Firefighter accused of staging a house fire to cover up a murder

3 days ago 8

This communicative primitively aired connected Nov. 30, 2024. It was updated connected Jan. 31, 2026.

Before the occurrence that set Melissa Lamesch's location ablaze connected Nov. 25, 2020, the time had started with excited anticipation. Melissa was owed to springiness commencement to a babe lad successful conscionable 2 days, and Thanksgiving was a time away.

Cassie Baal: She was gonna person a bully backstage Thanksgiving with dad. So, I gave her a telephone the greeting of the 25th and we talked for astir two-and-a-half hours.

Cassie Baal and her sister Melissa had tons to chat about.

Cassie Baal: We talked a batch astir the future. We talked astir what was gonna travel with the baby. … The speech ended due to the fact that she looked extracurricular the window. … She said, "you gotta beryllium kidding me."… She's like, "he's freaking present again. I told him he's gotta halt doing this."

At the doorway was 33-year-old Matthew Plote, the expectant begetter of Melissa's baby.

Cassie Baal: She said … "I'll archer you what helium wanted. I'll springiness you a telephone close back, bye." Hung up.

Nikki Battiste | "48 Hours" contributor: Did she ever telephone back?

Cassie Baal: No, my sister ne'er called back.

Melissa Lamesch and Matthew Plote met and became friends 7 years earlier, portion each was successful college. They maintained a casual relationship. The friendship, says the Lamesch family, cooled disconnected erstwhile Melissa fto Plote cognize astir the pregnancy. Melissa told her household helium did not stock her involvement successful becoming a parent.

Cassie Baal: He wanted her to get an abortion. She didn't privation that. He blamed her, ghosted her. … It did travel to … upset Melissa due to the fact that they were friends for truthful long.

Nikki Battiste: She thought he'd astatine slightest wanna — beryllium progressive a small bit?

Cassie Baal: Yes. Melissa thought that helium would privation thing to bash with the baby. To that point, she thought helium was a beauteous bully guy. … past she saw a antithetic broadside of him and that truly upset her.

MELISSA LAMESCH LOOKS FORWARD TO BECOMING A MOTHER

Deanna and Gus Lamesch were afloat prepared to assistance their girl with immoderate she needed for the baby.

Deanna Lamesch: I had said, if helium doesn't wanna beryllium a portion of the baby's life, you know, don't push, the babe is your child.

Gus Lamesch: I told her, immoderate you needed, I'll assistance you financially.

Deanna Lamesch: She knew she had plentifulness of household support. Everything would person been fine.

The Lamesch household was a ample one. Melissa had 4 siblings, she was already an aunt, and was known for pursuing her ain path.

Cassie Baal: Melissa was … unapologetically herself, and that is what she was. … She's a cleanable premix of sweetener and spice. … Not excessively spicy, not excessively sugary, it was conscionable perfect.

Deanna Lamesch: Melissa was strong. She was fierce. She was a go-getter.

Melissa liked to reinvent herself — done hairstyles — and careers. Most recently, the 27-year-old had been moving arsenic an EMT.

Gus Lamesch: Melissa benignant of fell into the enactment of work. She had an acquisition successful assemblage that that took her to an exigency room. … And … she truly appreciated however she was treated and she wanted to bash the aforesaid for different people.

Nikki Battiste: You were proud?

Gus Lamesch: Yes. … That was her occupation and she took it seriously.

As her owed day neared, Melissa had to halt working. To marque things easier, she moved into her puerility location with her dad. Her parents had divorced respective years earlier. Melissa grew progressively excited astir becoming a mom, adjacent though she and Plote had small contact.

Cassie Baal: Melissa would proceed to nonstop him like, sonograms oregon things would hap … sometimes helium would respond a small bit, but she didn't cognize truly wherever helium stood exactly. But … Melissa wanted her babe to person the enactment of having the parent and the begetter … truthful she kept the connection with him. He often unopen down.

Plote wasn't conscionable shutting retired Melissa. He kept the information that helium was going to beryllium a begetter a concealed — including from his coworkers and Chief Rob Schultz astatine the Carol Stream Fire District, respective counties distant from Melissa's home.

Chief Rob Schultz: We're present 24 hours a day. And … it's a — conscionable a normal, uh, people of being a firefighter … that you speech astir your family, your idiosyncratic life, and what's going connected good, bad, oregon indifferent. … I knew Matt arsenic … a azygous feline … that didn't person immoderate kids.

Even Plote's ain parents did not cognize astir the gestation — until Melissa told them.

Cassie Baal: Melissa wanted them to person the accidental to beryllium portion of their grandchild's life.

Nikki Battiste: How did Melissa accidental his parents responded to the quality of a grandson?

Cassie Baal: Melissa said that his parents were precise nice, that, um, they said, fto maine cognize what you need, I'll assistance you immoderate mode we can.

Nikki Battiste: How did Matthew find retired that Melissa had told his parents they were having a baby?

Deanna Lamesch: I judge that the parents past approached him … but it was not agelong aft that that she had said "he's huffy I told them."

Nikki Battiste: Because helium had kept it a secret?

Deanna Lamesch: Yes.

Melissa celebrated the upcoming commencement with household and friends astatine a babe shower. She had fto everyone cognize she was having a boy. It was a blessed clip — until astir 2 months later, connected that fateful Thanksgiving eve.

Deanna Lamesch: It was conscionable each truthful surreal.

While Melissa's household tried to process their loss, investigators were hoping to supply them with answers astir what had happened.

Lt. Brian Ketter: The occurrence debris is everywhere.

Brian Ketter, past the pb detective astatine the Ogle County Sheriff's Office, headed to the kitchen, wherever Melissa had been found.

Lt. Brian Ketter: Everything's covered successful smoke. … Ceilings, walls, person fallen down and everything's a mess.

Ketter and different investigators besides headed outside, to an ambulance, to presumption Melissa.

Lt. Brian Ketter: We … noticed that she didn't person a full batch of occurrence harm to her.

Nikki Battiste: What does that say?

Lt. Brian Ketter: That the occurrence didn't termination her.

WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE?

Michael Poel, past a peculiar cause with the Illinois State Fire Marshal's Office, was trying to found whether the occurrence astatine Melissa's Lamesch's location was accidental oregon intentionally set.

Michael Poel: We needed to place the country of occurrence root and what whitethorn person caused that fire.

Nikki Battiste (looking astatine photos): What are you looking for?

Michael Poel: Where the top harm is at, wherever the occurrence patterns are at. … We're looking astatine everything and everything successful this representation that whitethorn person thing to bash with the root of the fire.

Nikki Battiste: Where bash you deliberation the occurrence started?

Michael Poel: Uh, I judge the fires implicit here. Actually it's successful these cabinets — wherever these cabinets utilized to beryllium supra the stove area.

But erstwhile Poel examined the stove, reasoning that possibly cooking flames caused the cabinets to drawback fire, helium saw that neither the oven nor the burners had been turned on.

Michael Poel: All the controls are successful the disconnected presumption and determination is nary occurrence harm successful the interior of this oven to amusement that this was immoderate benignant of cooking fire.

Poel besides did not find immoderate electrical issues.

Michael Poel: So, we're starting to tally retired of accidental causes … And we could place astatine slightest 3 precise elemental and casual ways to exit this residence.

Much of the house, too the kitchen, remained accessible, truthful Poel thought Melissa could person recovered a mode out.

Michael Poel: It was what I would telephone a survivable fire. … This young woman was a paramedic. She is utilized to dealing with emergencies. … For her to wholly suffer her position and basal determination and effort and combat that fire. … When you commencement putting each these things together, you commencement coming up with, OK, this makes nary sense.

While Poel was inspecting the house, investigators talked with the Lamesch family. Ketter learned astir the telephone telephone that time betwixt Melissa and Baal, that Melissa ended erstwhile Plote arrived astatine the house.

Lt. Brian Ketter: We learned from the household that helium … was a fireman.

