1974, 37-year-old Roy Melanson walked into Fijani's cocktail lounge and took a seat at the bar. To the few other patrons, he seemed like a man trying to shake off a bad day. He threw back drinks, chain-smoked cigarettes, and refused to make icon with anyone but the bartender. The bartender, 51-year-old Anita Andrews, was used to this kind of behavior.

She knew just how to disarm customers like Roy and get him to relax. She chatted amicably with him, hoping he might buy more drinks, but her efforts were perhaps a little too successful. Long after the bar had cleared out, Roy remained in his seat, watching Anita wipe down the bar. Eventually, he stood up, and Anita breathed aside for his side for his seat. to breathe to sigh relief. He was going to pay, he was going to leave, and that would be that. But Roy didn't move toward the exit. Instead, he turned towards Anita and pounced. Hi, I'm Greg Paulson. This is Serial Killers, a Spotify original from Parkast. Every episode, we dive

into the minds and madness of serial killers. Today, we're taking a look at Roy Melanson, a smooth-talking career criminal who was always on the run. I'm here with my co-host, Vanessa Richardson. Hi, everyone. You can find episodes of serial killers and all other Spotify originals from Parcast for free on Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. In the first part of this episode,

we'll explore Roy's past and examine his progression from petty thief to rapist and murderer. Later, we'll track Roy's movements as he drifts from state to state claiming victory. and evading justice for years. We've got all that and more coming up. Stay with us.

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Monsters Among Us is a weekly podcast featuring true stories of the paranormal. One of the boys started to exhibit demonic possession. Stories straight from the witnesses' mouths themselves. Something very snake-light lifted its head out of the water. Hosted by me, your guide, Derek Hayes. Somehow I lost eight whole hours. Listen now on Spotify or wherever you get your podcast. Some people are blessed with a silver tongue.

It's the kind of skill that can secure a lucrative deal, spark a passionate romance, or smooth over a tense argument. However, in the wrong hands, the powers of persuasion can be downright dangerous. Con artists, for example, know how to use words to their advantage by saying just the right thing, they manage to get even. the most suspicious individuals to lower their guards. Then they milk them for everything they've got. But when a con man becomes a murderer, a silver tongue can be altogether terrifying.

In the case of Roy Melanson, his manipulation tactics earned him the well-deserved moniker of The Smooth Talker. His ability to deceive people was one of the reasons he evaded justice for so long. It's also one of the reasons people didn't know who Roy really was. Even now, we don't know much about his past, other than he was born in February of 1937 in the small city of Bro Bridge, Louisiana. At some point, Roy plunged headfirst into a life of crime, and by his early 20s, he was already an experienced criminal. He pulled numerous cons and racked up charges for burglary, forgery, and assault. However, by the time he was 25, Roy was no longer satisfied with petty crime.

He wanted something more, something violent. The circumstances of Roy's earliest sexual assault are murky. All we know is that in 1962, he raped a woman in Texas. He was tried and convicted and received a 12-year prison sentence. Roy reportedly served his time in Texas' Huntsville Penitentiary before he was paroled in 1970. Unfortunately, his time behind bars did little to set him straight. Just two years later, in 1972, 35-year-old Roy returned to his old ways. That August, Roy and a friend were driving through Orange, Texas,

when they spotted a young woman named Catherine, stranded on the side of the road. Her car had a flat tire, and she waved at the passing pickup for assistance. Roy pulled over, turned on the charm, and offered his help. Catherine smiled, grateful to have crossed paths with such a good job. Good Samaritan and climbed into the pickup with the two men. Once they were on the road, Roy told her that he needed to drop his friend off at home. Then he could drive it to a body shop. But once they were alone, Roy drove farther and farther away from town.

When Catherine grew suspicious and started to protest, he pulled off the road and attacked. Catherine attempted to fight him off, but at six foot one and nearly 200 pounds, Roy easily overpowered her. He pinned her down and raped her. When he finished, Roy sat quietly, staring into space. At this point, Catherine wasn't sure what to do. While her instinct may have been to run, she was in the middle of nowhere with a man who could easily chase her down.

