LINCOLN, Neb.-
Human remains found near Denton two months ago are those of a 15-year-old girl missing for nearly 12 years, and she was likely murdered, police said Friday.
Melissa Ann Schmidt-Maser of Lincoln was last seen alive on Sept. 5, 1995. Police said she had gone to the Nebraska State Fair that day, then rode her bike home. She made it there, locked up her bike up and dropped her bag, shoes and a book that she had been reading inside.
She was never seen alive again.
On Jan. 26 this year, authorities found human remains buried beside a county road.
“People keep asking, ‘is it a relief?'” said her aunt Barb Stone. “It’s better. It’s better to know than not know. But it doesn’t feel as good as relief.”
Police told Shelly Schmidt, Melissa’s mom, on Jan. 29 that they’d found human remains in a ditch near Denton, and they wanted a DNA sample to see if it was her daughter.
On Tuesday, Police Sgt. Luke Wilke came to Shelly Schmidt’s job to tell her they were sure the remains were those of her daughter.
“It’s been 12 years of looking for her and just hoping she’d walk through the door. We brought her home. That’s all I can say,” Shelly Schmidt said.
Numerous DNA tests and comparisons were conducted to identify the remains, police said.
“The skeletal remains are who we believed they were throughout the investigation,” Police Chief Tom Casady said at a news conference Friday morning.
“It’s incredibly sad that she appears to be a victim of a homicide,” Casady said. “In a way, it’s good that after all these years, that her family can know the truth and have her remains returned.”
A suspect is already in prison on an unrelated matter, police said.
Dave Maser, Melissa’s stepfather, said he never gave up hope completely, although he said it was difficult.
“There were times reality would hit you in the face,” he said.
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Information from: Lincoln Journal Star,