Melissa's member Karl Lamesch told investigators helium had already spoken connected the telephone to Plote, telling him helium knew helium had been astatine the location that day. Karl Lamesch besides told Plote astir the fire, and that idiosyncratic had died, but not that it was Melissa. Investigators did that erstwhile they asked Plote to travel successful for an interrogation that evening.

DEPUTY: Melissa is deceased.

MATTHEW PLOTE: Oh. OK

Nikki Battiste: As you watched his interview, what did you deliberation astir his demeanor, his responses?

Lt. Brian Ketter: Emotionless. Very brushed spoken. … Matthew said helium went … to speech to Melissa. He wanted to speech astir wealth … astir being allowed astatine the infirmary erstwhile she was acceptable to beryllium induced successful 2 days. And that's wherefore helium was there.

In that interview, Plote made a notation to a deadline erstwhile explaining his determination to spell to the location that day:

MATTHEW PLOTE: I mean, there's a deadline for — for that. So, we were trying to —

DEPUTY: A deadline for what?

MATTHEW PLOTE: For gestation there's a deadline.

It was a operation that investigators didn't rather cognize however to interpret.

Nikki Battiste: Was Matthew, a fishy astatine that point?

Lt. Brian Ketter: No, He was not a suspect.

Nikki Battiste: What are the adjacent steps successful the investigation?

Lt. Brian Ketter: We request to find the origin of death. We don't cognize if — if Melissa had a aesculapian occurrence oregon … if idiosyncratic did thing to her oregon if the c monoxide from the occurrence killed her, we don't know.

To get those answers, 2 autopsies would beryllium performed: one, 2 days aft Melissa's death, and past another, astir 2 weeks aboriginal portion laboratory enactment was completed. The results: mean c monoxide levels, and nary soot was recovered successful her system. What was recovered was grounds of strangulation, including hemorrhages astir her neck. Melissa, it was determined, had been murdered.

Deanna Lamesch: We person to program a ceremonial and portion we were inactive waiting for things, it was astir 3 weeks.

On Dec. 14, 2020, the Lamesch household held a ceremonial for Melissa and her unborn baby, whom Melissa was going to sanction Barrett.

Deanna Lamesch: We didn't get to buss his forehead, interaction his cheek. The archetypal clip we got immoderate benignant of contact, they were successful a casket. And the archetypal clip I touched his hand. … I conscionable retrieve gasping, conscionable (gasps) … and I decided I was going to support holding his hand, thing Melissa didn't get to do.

Melissa's household was convinced that Matthew Plote was liable for their profound grief — that helium killed Melissa, simply due to the fact that helium did not privation to go a father. Plote, investigators would learn, had been juggling aggregate women successful his life.

Gus Lamesch: I judge helium did it due to the fact that he's selfish and it was gonna alteration his life, having a child.

Nikki Battiste: Melissa wasn't asking him for anything, nary money, nothing. He could person walked away. So why?

Cassie Baal: I deliberation it was his pride. … He wanted to support it a secret.

With nary different suspects, and with Plote admitting to being astatine Melissa's location that day, investigators were besides circling successful connected Plote, but were inactive gathering evidence.

Lt. Brian Ketter: We had collected DNA grounds astatine the autopsy and we sent that to the transgression lab. We had gotten hunt warrants for telephone records. We were successful the process of getting that accusation back.

They were besides waiting to get accusation backmost from Amazon, astir imaginable recordings from an Echo Dot that Ketter had noticed and was retrieved from the occurrence damaged kitchen.

Lt. Brian Ketter: We were hoping it would grounds conversations oregon … thing from the time … betwixt the 2 of them.

Nikki Battiste: That Amazon Echo Dot could crook this lawsuit around.

Lt. Brian Ketter: Could person — it could person recorded Melissa screaming for help, yelling retired his name. … We didn't cognize what it would be.

QUESTIONING MATTHEW PLOTE

When Carol Stream Fire Chief Rob Schultz returned the call, helium couldn't judge what helium was hearing.