She knew she needed a different defense strategy. Eventually, she decided her best course of action was to humor Roy. She thought that if she acted like what he did was no big deal, perhaps he'd let her go. Vanessa is going to take over in the psychology here and throughout the episode. Please note, Vanessa is not a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist, but she has done a lot of research for this show. Thanks, Greg. Most of us have heard of the predatory defense response of Fight, Flight, Freeze, or FFF, for short. It's an automatic response strategy found in many living organisms.

When faced with a dangerous or stressful situation, most living things typically fight back, run to safety, or become paralyzed with fear. However, in a 2015 paper, cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Dean Mobs and his research team explained that human beings may have evolved to develop additional response strategies. This is because relying solely on FFF isn't always the best course of action. As such, these researchers posit that the human brain is capable of formulating prediction and prevention strategies. In certain situations, the brain envisions future scenarios between the predator and the prey then estimates likely outcomes. When Roy sat still, staring straight ahead, it's possible that Catherine guessed she was no

longer in immediate danger. However, her brain may have also told her she wasn't out of the woods yet, and she needed to find another way to ensure her safety. So Catherine offered Roy tissues to clean himself up, then made some jokes to get him laughing. Soon enough, he seemed relaxed and eventually told her he'd take her to a gas station and fix her tire. But while Catherine pretended like she didn't care about what had just happened,

her mind was working overtime. As Roy pulled back onto the road, she surreptitiously tossed her underwear and some of the tissues out the passenger side window, Then at the gas station, where Roy patched up her flat tire, Catherine memorized his license plate. When the two finally parted ways, she went straight to the police. She was able to provide a good description of Roy and his car, as well as proof that she'd been sexually assaulted. Because of this, her attacker was quickly arrested, and a trial was scheduled.

Unfortunately, Roy made bail and quickly skipped town, and little is known about his movements for the next two. years. However, Roy couldn't stay under the radar forever. He had urges he couldn't suppress, and by 1974 he was ready to attack again. That February, the 37-year-old pulled into a Texas gas station and saw a girl of about 17 all alone. Her name was Sandra, and she told Roy that the pumps were all out of gas. Instead of being frustrated by the inconvenience, Roy saw an opportunity. He told Sandra that he knew of another gas station close by and suggested that she follow him there. Sandra agreed and trailed him out of the station. But after a few minutes, Roy gestured out of the window for her to pull over. He indicated that something was wrong with his

truck and that he needed some help. After Sandra parked her car, Roy asked if she'd try to start his truck while he checked something under the hood. But as soon as she got into the driver's seat, Roy shoved her down onto the floor and told her he'd kill her if she tried to run. Roy climbed in beside Sandra, then drove to an empty field where he raped her repeatedly. Afterwards, he blindfolded and gagged her, then took her somewhere else to swap cars. Next, he drove across the border into Louisiana. There he found another secluded area, raped Sandra again, and reiterated that he'd kill her if she ever told anyone about him.

The horrifying event continued for days. Eventually, Sandra adopted the same approach as Catherine. She cozied up to Roy and told him that she'd never report him. Perhaps Roy believed her, or maybe he was just finished with her, whatever the reason he finally let the teenager go. He dropped her off at a rest stop in Texas, where she used a payphone to call her dad. Just like Catherine,

Santa remembered Roy's latest license plate number and what he looked like, and she took every detail she could to the authorities. Unfortunately, by the time police started searching for Roy, he was already long gone. Either because he was restless or because he knew he had to run, he quickly put 2,000 miles between himself and East Texas. He ended up in California's Napa Valley, eager to find another victim. Coming up, Roy's grislyest assault yet. Every so often, something so impactful happens,

it has the power to capture the attention of a whole country. An event so deadly or dumbfounding, it has no choice but to live on in infamy. Hi, parcasters, it's Ashley Flowers, and I'm exposing the most sinister cases from the darkest corners of the globe in my new True Crime Limited series, International Infamy. Every Tuesday, come along as I guide you on a wicked world tour, 15 different countries, 15 infamous crimes.

