Melissa Highsmith.Photo: Highsmith family
Melissa’s father, Jeffrie Highsmith, told the judge, “Thank you, your honor.” At that point, the judge stood up, took off his glasses and joined in the applause before posing for a photo with the reunited family.
“Me and my mom were never close,“Melissa, 53, told PEOPLE last November.“And the whole time I was there, it was a bad childhood.”
“I wasn’t allowed to go outside and play, or she always sheltered me,” she says. “And she said the reason she sheltered me was because I was born at home and that I had brain damage.”
Melissa Highsmith (middle) and her parents, Alta Apantenco and Jeffrie Highsmith.Highsmith family
After decades of searching for her, her biological family found her after Melissa’s biological father, Jeffrie Highsmith, took a 23andMe DNA test that showed a connection between himself and one of Melissa’s three children.
“My whole life was a lie,” Melissa previously toldtheStar-Telegramof Fort Worth.
Six months later, the Fort Worth Police Departmentreleased news that a DNA test had confirmed Melissa’s identity.
“It is our hope that this test result will offer additional closure for the Highsmith family,” a police spokesperson said in a statement shared with PEOPLE.
Melissa’s sister, Rebecca Highsmith Del Bosque,posted on Facebook:“The results were exactly what we already knew. We now have OFFICIAL confirmation that she is ours! Our daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, niece. We are thrilled! We are thankful and grateful for all the love and support we have received over the years and especially since we found Melissa. Our family is whole and we look forward to the time we will be able to spend as a family of 7.”
Melissa’s husband, John Brown,posted on Facebook, “My breathtaking wife and an amazing woman has been officially given her identity back as Melissa Highsmith! She is an inspiration to all and a beacon of Hope for many.”
Despite her family’s desire for answers and justice, criminal charges might not be possible because the statute of limitations has expired.
“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,” Fort Worth Police said in astatement to CBSlast November.
source: people.com