Chief Rob Schultz: I was contacted by our constabulary main … to springiness him a telephone instantly that helium had thing precise important, delicate to speech about. … One of our firefighters was being investigated .. arsenic a fishy successful a execution that occurred … astir 2 hours from our occurrence district's boundaries.

It was present 9 months since Melissa Lamesch's decease successful a location occurrence that had sent shockwaves done the assemblage successful Mt. Morris wherever her location was located. But firefighters wherever Matthew Plote worked successful Carol Stream, astir 75 miles away, were unaware of the fire. Plote had said nothing.

Nikki Battiste: When you heard the sanction Matthew Plote successful that call, what did you think?

Chief Rob Schultz: I was you cognize … determination is nary mode this could beryllium Matt …they person thing incorrect here.

But that disbelief started to alteration erstwhile Chief Schultz checked to spot if Plote worked the time of occurrence and learned helium had called retired sick.

Chief Rob Schultz: The knot successful my stomach, similar virtually wanted to propulsion up.

The occurrence chief's sinking feeling lone got worse erstwhile helium learned that investigators believed Plote killed Melissa and their unborn kid due to the fact that helium did not privation to beryllium a begetter — and past acceptable the location connected occurrence successful hopes of destroying evidence.

Chief Rob Schultz: We had placed Matt instantly connected paid administrative leave. … When I called Matt successful to — to archer him I conscionable said … "I'm being told that you're nether probe for a execution of … your estranged woman and the babe that you're a begetter of."

Nikki Battiste: Did you inquire him wherefore helium hadn't mentioned it?

Chief Rob Schultz: Didn't consciousness that it was, uh, thing that helium wanted to speech astir and … helium felt it was a idiosyncratic substance and didn't privation to disclose it.

While connected leave, connected Aug. 28, 2021, Plote was called successful again for questioning. (BRIAN KETTER 209.01/00:11 My sanction is Brian. I'm a lieutenant with the sheriff's office.) Plote willingly appeared without an attorney.

MATTHEW PLOTE (Sheriff's Office interview): I wanted to lend to the — successful the beingness of our child.

Over the people of the seven-hour interview, helium explained to investigators wherefore helium was astatine Melissa's the time of the fire.

MATTHEW PLOTE (Sheriff's Office interview): So, we talked about, you know, what I could wage her and that we'd — we conscionable said we'd enactment it retired aboriginal to visiting.

He said erstwhile helium near that afternoon, Melissa was talking astir making lunch.

MATTHEW PLOTE (Sheriff's Office interview): She talked astir cooking immoderate nutrient oregon something, but I — I didn't enactment around.

Most of the 7 hours was filled with investigators asking questions and Plote saying precise little.

LT. BRIAN KETTER (to Plote): So, did you spell determination to termination her, oregon did you conscionable spell determination to speech to her and thing happened?

Lt. Brian Ketter: We kept … accusing him of things … and helium ne'er said I didn't bash it. … He ne'er said you guys got the incorrect person. … He was conscionable emotionless and helium wouldn't communicate. … Not erstwhile successful 7 hours, not erstwhile did helium get upset. … Most radical would've told america … I'm done, but helium conscionable sat and listened to us.

Nikki Battiste: Had you ever experienced an interrogation … similar that before?

Brian Ketter: Never.

It wasn't conscionable the deficiency of connection that made Ketter deliberation Plote was guilty, but connected the uncommon times Plote did talk, the antithetic mode helium phrased things.

LT. BRIAN KETTER Did you mean to termination her?

MATTHEW PLOTE: I had nary volition of hurting Melissa.

Lt. Brian Ketter: During that seven-hour interview, astatine 1 point, Matthew did accidental " I had nary intentions of hurting Melissa."

Nikki Battiste: Did that marque you bash a treble take?

Lt. Brian Ketter: Yes. 'Cause successful our opinion, that means I wounded Melissa, but I didn't mean to bash it.

But it was not an admittance of guilt, truthful Ketter wanted to spot if Plote would accidental thing much and made an antithetic petition of Fire Chief Schultz.

