Melissa's Sister
Appearances
48 Hours
The Firefighter's Secret
He could have walked away, so why? I think it was his pride. He wanted to keep it a secret.
48 Hours
The Firefighter's Secret
When Melissa first told me she was pregnant, she told me a couple things about the dad. Matt Ploede, they on and off hung out for years and had a similar clique of friends.
48 Hours
The Firefighter's Secret
Sorry. She said she'd make the conversation quick and she'd call me right back.
48 Hours
The Firefighter's Secret
I shouldn't have spent Thanksgiving that year feeling like there was nothing to be thankful for. This shouldn't be real, but it is real. It is all real because one man decided to make the decision that Barrett and Melissa weren't needed or wanted. None of this had to happen. All he had to do was walk away.
48 Hours
The Firefighter's Secret
For him to say, I, too, have pain and loss from Wilson Barrett, like, what a joke. The judge imposed the maximum sentence.
48 Hours
The Firefighter's Secret
Shining brightly like Melissa always did. She was so strong. She was fierce. She was powerful. Nothing was going to stop her, and she was always going to prove herself, and she'd do whatever it take to do it.
48 Hours
The Firefighter's Secret
She was going to have a nice private Thanksgiving with Dad. So I gave her a call the morning of the 25th, and we talked for about two and a half hours. Cassie Ball and her sister Melissa had lots to chat about. We talked a lot about the future. We talked about what was going to come with the baby. The conversation ended because she looked outside the window. She said, you got to be kidding me.
48 Hours
The Firefighter's Secret
She's like, he's freaking here again. I told him he's got to stop doing this. At the door was 33-year-old Matthew Plody, the expectant father of Melissa's baby. She said, I'll tell you what he wanted. I'll give you a call right back. Bye. Hung up. Did she ever call back? No, my sister never called back.
48 Hours
The Firefighter's Secret
He wanted her to get an abortion. She didn't want that. He blamed her, ghosted her. It did come to upset Melissa because they were friends for so long. She thought he'd at least want to be involved a little bit. Yes. Melissa thought that he would want something to do with the baby. To that point, she thought he was a pretty nice guy. Then she saw a different side of him and that really upset her.
48 Hours
The Firefighter's Secret
Melissa was unapologetically herself, and that is what she was. She's the perfect mix of sugar and spice. Not too spicy, not too sugary, just perfect. Melissa was strong. She was fierce.
48 Hours
The Firefighter's Secret
Melissa would continue to send him like sonograms or when things would happen, because sometimes he would respond a little bit. But she didn't know really where he stood exactly, but Melissa wanted her baby to have the option of having the mother and the father. So she kept the communication with him. He often shut down.
48 Hours
The Firefighter's Secret
Melissa wanted them to have the opportunity to be part of their grandchild's life.
48 Hours
The Firefighter's Secret
Melissa said that his parents were very nice, that they said, let me know what you need. I'll help you any way we can. How did Matthew find out that Melissa had told his parents they were having a baby?
48 Hours
The Firefighter's Secret
My sister Melissa, she was nine months pregnant, about to have a baby in two days.