ATLANTA — Christopher Wolfenbarger is on trial for the murder of his wife, Melissa, 27 years after her death.
The trial is taking place at the Fulton County Courthouse, where testimony is underway.
Melissa Wolfenbarger disappeared in 1998 not long after Thanksgiving. In April and June of 1999, detectives found dismembered human remains in trash bags not far from her home.
Her remains were not identified until 2003.
Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernandes said Christopher Wolfenbarger was arrested last year after police found him hiding in a wine cellar at his Spalding County home for 20 minutes.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- Murder trial begins for husband accused of killing, dismembering wife 27 years ago
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Prosecutors allege that he killed Melissa Wolfenbarger in the 1990s and point to his actions during the arrest as suspicious.
Norma Patton, Melissa Wolfenbarger’s mother, testified that Christopher abused her daughter, describing an incident where her back was injured.
“Her whole back side was skinned up like she had been dragged along the sidewalk,” Patton said.
Melissa Wolfenbarger had a complicated family background, with her father being a convicted serial killer and her mother admitting to helping with some of those murders.
Patton said her daughter was a good kid until she met the defendant Christopher Wolfenbarger back in the 90’s when the two were in high school.
“I didn’t want them seeing each other because I felt she was too young,” Patton said.
Melissa Wolfenbarger got pregnant in high school and had two children by the age of 21. She had given up parental rights before her murder.
The defense argues that Patton and her husband Karl were the real abusers from whom Melissa Wolfenbarger was trying to escape.
They also question Patton’s credibility due to her criminal past. Still the state put her on the stand to prove Christopher Wolfenbarger is guilty.
Police found DNA evidence on Melissa Wolfenbarger that did not belong to Christopher Wolfenbarger, and he did not report her missing until two years after her disappearance.
The jury must consider these complex factors as the trial continues.
The trial of Christopher Wolfenbarger continues as the jury weighs the evidence and testimonies presented.
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