Lt. Brian Ketter: We asked Chief Schultz if helium would deterioration a … listening device. So that helium would person a speech with Matthew, we would beryllium capable to perceive it and grounds it and effort to summation immoderate grounds that way.

Chief Rob Schultz: When Brian asks this of me, I'm beauteous taken aback … And initially I said, "no way," and I did immoderate reasoning astir it and called him backmost and said "yes."

Nikki Battiste: You person a batch of responsibilities arsenic a occurrence chief, but I can't ideate you ever thought wearing a wiretap would beryllium 1 of them.

Chief Rob Schultz: No. … and I don't freely speech astir it … It's not thing that I'm arrogant of. It was thing that needed to beryllium done successful the hopes of helping the investigation. … There's a grieving household retired determination that's looking for answers.

So, connected Sept. 9, 2021, Chief Schultz called Matthew Plote and asked him to travel successful to talk.

Chief Rob Schultz: And helium agreed. He says," I'd similar to travel speech to you."

Plote came successful aboriginal that day. The occurrence presumption was rapidly cleared of each different personnel, and Ketter and different investigators headed over. They were capable to spot a instrumentality that conscionable recorded audio connected a telephone connected Fire Chief's Schultz' table and listened successful from extracurricular the occurrence presumption and from an adjoining office.

Nikki Battiste: How were you feeling?

Chief Rob Schultz: Nervous. Very nervous. A spot scared.

Schultz tried to larn what happened to Melissa, by appealing to Plote connected a idiosyncratic level.

ROB SCHULTZ (to Plote): I'm trying to find answers and I'm trying to assistance you. … Help maine — assistance maine — locomotion done — I mean, what — what happened?

But the astir two-hour speech yielded precise small info from Plote, with him again hardly speaking astir the time Melissa died.

Chief Rob Schultz: I retrieve saying … "fill successful each the blanks for me." … And "isn't it unusual that nary 1 present knows that you're going to beryllium a father." Like that's — that's thing we observe here.

Nikki Battiste: What did helium say?

Chief Rob Schultz: Nothing. … Uh, caput was down, uh, a batch of the conversation.

Nikki Battiste: Did helium ever accidental I didn't termination Melissa and my baby?

Chief Rob Schultz: He did not.

With nary of the interviews resulting successful a confession, determination was inactive nary apprehension — thing that exasperated the Lamesch family.

Gus Lamesch: It was excruciating. And, I mean, we were pestering the constabulary constantly.

There were respective reasons for the delay. There was the hold for the occurrence marshal's study — which concluded that "the occurrence origin is astir apt incendiary successful nature, perchance the effect of a occurrence being intentionally acceptable successful an effort to conceal a imaginable homicide." And getting accusation from Amazon connected whether Plote's dependable was recorded connected that Echo Dot they retrieved from the room took time.

Lt. Brian Ketter: It did uncover voices, but thing that proved adjuvant for our case. … It wasn't adjacent connected the time of the murder.

Investigators had besides waited to get Plote's DNA until aft the August 2021 interview, hoping helium would archetypal confess to sidesplitting Melissa.

Lt. Brian Ketter: We got the results backmost saying … that it was his DNA … nether her fingernails.

On March 9, 2022, aft a year-and-a-half of investigating Melissa Lamesch's death, Matthew Plote was arrested connected charges including murder, the intentional homicide of an unborn kid and arson.

John Kopp: The motive that the State painted, was … conscionable an inaccurate portrayal of Matt. By the clip of Matthew Plote's arrest, helium had hired lawyer John Kopp.

John Kopp: They painted him to beryllium this monster that … astatine the driblet of a hat, aft a vocation of redeeming people, decided to abruptly commencement sidesplitting people.

John Kopp: The grounds doesn't amusement that Matthew Plote murdered Melissa Lamesch oregon their unborn child.

MATTHEW PLOTE ON TRIAL

Allison Huntley: Melissa Lamesch was loved. … This is not idiosyncratic who had enemies lined up astir the artifact who wanted to spot her deceased. Rather, determination was 1 idiosyncratic and 1 idiosyncratic lone … and that was Matthew Plote.

