Naman Shrestha
In November 2020, 27-year-old EMT Melissa Lamesch was found dead inside her burning house in Mt. Morris, Illinois. The tragic incident rattled the entire community to its core while grief took over the family and friends of the 27-year-old. Sparking a thorough investigation, the case saw many twists and turns along the way before the detectives finally captured the perpetrator responsible for the murder and arson — Matthew Plote. The detailed account of the entire case is covered in CBS’ ’48 Hours: The Firefighter’s Secret,’ which also features interviews with the victims’ loved ones, who had a lot to say about the relationship between Melissa and Matthew.
Matthew Plote’s Reluctance to Embrace Fatherhood Led Him to Commit Murder
Born on July 10, 1987, Matthew T. Plote grew up to become an Eagle Scout and serve as a volunteer firefighter at the Malta Fire Department. At some point in his life, he crossed paths with Melissa Lamesch, a professional EMT at Trace Ambulance Service in Tinley Park. Sparks flew, and the two began dating. After a while, she became pregnant, but when she broke the news to Matthew, he was far from thrilled and excited about the prospect of having a child. He allegedly did not want anything to do with the unborn child and had been trying to convince Melissa to get an abortion. However, when he could not change her mind, he resorted to taking extreme measures on November 25, 2020, just a few days before the baby was scheduled to come into the world.
On that afternoon, Matthew visited her house in the 200 block of South Hannah Avenue in Mt. Morris, Illinois, and reportedly strangled the mother of his unborn child to death before setting the property on fire to get rid of the evidence that might connect him to the cold-blooded murder. As the residential property was up in flames, a fire brigade was called to take care of the fire. As the firefighters entered the burned house, they found pregnant 27-year-old Melissa Lamesch unconscious on the floor of the kitchen area. Soon after they pulled her out, she was declared dead, along with her unborn child. When the authorities found no hint of soot in her airways or lungs, they learned that she was strangled to death before the fire even started. Thus, they strongly suspected that Matthew might be involved in her tragic death.
On the same day, the police interviewed the prime suspect, who admitted to visiting her that afternoon but claimed that he went there only to resolve several issues and talk things through with her. Matthew told the investigators that he stayed at her house for about an hour or so, during which they talked and indulged in consensual sex. As per his account, that was the last time he saw her. Over the next year and a half, the authorities gathered evidence against him and, on March 9, 2022, arrested him for the murder of Melissa Lamesch and their unborn child. His lawyer tried to get his bond, which was set at $10 million bond, reduced to $500,000, but the judge denied the appeal.
Despite Matthew’s Claims of Innocence, He Was Brought to Justice For His Crimes
A couple of years after his arrest, the trial of Matthew Plote commenced. During the trial, the prosecutors claimed that he strangled Melissa Lamesch on November 25, 2020, inside her house because he was not ready to have a child. Melissa’s sister, Cassie Baal, took the stand and claimed that she was on the call with her when Matthew knocked on her door on the fateful afternoon. Cassie testified, “She said she would make the conversation quick and would call me right back.” Unfortunately, that was the last conversation they had. In order to build a strong case against him, the prosecutors even called a forensic scientist to the stand who testified that Matthew’s DNA was found in Melissa’s fingernail scrapings on both her hands.
Moreover, the witness also reported that the semen found inside the victim matched the killer’s profile. On the other hand, the defendant did not take the stand. However, his defense attorney maintained his innocence and said, “He didn’t do anything. He is innocent. You can’t hold my client’s silence against him. This is a very emotional case. Your decision needs to be based on facts, not emotions.” With the prosecution coming on top, the jury deliberated for a couple of hours and found Matthew Plote guilty of four counts of first-degree murder, three counts of intentional homicide of an unborn child, one count each of residential arson, aggravated domestic battery, and concealment of a homicidal death.
At his sentencing on June 27, the defense requested that the court consider Matthew’s clean record before making a decision. When asked if he wanted to make a statement before the sentence, Matthew stated, “I share the pain and loss of Melissa and Barrett.” A few moments later, he was sentenced to life in prison for the first-degree murder charge, 60 years for the intentional homicide charge, and 15 years for the residential arson charge. All these sentences were ordered to be served concurrently. Just a few weeks later, in July, Matthew and his defense attorneys claimed innocence and filed an appeal to overturn his convictions and sentences. However, the judge denied the request and upheld the punishment. As of today, he is incarcerated at Menard Correctional Center in Menard, Illinois.
Read More: Where is Melissa Lamesch’s Family Now?
