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On Friday night's episode of NBC Dateline, investigator Dennis Murphy will walk viewers through the horrifying disappearance and murder of Emory University sophomore Shannon Melendi. Born and brought up in Miami, Florida, Melendi went missing in Atlanta on March 26, 1994.
28 years later, the Melendis continue to fight for Shannon as her killer, Butch Hinton, while sentenced to life, remains eligible for parole. He ruthlessly r*ped and murdered the 19-year-old and burnt her body before confessing the gruesome details in 2005.
The official synopsis for NBC Dateline: Shannon's Story reads:
"A college student goes missing in broad daylight from her off-campus job. As police begin to investigate, they receive a mysterious phone call that changes everything. Dennis Murphy reports Friday, August 12 at 10/9c on NBC."
Take a look at some of the shocking facts about Shannon's disappearance and murder ahead of the episode.
NBC Dateline: 5 shocking facts about Shannon Melendi's disappearance and murder
1) Shannon Melendi went missing after a softball game in 1994 and was never found again
The upcoming episode of NBC Dateline will explore the harrowing case of 19-year-old Shannon Melendi, who went missing after a softball game where she kept score. March 26, 1994, was when she was last seen alive.
Her car was found the next day at a gas station with the keys still inside. To date, Shannon's body has not been found, and her family and loved ones never got a chance to see her again.
2) A mysterious phone call set the investigation in motion
After Shannon's disappearance, her parents flew in to search for her, along with other community members and volunteers. Missing person fliers were put up, and the search continued for days until a man called the Emory hotline claiming to have Shannon.
The fliers turned into abduction-related posters, and detectives began investigating the call, tracing it to a phone booth in McDonough. They found Shannon's ring wrapped in tape inside a pouch, which they believed the caller had left for them to find.
Microscopic analysis of the tape and pouch revealed traces of cobalt that could be found at an aircraft repair or manufacturing place. The evidence further strengthened the case against prime suspect Butch Hinton.
3) Butch Hinton set fire to his house to burn down the crime scene
Friday night's NBC Dateline investigation into the disappearance and murder of Shannon Melendi is riddled with shocking twists, such as the killer burning down his house to erase the crime scene.
Butch Hinton was the last person to have seen Shannon alive as he was the umpire in the softball game that fateful day. He had also previously received warnings from the institution for constantly flirting with her.
Given his criminal history and connection with Shannon, Butch was considered the prime suspect in the case. However, when the investigation began at his Clayton County house, he burned it down.
As a result, Hinton became the first person in Georgia to be convicted and sentenced without a body or a crime scene. He was also imprisoned for seven years on charges of arson and insurance fraud while the investigation into Shannon's case was still ongoing.
4) Hinton was a s*xual predator
To be explored by NBC Dateline, Colvin Cornelius "Butch" Hinton III had a history of assault and violence against women and young girls. In the 1980s, he was imprisoned for abducting and molesting a 14-year-old girl.
Additionally, when police dug up his backyard while looking for evidence in the Shannon Melendi case, they were shocked to discover articles of women's clothing that were smaller than his wife's. This led them to conclude that Hinton was involved in many more violent cases against women.
Hinton's chilling confession about Shannon's murder further proved that he was a very dangerous s*xual predator who deserved to be behind bars for life. He admitted to kidnapping Shannon and r*ping her twice before strangling her.
5) Hinton was sentenced to life in prison with the eligibility of parole every seven to eight years
NBC Dateline's coverage of Shannon Melendi's tragic disappearance and murder is critical to draw more support for the Melendi family in their efforts to keep Hinton behind bars.
In 2005, after he confessed to everything, Butch Hinton was sentenced to life in prison for murdering Shannon Melendi. However, they are eligible for parole every seven to eight years, as per Georgia law.
Due to the Melendi family's letters and petitions to the parole board, Hinton's parole was denied most recently in 2020. But they live with the grim awareness that someday, Hinton might walk free. As a result, their fight for justice continues 28 years after Shannon went missing.
NBC Dateline: Shannon's Story airs on NBC on August 12, 2022.
