First Responder: The Killing of Melissa Lamesch
Podcast: Unspeakable: A True Crime Podcast By Kelly JenningsPublished On: Wed Jul 29 2026
Description: Melissa Lamesch was just days away from becoming a mother. The 27-year-old EMT from Mt. Morris, Illinois, was full-term and scheduled to be induced any day. On November 25, 2020—the day before Thanksgiving—her home went up in flames.Firefighters forced their way inside and found Melissa dead on the kitchen floor. At first it looked like a tragic accident. Then the autopsy told a different story: no smoke in her lungs, normal carbon monoxide levels, and clear signs of strangulation. Someone had killed her before the fire ever started—and then tried to burn the evidence. The investigation zeroed in on Matthew Plote, a firefighter-EMT and the father of her unborn son. What began as a relationship full of promises ended in a calculated cover-up. DNA under Melissa’s fingernails, a web of lies, and a secret Plote was desperate to keep would eventually unravel everything.Timestamps02:38 Melissa’s Final Days09:57 The Father Revealed18:18 Racing to the Scene29:57 Questions After the Fire53:20 The Autopsy Changes Everything1:12:36 Clues Start Adding Up1:23:52 Charges and Conviction
The note was deleted
The note was saved
Your message was sent