Shannon Melendi, 19, went missing after scoring a softball game in Atlanta in March 1994.
After 12 years, someone acknowledged kidnapping, raping, and murdering the Miami native, which shocked the entire country.
Colvin “Butch” Hinton, a Delta Airlines employee and softball club umpire, was charged with her murder ten years later, according to WKYC.
Melendi’s body was never located, and no crime scene was discovered, but Hinton was convicted of her murder.
Which made the first person in the state to be found guilty of murder without a crime scene or body. Hinton admitted to Melendi’s murder after his last appeal was denied.
Butch Hinton, Shannon Melendi Killer’s Marital Status
There is no data information available on the internet about Butch Hinton’s wife and children. The criminal, however, was thought to have married his wife, Gail Hinton.
According to multiple reports, Colvin “Butch” Hinton III is currently 61 years old and is best known for being a convicted criminal suspected of murdering Shannon Melendi.
According to WKYC, Hinton was an umpire at the softball game Melendi was keeping score of at the time, yet it took police almost ten years to charge him with assassination.
The police were able to link Hinton to the event after receiving an unidentified phone call from a phone booth, where they recovered Melendi’s rings wrapped in tape inside a bag.
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Is Butch Still Married To Gail Hinton?
It’s uncertain whether Butch Hinton and his wife Gail Hinton are still married or have split.
However, according to forensic evidence, after killing Melendi Butch, he took his wife to an Olive Garden for dinner.
Similarly, it is said that he gave his wife a ring stolen from Melendi as a gift. In the midst of all of this, when the police recovered Melendi’s ring.
The tape had traces of cobalt, allowing an aeronautical specialist to determine that it came from an aircraft manufacturer or maintenance facility.
Hinton was working for Delta Airlines in Atlanta at the time. There appears to be no information about Butch Hinton’s wife or children. However, he was thought to have married his wife, Gail Hinton.
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What We Know About Gail Hinton’s Current Whereabouts
According to official documents, Hinton, now 61, is serving a life sentence at the Hays State Prison in Chattooga County, Georgia.
Hinton was eligible for parole seven years after his conviction in 2005. However, in 2012, the request was denied as per some documents.
He was denied parole in 2020, and his next parole hearing is scheduled for February 2025.
“God and the parole board, thank you. And thank you to everyone who has stood by us during this never-ending battle. “
According to WKYC, Melendi’s parents, Yvonne and Luis Melendi, purportedly announced at the time.
Her sister, Monique Melendi, continued, stating that they were so very thankful for the support from society for assisting them to continue to fight for justice for Shannon.
On the other hand, Hinton lost all of his appeals after his 2005 conviction and eventually admitted to the crime, telling ABC News that he also sexually assaulted the woman twice.
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