332. The Deadline: Melissa Lamesch

Our True Crime Podcast

Flanderson Media, LLC

Society & Culture, