Home / Crime and Justice / Unlikely Duo Solved Daughter's 16-Year Cold Case
Unlikely Duo Solved Daughter's 16-Year Cold Case
7 Apr
Summary
- A mother confessed to helping her husband, a serial killer, hide bodies.
- Dismembered body parts found in trash were identified as the couple's daughter.
- The daughter's ex-husband was tried for her murder but found not guilty.
A crime scene investigator encountered Norma Patton, who revealed her husband, Carl Patton, was the infamous Flint River Killer, responsible for five murders in the 1970s. Norma confessed to assisting her husband in disposing of two victims' bodies.
Tragically, dismembered remains discovered in trash bags in Atlanta in 1999 were identified as those of the Pattons' daughter, Melissa Wolfenbarger. Her death had gone unnoticed for 16 years, with her ex-husband claiming she had abandoned her children.
In an unusual collaboration, the investigator worked with Carl Patton, then incarcerated for his serial murders, to unravel Melissa's cold case. Despite their efforts, Melissa's ex-husband was tried for her murder in 2017 but was ultimately found not guilty.
Carl Patton, who had been serving multiple life sentences, died in December 2024. The investigator reflected on the partnership, emphasizing that justice was still elusive for Melissa, whose killer had gone free.
