Michael Mele

Michael Mele, a registered sex offender, is the prime suspect in the disappearance and death of Laura Garza. He was taken into custody for a probation violation and held on $50,000 bail over the weekend of Saturday, December 6, 2008. He later was ordered to appear in court on Monday, December 8, 2008. Mele was 23 years old during the time of his arrest in 2008. The parole violation that Mele was charged with that night reportedly resulted from his "failing to register a change of address when he moved."http://www.aolnews.com/crime/article/remains-found-of-laura-garza-dancer-who-vanished-from-nyc/19455568 Mele was on probation at the time of Garza's disappearance and was forbidden to drink alcohol.

Mele and another man were the last people seen with 25-year-old Laura Garza, who was reported missing on Wednesday, December 3, 2008.1010 WINS: State Police Seek Info. on Man Eyed in Missing-woman Case (December 8, 2008) The New York State Police released a statement on Sunday, December 7, 2008, saying that Mele has not spoken to them upon the advice of his attorney. On the same day, investigators searched his apartment and the nearby woods.The New York Times: Search for Missing Woman Focuses on a Sex Offender (December 8, 2008)

On the night of the alleged kidnapping, Garza and Mele were both seen together multiple times. The two had been recorded by video cameras that were installed at the nightclub they were patronizing. They were seen leaving the club in the early morning hours and spotted again later, some 70 miles north of the city. When they were spotted the second time, the two were only a couple of miles away from Mele's house.http://www.aolnews.com/crime/article/remains-found-of-laura-garza-dancer-who-vanished-from-nyc/19455568

On April 11, 2010, skeletal remains were found near Olyphant, Pennsylvania. Authorities at the time believed that these were the remains of Laura Garza. Most recently, on April 26, 2010, these suspicions were confirmed when DNA testing revealed that the skeletal remains were in fact those of Laura Garza.http://www.aolnews.com/crime/article/remains-found-of-laura-garza-dancer-who-vanished-from-nyc/19455568In addition to the DNA confirmation, a watch identical to one owned by Garza was found within the remains. Police and other local authorities have not yet determined the cause of death.http://www.aolnews.com/crime/article/remains-found-of-laura-garza-dancer-who-vanished-from-nyc/19455568

Michael Mele currently remains in prison. Although his current prison sentence is for an unrelated case, he is still considered by police as the prime suspect in the case of Laura Garza's disappearance and death. Commenting on the matter to AOL News, New York State Police Lt. Pierce Gallagher stated that, "[Mele] was the last person seen with her. He's got a history of being a sexual predator. He's our suspect."http://www.aolnews.com/crime/article/remains-found-of-laura-garza-dancer-who-vanished-from-nyc/19455568

Laura's brother, Nicolas Garza, was notified by police about the confirmation of the skeletal remains on April 23, 2010. Appearing on NBC's The Today Show, Nicolas said they he "didn't know what to do" upon hearing the news. Before telling his mother that the police had found the remains of his sister, he reportedly called his cousin and girlfriend, both of whom came over to offer their support.http://www.aolnews.com/crime/article/remains-found-of-laura-garza-dancer-who-vanished-from-nyc/19455568

Laura Garza's mother, Elizabeth, apparently always had hoped that her daughter might call her. According to Isela Villalobos, Laura Garza's cousin, Elizabeth left her cell phone on and never turned it off specifically for this reason. Having kept her cell phone on for nearly 16 months, Villalobos commented on The Today Show that upon hearing the news, "[Elizabeth] immediately turned off the phone, and that was just a really sad moment for us."http://www.aolnews.com/crime/article/remains-found-of-laura-garza-dancer-who-vanished-from-nyc/19455568