30 Year Cold Case - The Murder of Melonie White

In August of 1994, two hikers made a grim discovery near Lake Mead Boulevard in Las Vegas—the remains of a 27-year-old woman at the bottom of a wash. Her name was Melonie White. A young mother who had recently moved to Las Vegas in search of a fresh start, Melonie’s life was brutally cut short. And for almost 30 years, no one knew who had taken it.

In this week’s episode of Sins and Survivors, we revisit the case of Melonie White—a case that went cold quickly in 1994, despite early efforts from investigators. Melonie had been strangled and left in a remote desert area. Her body showed signs of blunt-force trauma. The crime scene suggested she'd been dragged, possibly from a vehicle. Despite leads, police couldn’t identify a suspect, and the case faded into silence.

It wasn’t until 2010 that DNA testing brought new momentum. A male DNA profile was developed and submitted to CODIS, the national law enforcement database—but no match came back. It was a solid clue with nowhere to go.

Then, in 2021, everything changed. With funding from the Vegas Justice League, one of the first cases they ever supported was sent to Othram, a private lab specializing in forensic genetic genealogy. Using advanced DNA sequencing and public genealogical databases, Othram’s team began building a family tree from that unknown DNA.

By August 2024, investigators had a name: Arthur Joseph Lavery, a man who had lived in Las Vegas in the '90s, attended high school there, and had a prior battery charge on record. But Lavery had already died in 2021—complications from COVID, after relocating to California.

At a press conference, Metro Police and the Vegas Justice League revealed the long-awaited identification. Melonie’s brothers, Walter and Jason, stood with them and spoke publicly. Their mother, they said, had been devastated by Melonie’s death. And while Lavery would never face justice in a courtroom, finally having an answer brought them a measure of peace.

They also shared that Melonie’s son, just two years old at the time of her murder, is now 33—healthy, happy, and still a central part of the family.

This case is more than a headline. It’s a story about the power of persistence, technology, and community action. It shows what’s possible when police don’t give up, when families keep pushing, and when organizations like the Vegas Justice League step in to help fund critical testing.

🎧 Listen to Episode #81: sinspod.co/81

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🔬 Want to Help Solve Cold Cases?

You can contribute directly to active forensic genealogy investigations through dnasolves.com.
And if you’ve taken a consumer DNA test, consider uploading your profile to GEDmatch or FamilyTreeDNA and opting in to law enforcement matching. You might help solve a case like Melonie’s.