Take a trip to Iceland where six people confessed to a murder that never actually happened. Journey to Mexico, where Aluccia Libre wrestler moonlights as a serial killer, and travel to New Zealand where two friends hatch a deadly plan to become famous. Each episode of international infamy explores the twists and turns of a notoriously high profile case, zeroing in on the cultural details which make the crime unique to its location and explaining why it couldn't have happened anywhere else. Follow my new Spotify original from Parkast, International Infamy with Ashley Flowers, and catch a new episode every week. Listen free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

All pay off your home, travel for life, drive a Ferrari. In celebration of the world premiere of the Monopoly Big Board Buckslot Machine by Aristocrat Gaming, Yamava Resort and Casino and San Manuel is giving one person a $1.6 million dream package. The biggest prize in Yamava's history. Club Serrano members can earn daily instant prizes and secure a spot in the finale May 29th. Don't pass go and own it all. Only at Yamava, celebrating its 40th anniversary. You win? Details at yamava.com must be 21-20. Please gamble responsibly. Monopoly is a trademark of Hasbro. Hasbro is not a sponsor of this promotion. Now back to the story. By the summer of 1974, 37-year-old Roy Melanson was on the run,

having raped two women in Texas. That July, he traveled all the way to northern California and ended up in the Napa Valley. But according to Steve Jackson, author of Smooth Talker Trail of Death, Napa wasn't the high-class wine tourist destination in the 1970s that it is today. Instead of lavish vineyards and boutique hotels, it was mostly farms. In place of tasting rooms, there were seedy bars. and on the night of July 10th, Roy walked in to one of those dives.

Fajani's was owned and operated by two sisters, Muriel Fajani and Anita Andrews. They'd inherited the bar from their father, but neither was thrilled about keeping it open. It meant that they spent their nights in a bad part of town, serving drinks to men who scared them. However, Anita and Muriel didn't want to dishonor their father's memory by closing Fajani's down.

The sisters had been. vowed to keep it running, at least until someone had offered to buy the bar from them. That night, 51-year-old Anita was serving drinks when Roy walked in and took a seat at the bar. He guzzled drinks and chatted with her all night, ignoring the few other patrons. In fact, he seemed determined to keep a low profile, often holding his hand in front of his face or obscuring himself in clouds of cigarette smoke. By 9.30, Roy was the last customer in the bar. Anita wiped down the counters, patiently waiting for him to pay his tab and leave.

But Roy didn't plan on going anywhere. When finally he got up, he moved towards Anita. His cold stare and purposeful strut made her nervous, and she instinctively started backing away, but it was already too late. Roy grabbed her. Anita tried to fight back, grasping at anything within her reach. Perhaps she could knock him unconscious, or at the very least, get him away from her. But it was no use. Roy was much bigger than Anita and stronger, too.

He easily overpowered her and pulled her into the back room. There, Anita threw bottles at Roy, their contents pouring out onto the cement floor as the glass shattered. He punched Anita in the face and knocked her onto the ground. Then, as the scene suggested, he ripped out her clothes and raped her. In the past, this is as far as Roy's attack would have gone, but while Anita lay on the cold, wet ground, trembling from shock, Roy considered his options. He could proceed the way he had before and let Anita live,

or he could prolong the thrill and hurt her even more. He chose the latter. His gaze fell upon a lone screwdriver sitting beside a sink, and he grabbed it. Then he knelt over Anita and stabbed her. 13 times, mostly in the chest. Once he was certain Anita was dead, he pocketed all of her jewelry and stole money out of the register and the safe.

Then he left Fajani's, not even bothering to clean up after himself. He tracked footprints all over the bar and tossed the murder weapon back into the sink where he'd found it. It was a bloody, disorganized mess. All of these actions indicate that Roy falls into the category of a disorganized killer, a type of killer who murders opportunistically. FBI profilers John Douglas and Robert Ressler coined the term in the 1970s

to help local police departments better understand the killers they were hunting. Because we know so little about Roy Mellinson's upbringing, examining the personality type of a disorganized killer may provide some insight into his past and who he was. In his book, Whoever Fights Monsters, Wrestler asserts that disorganized criminals often grow up in strained family environments, where both substance and sexual abuse are prevalent.

