On Nov. 25, 2020, emergency responders rushed to a house fire in Mt. Morris, Illinois, where they found 27-year-old Melissa Lamesch dead on the kitchen floor. Initial investigations suggested foul play, and authorities later determined the fire was arson. The autopsy revealed no soot in Lamesch's lungs and normal carbon monoxide levels, but signs of strangulation led investigators to conclude she was murdered before the fire started.
Lamesch was two days away from giving birth to a baby boy. The expectant father, 33-year-old Matthew Plote, a firefighter-paramedic, was reportedly unenthusiastic about the pregnancy. Lamesch's sister, Cassie Baal, stated that Plote's reaction surprised her sister, who had previously believed him to be a kind person. Plote allegedly kept the pregnancy a secret from his family and coworkers.
Rob Schultz, fire chief at the Carol Stream Fire District where Plote worked, noted how unusual it was for someone not to share such a significant life event with colleagues. The case was featured in a "48 Hours" episode titled "The Firefighter's Secret," which aired on CBS and Paramount+.