How 23andME found a women who had been missing for over 50 years

Parents suffer horrendous heart-break when a child goes missing, a wound that for most never heals. However, after more than 50 years apart, the parents of Melissa Highsmith have reunited with their long-lost daughter. But the story of this missing girl isn’t what you think.

Photo by Facebook @alta.apantenco

The incredible saga began when Melissa was abducted from her home shortly after her first birthday in 1971. 

Photo by Facebook @alta.apantenco

Melissa’s mother, Alta Apantenco, had hired a new babysitter to watch her daughter while she worked, but instead of watching Melissa, the babysitter took her from Apantenco’s home and never returned.

Photo by Facebook @alta.apantenco

Apantenco reported Melissa missing and has spent the last half-century searching for her daughter with her husband, Jeffrie Highsmith, and daughters, Shannon Highsmith and Victoria Garner.  

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After decades of fruitless investigation into Melissa’s abduction, the Highsmith family finally caught a lucky break when on November 6th, 2022 when they were notified by the popular genetic testing company 23andMe that Mr. Highsmith had a grandchild he didn’t know about. 

Photo by Facebook @alta.apantenco

Apentenco told reporters at CBS that she “just couldn’t believe it,” adding, "I thought I'd never see her again."

Photo by Facebook @alta.apantenco

No information has been released about the kidnapper or the circumstances behind Melissa’s abduction. But the family has released some details about how they found their missing daughter. 

Photo by Facebook @alta.apantenco

"Our finding of Melissa was purely because of DNA," the family wrote in a Facebook post, "Not because of any police or FBI involvement, podcast involvement, or even our family's own private investigations or speculations."

Photo by Facebook @alta.apantenco

Melissa’s family received an anonymous tip from a stranger that their daughter might be in the Charleston area after they organized a Facebook page called “Finding Melissa Smith” to help solicit help from the public. 

Photo by Facebook @alta.apantenco

They then used their 23andMe results with their knowledge of Melissa’s birthmarks to confirm that they had found their missing daughter.

“I couldn’t stop crying,” sister Victoria Garner said in the statement. “I was overjoyed, and I’m still walking around in a fog trying to comprehend that my sister [was] right in front of me and that we found her.”

Photo by Facebook @wefoundmelissa

Melissa, who had been living under the name of Melanie Walden, was initially surprised when she received a Facebook message from her biological family and thought it was a scam. 

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“My father texted me on messenger and he told me, you know, ‘I’ve been looking for my daughter for 51 years,” Melissa recounted in an interview with Forth Worth’s KTVT news station. 

Photo by Facebook @wefoundmelissa

The entire time Melissa was missing, she was unaware that her real family was trying to find her.

Photo by Facebook @wefoundmelissa

“The person that raised me, I asked her, ‘Is there anything you need to tell me?’ and it was confirmed that she knew that I was baby Melissa so that just made it real,” Melissa told KTVT news. 

Photo by Facebook @wefoundmelissa

It is unclear who abducted Melissa as a child or how the woman she thought was her mother became her guardian. But she was able to live a relatively normal childhood just 20 minutes away from her biological parents.

Photo by Facebook @wefoundmelissa

Melissa attended Fort Worth’s Southwest High School under the name Melanie Miyoko but ultimately ran away at 15 after facing some serious struggles at home. 

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“I had an abusive childhood,” she said. “I was seeking a better life.”

Photo by Facebook @wefoundmelissa

In her late twenties, Melissa went by her married name, Melanie Gage, but was arrested four times with misdemeanors related to prostitution. 

Photo by Facebook @wefoundmelissa

During those years, Melissa gave birth to 3 children, all of which had been put up for adoption. But happily, Melissa was able to turn her life around. 

Photo by Facebook @wefoundmelissa

When asked about her reunion with her parents, Melissa stated, “It is overwhelming, but at the same time it’s the most wonderful feeling in the world.”

Photo by Facebook @wefoundmelissa