Due to a tumultuous upbringing, the disorganized offender internalizes negative emotions and never learns how to blow off steam in a healthy manner. Disorganized killers also have a poor self-image. They ruminate over any physical or mental quirk that distinguishes them from others, and usually withdraw from social settings. As a result, disorganized criminals can't relate to others and rarely form any close friendships. When they commit murder,

it's often only because an opportunity presents itself. With no clear motive behind their attacks, it can be more difficult for investigators to track down disorganized killers. Indeed, after Roy stole Anita's Cadillac from the Fajani's parking lot, no one knew where he went. He seemed to vanish

into thin air. Anita's sister, Muriel, found her body the next morning and immediately called the police. Unfortunately, despite the untouched crime scene, there was little usable evidence for authorities to work with. There were a few partial fingerprints on some bottles and bloody footprints on the stairs, but they didn't match anything in the police database. Over the next several weeks, the Napa PD investigated Anita's murder tirelessly. tracking down and interviewing the few patrons who'd been in the bar that night. Several seemed to recall the presence of a mysterious drifter, but no one could offer more than a vague description of Roy.

By late August, almost two months after the murder, authorities had exhausted every lead and felt they had no choice but to give up. They had no idea who'd killed Anita. For all they knew, he could have already left town. And he had. By that stage, Roy had high time. He tailed it out of Napa and made his way east to Colorado. There, he befriended a ranch hand named Chuck Matthews at a bar near Gunnison.

Chuck was a Vietnam vet who was just as chatty as Roy. At some point, Roy mentioned that he was looking for someone who could kill a bear that was harassing the animals on his property. The penniless Roy was clearly lying through his teeth. Nonetheless, Chuck bought the story. He said that he had a rifle at his place. they could go grab it and he'd help hunt down the bear the next day. So, on the morning of August 30th, Roy hopped in Chuck's car, and the two drove around 40 miles north of Gunnison and up into the mountains.

The two men were excited at the thought of attacking a wild beast, but their enthusiasm was dampened when Chuck's car kept malfunctioning. Eventually, they were forced to pull over on a desolate mountain road, about ready to give up. They sat on the hood of the car, split some stuff, beers and waited for the engine to cool down enough to get them to the nearest gas station. According to author Steve Jackson, 25-year-old Michelle Wallace emerged from a nearby trailhead with her dog, Oakey. She introduced herself and asked the men where they were going.

When they told her they wanted to get back to Gunnison, Michelle shook her head in surprise. Her car was parked along the way. She told the men that if their car could make it to where her Mazda was, she'd drive them to their final destination. Roy and Chuck happily agreed and they set off. When the trio reached Michelle's car, they climbed in and began the drive south to Gunnison. Likely feeling at ease with Roy, who sat in the front seat, Michelle seemed eager to talk. Perhaps she told him how she was about to embark on her first professional photography assignment and had spent the summer living in the Rocky Mountains, honing her skills.

It was early evening by the time they arrived in Gunnison. Michelle parked outside a bar where Roy and she said, Chuck had asked her to drop them off. Chuck thanked Michelle for the ride and hopped out. But Roy stayed where he was and asked her to drive him a few blocks over to his truck. Chuck cocked his head. Roy hadn't mentioned that he had a truck, but before he had time to object, Roy, Michelle, and her dog were already gone. Chuck shrugged and headed into the bar, expecting Roy to join him in a few minutes. He never returned. What happened next is anyone's guess, but it's believed that Roy directed Michelle to a desolate location, then attempted to rape her.

When she resisted, he attacked, killing her in their struggle. Then Roy drove Michelle's car out to the mountains where he dumped her lifeless body. On his way back down, he let Okie out of the car and the dog ran off into the night. Afterwards, Roy drove Michelle's Mazda to Pueblo, Colorado, where he was in his way. Ponder camera and lens. From there, he headed east to Kansas, then to Iowa, where he sold more stolen items. Meanwhile, Michelle's mother was growing worried. After several days of radio silence, she knew something was wrong and reported her daughter missing. Authorities searched high and low, but because Michelle's car and dog had banished two, some thought that she might have simply

