The Woburn woods where Melanie Melanson disappeared

By Globe Staff

On Oct. 27, 1989, a high school freshman named Melanie Melanson walked into these woods in Woburn and disappeared.

Melanie Melanson

It was a Friday night, five days before Melanson's 15th birthday. She went out that night with other high schoolers to a party in the woods at the edge of an industrial park near the Stoneham town line. Melanson remained with a group of five friends until the early morning hours. She vanished, however, and was never heard from again.

A search followed that included cadaver dogs, dive teams in local waters, and repeated ground searches by local police. No one ever found Melanson.

Globe Columnist Yvonne Abraham wrote about Melanson today because Middlesex District Attorney Gerald T. Leone is beginning a new push to find her. The district attorney's office held a press conference at the edge of these woods to announce a $5,000 reward for information that leads authorities to her remains.

“Nearly 20 years ago, Melanie Melanson went into these woods behind me with a group of friends,” Leone said in a press release. “She was never seen again. We are asking the public’s help in finding Melanie as part of our continuing efforts to determine the circumstances of her death."

If you have information on Melanie Melanson's disappearance, call the Woburn Police Department at 781-933-1212 x853 or State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office at 781-897-6650.