Melissa Jane Letain - February 13, 1987 - Age 24 - Murdered - Edmonton

Melissa Jane Letain
Age: 24
COD: Strangled
DOB:
Date last seen: February 13, 1987
Location last seen: Edmonton, AB
Date found: February 14, 1987
Location found: Genesee, AB

Melissa Jane Letain - February 13, 1987 - Age 24 - Murdered - Edmonton - Melissa was last seen leaving work at a popular West Edmonton Mall hair salon where she worked as a hair stylist. She was carrying Valentine's gifts for her boyfriend. It is believed someone abducted her from the walkway leading to her apartment which was right across the street from WEM.

Her body was found the next day 75km SW of Edmonton under the Genesse Bridge on the ice of the North Saskatchewan River. She was spotted by a 14 year-old boy and his friends. An autopsy revealed she died of asphyxiation, ligature strangulation. The killer used a hangman's noose made of 7 coils which is a deviation from the standard 13 coils. He used what looks like standard 1/4" yellow nylon rope.

Items of Melissa's never recovered was a CN Trucking key chain (those clear rectangular acrylic keychains) with a single key, a woman's gold tone watch with a rectangular face, a blue leather or leather looking woman's wallet and a green clutch purse with a gold clasp.

The video showed a flash of a witness description issued of Melissa's killer. The description said: White male, 6' tall, slim to medium build, dark hair swept back at the sides, dark pants and what appears to be a black and grey jacket, bottom half black (or dark) and the top half grey (or light).

Melissa was recovered from the middle of the ice under the Genesee Bridge. The killer abducted her and threw her body off the bridge onto the ice below. The Genesse Bridge is on Highway 770 which leads to the Genesee power generating station. Back in the day, I heard, Genesee used to provide rental housing for their employees. I don't remember what year they stopped doing that, but I think in 1987 it was the case.

Wabamum Lake is the big lake one can see Genesee borders. This lake is often not frozen in parts because the water spoils from the plant is heated when it's dumped into the lake. Ducks stay in that part all year. I wonder if the killer thought the ice would be thin enough, due to heating, and Melissa would go through.

Melissa's friend said in the video he thinks it's someone known to Melissa. He is not a suspect. There is DNA profile retrieved in about 1997 and it's being put or has been put into the database. I really have no clue how this database works.

This is all the information I could get from the video. There is more information about Melissa and the people who knew her and found her at this link provided in another thread:

http://edmonton.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20081022/edm_unsolvedmurders_feature_081022/20081022/?hub=EdmontonHome#TopVideoAn