skipped town. However, Michelle's family knew she would never do that. So, authorities suspected that Michelle might be lost or stuck in the mountains. They feared that she might have driven to a summit and fallen or gotten injured while venturing off a trail. They sent out a search party, utilizing the help of both ground and air rescue teams. When the air rescue team couldn't see Michelle's bright red Mazda anywhere, investigators began to consider the possibility that the 25 five-year-old had been kidnapped and that her car had been stolen. Desperate for leads, they made pleas for assistance via the local news, hoping someone knew something. It just so happened that Chuck Matthews heard one of those segments on the radio in early September. When the announcer

described Michelle, her dog, and her car, Chuck knew they were talking about the woman he'd met with Roy. He also realized that he hadn't seen Roy since. Chuck called the sheriff's department and told them everything he knew. Although he couldn't provide them with much more than Roy's name and appearance, his call confirmed what everyone feared most. Michelle had banished under suspicious circumstances, and now Roy Melanson was officially declared a suspect

in her disappearance. Of course, by the time the Colorado authorities started searching for Roy, he was long gone. After traveling through Kansas and Iowa, he made his way to Oklahoma, then down to Texas. Along the way, he abandoned Michelle's Mazda and hitched a ride with a new friend back to Colorado. At some point in September, the two men arrived in Pueblo, Colorado,

and started hanging around a local high school. For some reason, they repeatedly drove in and out of the parking lot until a neighbor noticed and called the police. When investigators arrived at the scene, Roy and his acquaintance claimed they were waiting to pick up a student, but the officers weren't buying the story. They recorded Roy's driver's license number, but since the local police department's computers were down, they didn't immediately run him through the system, and he was free to go.

Thirty minutes later, when the computers started working again, Pueblo authorities discovered that he was wanted in Texas for an aggravated rape charge. The cops tracked Roy to a local motel. They went in with guns drawn and quickly arrested him. Police then searched the car Roy and his friend had driven to the high school. Inside, they found Michelle's backpack, the registration to her Mazda, and her driver's license. When they searched Roy's clothes at the jail, they also found a set of Mazda car keys and a ticket for a Pueblo pawn shop. Detectives pursued every lead, including the pawn shop ticket they'd found in Roy's clothes. It was for Michelle's camera, which was still at the shop.

They had the film inside developed and examined the photographs, As expected, she'd taken snapshots of breathtaking landscapes and flora as well as her dog, Oki. However, the last photo on the roll was altogether different. It was of Roy Melanson. It seemed they had him, but Roy's story was far from over. Coming up, Roy attempts to evade justice. Now back to the story.

In September of 1974, 37-year-old Roy Melanson was back in police custody. After being apprehended in Colorado, he was later extradited to Texas for the February 1974 rape of a teenager named Sandra. He was eventually convicted, and because of a Texas habitual offender provision, he received an automatic life sentence. While Roy was locked away, he was still being investigated for the disappearance and possible murder of 25-year-old photographer Michelle Wallace. Though he claimed he was innocent, Colorado authorities had more than enough circumstantial evidence

to warrant their suspicion. But without a body or a confession, police didn't have enough for a conviction. Even still, investigators were confident that Roy was the man responsible, and they continued in their search to prove their case. But after four long years, authorities were still empty-handed. They had all but given up on finding out what really happened to Michelle. That is, until the summer of 1979, when they finally got a break. That July, a hiker wandering the woods near Gunnison, Colorado, spotted something odd lying

near the center of a forked trail. He crouched down to get a closer look at what he likely assumed was a dead animal. But when he realized what he was actually looking at, he stumbled backwards in shock. it was a human scalp with hair still tied in two braids. When investigators arrived, they noticed that the hair color seemed to match Michelle's, but with DNA analysis still years away, investigators couldn't definitively say that the scalp was hers. Still, the police held onto it, hoping that if more remains turned up, they would help ID the body.

