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The upcoming episode of 48 Hours on CBS will focus on the 2020 homicide of Illinois resident Melissa Lamesch. Melissa Lamesch was found dead inside her home on November 25, 2020, by first responders.
Based on the crime scene, it was initially thought that Melissa had died because of a house fire. However as the detectives delved deeper into the case, they realized that her death was not a tragedy but a murder.
The upcoming 48 Hours episode that will highlight this case is titled: The Firefighter’s Secret. It will air on CBS on November 30, 2024, at 10 pm ET.
The autopsy of Melissa Lamesch revealed that she was strangled
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As per reports by CBS News, on November 25, 2020, the first responders, who came to stop a house fire, found 27-year-old Melissa Lamesch dead inside the kitchen of her house.
Her death appeared to have been an accident at first. But as the investigation progressed, it became evident that she was not killed in the house fire. Her autopsy report showed that the carbon monoxide levels in her lungs were normal and that there was no soot. Additionally, the house had no gas leaks or electrical issues, which would have started the fire.
According to CBS NEWS, the autopsy also revealed that there were signs of strangulation, leading the detectives to conclude that she was murdered before the fire started.
The fact that Melissa was scheduled to give birth to a son but was killed and the unborn child perished within her womb was the most distressing aspect of the whole situation.
Who killed Melissa Lamesch and her unborn child?
As per a report by CBS News, post Melissa Lamesch's death, it was discovered that Melissa’s baby’s father Matthew Plote, a firefighter paramedic, was allegedly 'disinterested' in fathering the unborn child. He also kept the child a secret from everyone around him, including his parents and coworkers.
During the investigations, Plote also revealed that he had gone to Melissa’s house on the day she was killed, to discuss their finances and future plans with the baby. However, the prosecutors suspected him of killing her and staging the scene to make it look like an accident.
Ogle County Assistant State's Attorney Heather Kruse, talked to CBS about how she believed Matthew Plote to be the killer and believed he had covered his tracks. With regards to that, she said:
"I believe from the very beginning he was trying to set up a story that there was an accidental house fire, that she had been cooking something. Which would explain why her body was found in the kitchen."
Reportedly, Matthew Plote was found guilty of first-degree murder, and multiple other charges were levied against him. In 2024, he received a life sentence for killing Melissa Lamesch, a 15-year sentence for arson, and an additional 60 years for killing their unborn child.
To learn more about this case, watch the upcoming episode of 48 Hours on CBS titled The Firefighter’s Secret. The synopsis for the same reads:
"On Thanksgiving Eve in 2020, an expectant mother was found dead inside her burning Illinois home. It was not immediately clear what caused her death. She had been involved with a firefighter – someone trained to save lives. Could he have set a fire to cover her murder?"
The Firefighter’s Secret airs on CBS on November 30, 2024, at 10 pm ET.