Assistant State's Attorneys Allison Huntley and Heather Kruse were portion of the squad prosecuting Matthew Plote.

Heather Kruse: All signs pointed toward Matthew Plote from the precise beginning.

John Kopp: What we wanted to represent to the assemblage is that helium was a — a feline … saving lives for his full career.

Defense attorneys John Kopp and Liam Dixon accidental their lawsuit was misunderstood — and arsenic a firefighter, was a liable person, not a murderer.

John Kopp: Matt's program was to financially enactment her. He had offered her wealth before. … His program was to beryllium there.

Plote pleaded not blameworthy to each charges. On March 18, 2024, much than 3 years since Melissa's murder, his proceedings began successful Ogle County, Illinois. The prosecution argued that Plote murdered Melissa and their unborn kid due to the fact that helium didn't privation to beryllium a father.

Allison Huntley : He was keeping a concealed — the information that helium fathered a babe — successful the hopes that the kid wouldn't beryllium born.

The defence told the assemblage there's nary grounds Plote harmed Melissa, and that helium had gone to spot her that time conscionable to talk.

John Kopp: They discussed their finances; they discussed what would hap with the commencement of the kid … and past Matt near arsenic she was making immoderate lunch.

Heather Kruse: I believe, from the precise beginning, helium was trying to acceptable up a communicative that determination was an accidental location fire, that she had been cooking something. … I judge that was however helium laid retired the country … which would explicate wherefore her assemblage was recovered successful the kitchen.

Prosecutors called Fire Investigator Michael Poel to attest astir his findings. He told the tribunal that helium recovered nary grounds of an electrical oregon cooking fire.

MIKE POEL (in court): And you commencement ruling these — these assorted antithetic things out.

Nikki Battiste: How definite are you that this occurrence was intentionally set?

Michael Poel: I'm definite that it was intentionally set.

Nikki Battiste: No doubt.

Michael Poel: No doubt.

During transverse examination, the defence suggested that Poel was unsure of his findings, citing connection successful his study specified arsenic "most likely" and "it is believed."

JOHN KOPP (in court): You utilized the operation "it is believed" due to the fact that that's an uncertain opinion. Correct?

MICHAEL POEL: It's the mode I described it.

JOHN KOPP: But that's an uncertain opinion. Correct?

MICHAEL POEL: Not to me.

Poel says helium was conscionable utilizing modular presumption utilized during occurrence investigations.

The State besides called forensic pathologist Dr. Amanda Youmans, who had performed 1 of the autopsies.

DR. AMANDA YOUMANS (in court): There was nary soot successful her airways … And her … measurement of c monoxide successful the humor was wrong mean limits. So she was deceased anterior to the fire.

Youmans testified that Melissa's assemblage showed grounds of a convulsive struggle. The assemblage heard astir the hemorrhages astir Melissa's cervix — a circumstantial benignant of breached humor vessels called "petechial hemorrhages" which according to Youmans, is simply a telltale motion of strangulation.

DR. AMANDA YOUMANS (in court): This is the astir petechial hemorrhages I've ever seen successful a strangulation case.

Deanna Lamesch: To beryllium done proceedings was beyond devastating.

Deanna Lamesch came to tribunal each day.

Deanna Lamesch: I had been prepped by the victims' advocate. … Things were going to beryllium gruesome. I was going to spot a lot.

Deanna Lamesch says she ever kept Melissa and her babe Barrett successful her thoughts.

Deanna Lamesch: She was truthful strong-willed and had specified pride. That babe was gonna beryllium a beardown guy.

Plote's parents besides attended the trial.

Nikki Battiste: They've been by his broadside passim this?

John Kopp: Yes. Every tribunal date.

One of the astir important witnesses to attest was Melissa's sister, Cassie Baal, talking astir the time Melissa died and that telephone which Baal says was interrupted by Plote.

ALLISON HUNTLEY (in court): What was the past happening your sister said to you during that telephone call?

CASSIE BAAL: Sorry (emotional). She said she would marque the speech speedy and she would telephone maine close back.

ALLISON HUNTLEY: Did Melissa telephone you back?

