In 1971, She Was Kidnapped From Her Parent’s Home As A Toddler By A Babysitter: Fifty-One Years Later, She Was Surprisingly Found And Reunited With Her Family

Katharina Buczek |

Dec 11, 2022

National Center For Missing & Exploited Children - pictured above is Melissa

Over five decades ago, a twenty-two-month-old baby girl named Melissa Highsmith tragically vanished after a babysitter kidnapped her from her parent’s home in Fort Worth, Texas.

Recently, though, the Highsmith family revealed some post-Thanksgiving news that they are beyond thankful for. Melissa was finally found in Fort Worth.

After disappearing in 1971, her parents, Jeffrie and Alta– as well as police– searched high and low for the missing toddler. They even followed up on tips regarding possible sightings states away in North Carolina.

Despite all of these efforts, though, it turned out that Melissa had been living in Fort Worth for the enter time under the name of Melanie Walden.

As for how the Highsmith family and Melissa were finally reunited, the family said that DNA led the way.

“Our finding Melissa was purely because of DNA, not because of any police or FBI involvement, podcast involvement, or even our family’s own private investigations or speculations,” Sharon Highsmith said in a Facebook post.

So, just a few days ago, Melissa and her parents were reunited for the first time in fifty-one years. And now, they are working on getting to know each other again.

“I just couldn’t believe it. I thought I would never see her again,” Melissa’s mother, Atla, recalled after learning they had found her daughter.

The discovery was kickstarted in September when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children shared a tip that detailed how Melissa had possibly been spotted in Charleston, South Carolina.

National Center For Missing & Exploited Children – pictured above is Melissa

The tip ultimately did not lead to anything; however, after years of her case being cold, the possible lead did put Melissa’s story back into the national media spotlight. And afterward, the newfound discussions gave the Highsmith family renewed hope and strength in the search for their daughter.

Then, a 23AndMe DNA test eventually connected Melissa’s children with the Highsmith family.

“They said, ‘Dad, she’s alive,’ and I started crying. After fifty-one years, it’s so emotional,” Melissa’s father, Jeffire, revealed.

Although, after Jeffrie finally reached out to Melissa on Facebook, she at first believed it was some sort of scam.

“My father texted me on messenger, and he told me, ‘You know, I’ve been looking for my daughter for fifty-one years,'” Melissa explained in an interview with CBS.

For her entire life, though, she had no clue that her real family had been relentlessly searching for her. So, Melissa finally asked the person who raised her for answers.

“The person that raised me, I asked her, ‘Is there anything you need to tell me?’ and it was confirmed that she knew that I was baby Melissa so that just made it real,” she said.

Afterward, Melissa agreed to test her DNA and was finally reunited with her parents and brother, Jeff, on Thanksgiving day.

She has since spent time with her family looking at baby photos of herself that she had never seen and trying to come to terms with the truth.

“It’s overwhelming, but at the same time, it’s the most wonderful feeling in the world,” Melissa said.

“My heart right now is just full and bursting with just so much emotion. I’m just really, really happy.”

Now, she plans to legally change her name back to Melissa, and no other information regarding her kidnapper has been released yet.

“The FWPD Major Case Unit will be working with the Highsmith family to continue the investigation into Melissa’s disappearance,” the Fort Worth Police Department explained in a statement.

“Even though the criminal statute of limitations expired 20 years after Melissa’s 18th birthday, the Fort Worth Police Department is committed to completing this investigation to uncover all of the available information concerning Melissa’s abduction that occurred 51 years ago.”

If true crime defines your free time, this is for you: join Chip Chick’s True Crime Tribe

In 1993, This 12-Year-Old Girl Stepped Off Her School Bus And Then Her Classmates Watched As A Pickup Truck Followed Her Home

This Teen’s Cousin Tried To Pressure Her At His Wedding Into Gifting Her Taylor Swift Tickets To His New Wife, And He Did It In Front Of All Of His Guests

She Bought Her Sister’s Children Nearly $2,000 Worth Of Christmas Gifts, But After She Caught Her Sister Labeling The Presents With Her Baby Daddy’s Name, She Called Her Sister Out

His Fiancée Left Him At The Altar, But Now She Wants Him To Take Her Back, And He Has No Idea What To Do

In 1974, These 3 Teens Vanished After Christmas Shopping At A Mall: Shortly After, Their Families Received A Cryptic Note, And The Girls Have Still Never Been Found

His Fiancée Just Gave Him An Ultimatum: He Can Tell His 5-Year-Old Son That There’s No Such Thing As Santa, Or He Can Dump Her, And She’s Going To Tell His Son Anyway

Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.

More About:True Crime