The grief of Tonya Mitchell and her family as they mourn the sudden and violent deaths of their parents is far from over.
“This pain just doesn’t go away, we experience it every day,” said Tonya Mitchell from her home in North Carolina.
Major and Claudette Melvin were shot to death in their own home on SW 30th Terrace in Fort Lauderdale on March 22. No one has been charged in their murders.
“The question of why still remains open. What was the reason for this? We just need peace and justice to find a solution,” said Ericka Mitchell, Tonya’s daughter.
Fort Lauderdale police arrested Maurice Newson, 30, in May and charged him with grand theft auto and receiving stolen goods for allegedly stealing and selling the couple’s red Ford Fusion. The car was missing from the house on the day the Melvins were murdered.
Worse still, Newson was known in the family because he had dated one of the couple’s granddaughters.
“It just leaves me speechless. This person knew my parents. To find out he was a friend of my niece is a bitter pill to swallow. And another bitter pill to swallow,” Tonya Mitchell said.
According to Newson’s arrest report, an unnamed granddaughter was questioned by police and “found to be telling the truth about her involvement in the death of her grandparents.”
“I hope and pray that no family member is involved,” Tonya Mitchell said.
As the police investigation continues, Tonya Mitchell tries to live a life without her mother Claudette, who would have turned 86 in May.
“This May was hard, it was the first birthday we couldn’t spend with her,” she said tearfully.
They are urging anyone who knows anything about the Melvins’ deaths to report it to the police.
“It breaks my heart. I just want people to remember. If you see something, say something. If you know something, say something,” Tonya Mitchell said.
If you have any information, you can call Broward County Crime Stoppers at (954) 493-TIPS (8477). There is a reward for anyone with information that leads to an arrest.
