In the pre-dawn hours of August 15, 2005, a single gunshot ended 29-year-old Melissa Renee Missy Mendoza’s life at an isolated house at the end of Roberts Road in Sabattus, Maine. The 911 call came from her 35-year-old ex-boyfriend and father of their two-year-old daughter, Daniel Roberts, who said the shooting was self-defense. Mendoza had a documented history of seeking protection-from-abuse orders against Roberts and had recently filed an affidavit saying he had threatened her and put a gun to her head on several occasions.

Prosecutors say Roberts lured Mendoza to his home and shot her in the back of the head as she entered the garage; the defense says she arrived armed and he acted in self-defense. A .38-caliber revolver was found at the scene — Roberts said Mendoza had it; prosecutors say he planted his own gun. A jury found Roberts guilty of murder in February 2007 and he was later sentenced to 55 years in prison. Appeals and postconviction challenges, including a 2019 bid based on new DNA testing, have not undone the conviction.

If anyone knew Melissa, her movements that day, or has information about the relationship and custody dispute, please share what you know.