Although they were disappointed that they had hit another dead end, they did take solace in one fact. Their prime suspect, Roy Melanson, was still in prison. As long as he was locked away, he couldn't hurt anyone else. Little did they know, Roy was working hard to change that. When he wasn't brawling with the other inmates of the penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas, Roy could be found in the library, reading up on the law and finding flaws in his case. Through a series of loopholes, Roy was able to get his life sentence reduced to 33 years. Then he turned himself into a model inmate, and in March of 1988, after serving less than 13 years,

51-year-old Roy was unleashed on the world. He first settled in Port Arthur, Texas, about 150 miles southeast of Huntsville, with an old flame who lived there with her boyfriend. While there, he kept to himself and mostly maintained a clean record. But all that changed in the summer of 1988. 51-year-old Pauline Clump was the owner of the apartment complex where Roy was staying. On the morning of July 2nd, she stopped by to pick up a TV. Since Roy was the only one home, he led her inside and sparked a conversation. While they chatted in the Texas heat, Pauline mentioned she was having trouble with her air conditioner.

Hearing that, Roy said he'd be happy to take a look at it that very day. He picked up the television set Pauline came to collect, carried it to her coffee. and they headed for her place. Pauline Clump was never seen again. Her car was discovered in a grocery store parking lot the next day, with the TV still inside. When her disappearance was flagged, local police went on high alert, even working with Texas rangers to locate Pauline. But despite their efforts, the case went cold.

Meanwhile, Roy made himself scarce. He got out of town, resurfacing a short time later in Walker, Louisiana. where he found his next victim. It was early August when Roy passed by a laundromat and saw a beautiful woman having a heated conversation on a payphone. He walked inside, pretending to get some change from the machine while he eaves dropped. The woman, 24-year-old Charlotte Sauerwin,

was complaining about her fiancé, Vince Lejeune. The couple owned a plot of land, and it needed to be cleaned out and prepared for construction so they could build their dream home. But Vince was dragging it. his feet, and Charlotte was frustrated. As soon as she hung up, Roy made his move. He flashed Charlotte a smile and said he might be able to help her with her predicament.

He apparently told her he was a land developer and that he could get her property cleared out on the cheap. Charlotte was elated and arranged to meet Roy at the site the next day to show him around and get a quote. In the early afternoon hours of August 5th, Charlotte got ready to meet Roy. As a young woman about to meet a stranger alone in a remote area, she knew it was a good idea to be prepared for anything. So she told several people about the meeting

and even brought along the 380 Beretta handgunned her fiancée had bought her. When she arrived at her property, Roy was likely already waiting for her. As she walked towards him, giving him a big wave, Roy smiled, but he didn't wave back. His hands remained curiously behind his back, and as soon as Charlotte got close enough, she knew why. Based on evidence from the scene, it's believed that Roy produced a length of rope

and tossed it over Charlotte's neck, pulling the slip knot tight before she even had a chance to scream. When she reached into her purse for her gun, Roy yanked the bag off her shoulder and threw it in the grass. Then he dragged Charlotte into the woods. Once he reached a secluded area, Roy raped and savagely beat her. When he was finished, he calmly bent over and loosened the rope around Charlotte's neck.

But he wasn't about to let Charlotte go. Instead, Roy produced a knife and slashed her throat. Once she was dead, he took her purse, stole the radio out of her car, and left the state. Meanwhile, Charlotte's fiancé, Vince, wondered where she was. When she didn't come home, he reported her missing, and authorities descended on the crime scene to begin searching for clues. At first, they seemed to be in luck. There were witnesses who had seen Charlotte speaking to Roy at the laundromat.

Plus, both Vince and her parents knew that Charlotte was going to meet a man on the property. However, no one recognized the stranger, and he didn't seem to be anywhere in town, so the leads proved fruitless. Meeting one dead end, police looked into new suspects and zeroed in on Charlotte's fiancé. There wasn't any evidence to suggest that Vince killed Charlotte, but because, Because he was to be her spouse and because they'd been fighting, he was automatically moved to the top of the list. Most of us have heard some version of the saying, the husband did it. So much so that the pervasive idea of a spurned lover turned killer has seeped into popular culture and everyday news. This kind of melodrama may make for a good story, but the fact is, it doesn't always reflect the truth.