CASSIE BAAL: No.

Jurors watched those recorded interviews with investigators, wherever Plote admitted helium was astatine the house.

DEPUTY: How agelong were you astatine the house?

MATTHEW PLOTE: It wasn't much than an hr I don't think

Prosecutors wanted jurors to perceive that operation Plote utilized —

MATTHEW PLOTE: I mean, there's a deadline for — for that.

— referring to the commencement of his lad arsenic a "deadline."

Allison Huntley: He said, there's a deadline to these kinds of things. That was his deadline to execution Melissa.

Heather Kruse: So, if you deliberation astir it logically, Thursday's Thanksgiving and Friday is her owed date, his deadline. The lone clip to bash this was Wednesday. So helium took disconnected enactment and completed his goal.

The prosecutors recovered adjacent much telling what Plote didn't say — particularly during that seven-hour interrogation — 4 hours of which were played for the jury.

Allison Huntley: What is chilling … is the information that helium ne'er denied murdering Melissa. And helium ne'er denied sidesplitting her babe boy, not 1 time. It's chilling from a idiosyncratic perspective, but that's besides fantabulous grounds that the suspect couldn't bring himself to prevarication astir that fact.

John Kopp: Over the people of aggregate interviews for respective hours, helium was calm and reserved.

His silence, the defence says, really points to his innocence — not his guilt.

Prosecutors wanted jurors to perceive that operation Plote utilized —

MATTHEW PLOTE: I mean, there's a deadline for — for that.

— referring to the commencement of his lad arsenic a "deadline."

Allison Huntley: He said, there's a deadline to these kinds of things. That was his deadline to execution Melissa.

The prosecutors recovered adjacent much telling what Plote didn't say — particularly during that seven-hour interrogation — 4 hours of which were played for the jury.

John Kopp: Over the people of aggregate interviews for respective hours, helium was calm and reserved.

His silence, the defence says, really points to his innocence — not his guilt.

QUESTIONING THE INVESTIGATION

John Kopp: The State's adept didn't bash a fraction of what helium should person done to decently find the origin of the fire. … This should person been an undetermined fire.

To effort to poke holes successful the prosecution's case, the defence called lone 1 witness: retired firefighter and autarkic inspector John Knapp. He was not astatine the country of the occurrence but did survey reports and photos.

JOHN KNAPP (in court): I felt similar determination was astir apt much accusation that could person been gathered that wasn't …

He disputed the prosecution's assertion that Plote acceptable the fire. He testified that the grounds collected doesn't beryllium that the occurrence was intentionally acceptable by anyone.

JOHN KNAPP (in court): I couldn't marque that determination to whether oregon not — what the origin of the occurrence should beryllium different than undetermined.

Michael Poel: When you're not determination astatine the scene, you don't spot what we've seen, not ever does each small tidbit extremity up successful a report.

Poel says the defense's adept is wrong, and that his probe was thorough.

Michael Poel: We're looking for thing and everything that could person contributed to the origins of this fire. … They weren't there. … You needed to beryllium determination erstwhile we were doing the examination.

Plote waived his close to testify. During closing arguments, the defence accused investigators of having passageway vision.

John Kopp: The implicit deficiency of probe … of immoderate different idiosyncratic is shocking. I've ne'er seen specified a poorly investigated case.

Liam Dixon: They didn't follow-up connected immoderate different leads that whitethorn person happened. Any different boyfriends, immoderate different — anybody else.

Allison Huntley: If determination had been different lead, investigators surely would've followed it. There simply wasn't..

Prosecutors told the assemblage that the grounds was clear: Melissa Lamesch was strangled to decease by the lone idiosyncratic who had a motive to termination her, Matthew Plote, who was juggling aggregate women and didn't privation to alteration his lifestyle.

Allison Huntley: He intelligibly … did not privation to beryllium progressive successful this baby's life. This is idiosyncratic who actively hid the information that a pistillate successful the assemblage was carrying his child.

John Kopp: He … intelligibly had made immoderate choices astir having … aggregate relationships but did not marque him a killer.