For the year 2015, the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services Division conducted an examination of 13,455 murder victims, and it was determined that the killer was a family member 12.8% of the time. Alternatively, 29.2% of the victims were killed by other acquaintances, and 10.2% were killed by strangers. For 47.8% of the total number of murder victims, victims, a relationship to the killer could not be determined. Unfortunately, law enforcement officials are as subject to the influence of popular culture as the rest of us. They hear the same exaggerated narratives and inflated statistics as we do, but they have the

power to put those misguided and sometimes incorrect suspicions into action. In this case, it appears that Louisiana authorities were so focused on Vince that they stopped searching for any other suspects, including the mysterious man from the laundromat. As far as we can tell, the case eventually went cold. An investigators never noticed that Michelle's missing handgun turned up about a year later in 1989, in Roy Melanson's possession.

With no one making the connection from the gun to Michelle's murder, 52-year-old Roy served about a year behind bars for illegal weapons possession and stolen property charges. Roy must have thought he was the luckiest man alive. Perhaps that cockiness explains why he got so sloppy. Around November 1991, shortly after his release, Roy committed another string of crimes. Once again, he was arrested and thrown back in prison.

It appears Roy wasn't worried. He never seemed to stay locked up for long, despite his status as an habitual offender. He waited patiently throughout the first half of 1992, likely assuming he'd walk free as soon as he was up for parole. He very well might have, had the Colorado Mountains not betrayed him. In August of 1992, Michelle's skull and various other bones were finally found on a steep slope. The remains were presumably in the exact position her body had landed in when Roy tossed her aside.

By this time, DNA analysis was able to prove that the scalp found in 1979 did, in fact, belong to Michelle. With her body found at last, authorities were finally able to declare that Michelle. Michelle was in fact dead, and it was clear to everyone that Roy was the man responsible. Well, it was clear to everyone except Roy. When presented with the evidence against him and charged with Michelle's murder, Roy stubbornly maintained his innocence. He claimed it was all a sham and refused to attend his own trial. The petulant protest didn't change anything.

In September of 1993, 56-year-old Roy Melanson was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. Almost 17 years later, by April of 2010, Roy's DNA had been matched to evidence collected from the 1974 murder of Anita Andrews and the 1988 murder of Charlotte Sowerwin. As he was already serving one life sentence, he was only tried for the former, but the outcome was the same. Roy was convicted and received yet another life imprisonment term. As of this recording, 84-year-old Roy Melanson is still serving a sentence in a Colorado correctional facility.

He continues to deny involvement in every single crime he's ever been charged with. According to him, he's never raped or killed anyone. But the facts are clear. At some point in his life, Roy disconnected from the rest of society and went down a dark and deadly path. Wherever he went, chaos followed. He used his natural charm to ingratiate himself to strangers at bars, and women stranded on desolate roads. To everyone, Roy seemed like a nice guy,

one with a friendly smile and a helpful demeanor. But as soon as they led down their guards, all that changed, and he showed himself for what he truly was, a cold-blooded killer. Thanks again for tuning in to serial killers. We'll be back soon with a new episode. For more information on Roy Mellinson, amongst the many sources we used, we found Smooth Talker Trail of Death by Steve Jackson, extremely helpful to our research. You can find more episodes of Serial Killers and all other Spotify originals from Parcast for free on Spotify. We'll see you next time.

Have a killer week. Serial Killers is a Spotify original from Parcast. Executive producers include Max and Ron Cutler, sound design by... Michael Langsner, with production assistants by Ron Shapiro, Trent Williamson, Carly Madden, and Bruce Kitovich. This episode of serial killers was written by Ellie Reed, with writing assistance by Jane O. and Joel Callan, fact-checking by Bennett Logan, and research by Brian Petrus and Chelsea Wood. Serial killers stars Greg Poulson and Vanessa Richardson. Hi listeners, it's Ashley Flowers, and here's a quick reminder to check out my new True Crime

limited series, International Infamy. Every Tuesday, I'm taking you across the globe to look at 15 of the most notorious crimes from 15 different countries. Some stories are sure to shock, some may leave you stumped, but all are quite the trip. Follow my new series, International Infamy with Ashley Flowers, listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. A beloved 75-year-old man washing up, getting ready for bed, is brutally beaten and killed. Despite an exhaustive investigation, the killer avoids arrest and then strikes again.

I'm Global News crime reporter Nancy Hicks. You might listen to a lot of true crime podcasts this year, but they're not crime beat. Search for and follow the award-winning podcast Crime Beat on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you find your favorite podcasts.