The proceedings lasted a week. After 2 hours of deliberation, the assemblage returned with a verdict: blameworthy of each charges.

Deanna Lamesch: I could perceive radical sobbing and gasping … but like, I — I couldn't adjacent assistance my caput …

Nikki Battiste: What did you feel?

Deanna Lamesch: Shock. Shock.

The verdict was a alleviation for Chief Schultz. He says the lawsuit had agelong weighed connected him and everyone astatine the firehouse who had worked with Plote.

Chief Rob Schultz: There was a immense closure present erstwhile Matt was recovered guilty. … You inactive person the household retired determination that mislaid a girl oregon mislaid a grandson … You're ne'er going to alteration that.

Three months later, connected June 27, 2024, Melissa's household and friends gathered astatine the courthouse for sentencing. Plote listened with small absorption arsenic unfortunate interaction statements were read:

GUS LAMESCH (in court): We mislaid Melissa successful the premier of her life. … Melissa and Barrett should inactive beryllium live and enjoying beingness with her loving family.

CASSIE BAAL (in court): I shouldn't person spent Thanksgiving that twelvemonth feeling similar determination was thing to beryllium thankful for. … This shouldn't beryllium real, but it is real. It is each existent due to the fact that 1 antheral decided to marque the determination that Barrett and Melissa weren't needed oregon wanted.

DEANNA LAMESCH (in court): None of this had to happen, each helium had to bash was locomotion away.

Plote besides addressed the tribunal with this little statement:

MATTHEW PLOTE (in court): To accidental thing different than I stock the symptom and the sadness and the nonaccomplishment of Melissa and Barrett.

Nikki Battiste: Do you judge him?

Gus Lamesch: Oh, no, decidedly not.

Cassie Baal: For him to … say, "I excessively person symptom and nonaccomplishment for Melissa and Barrett," similar that — what a joke.

Judge John Roe imposed the maximum sentence: beingness down bars.

Nikki Battiste: Matthew Plote volition apt dice successful prison. Does that springiness you immoderate benignant of peace?

Deanna Lamesch: No. … I cognize it's the justness strategy and we received our justice, but thing astir this is just. Nothing astir this is fair. No punishment successful the satellite brings them back.

Melissa's sister Julialyn Shedd tries to clasp onto fond memories.

Julialyn Shedd: I miss her personality. … I deliberation it's her sass. … Melissa was — I judge inactive is the champion idiosyncratic that I've ever met.

Nikki Battiste: What bash you miss astir astir your girl and there's a grandson you ne'er got to meet?

Gus Lamesch: Where bash you start. I mean … helium was gonna travel into my home. … I was looking guardant to raising him.

Through each of their grief, the Lamesch household honors Melissa successful galore ways.

Deanna Lamesch: We took toys to a section stateless shelter.

Nikki Battiste: To grant Barrett?

Deanna Lamesch: To grant Barrett. … We donated wealth to the no-kill structure that Melissa got her feline from.

They besides sponsored a histrion astatine a section arboretum that Melissa loved.

Deanna Lamesch: Every twelvemonth … astatine the holidays, this histrion volition ever beryllium lit arsenic portion of their display.

Shining brightly, similar Melissa ever did.

Cassie Baal: Melissa was strong. She was fierce. She was powerful. Nothing was gonna halt her. And she was ever gonna beryllium herself and she'd bash immoderate it instrumentality to bash it.

"48 HOURS" POST MORTEM

"48 Hours" contributor Nikki Battiste and shaper Ruth Chenetz sermon the narration betwixt Melissa Lamesch and Matthew Plote, the defense's effort to formed uncertainty connected the investigation, and the touching communicative of however Melissa's household discovered the sanction she had chosen for her soon-to-be-born babe boy.

Produced by Ruth Chenetz and Emily Wichick Hourihane. Michelle Sigona is the improvement producer. Michael Baluzy and Phil Tangel are the editors. Anthony Batson is the elder producer. Nancy Kramer is the enforcement communicative editor. Judy Tygard is the enforcement producer.

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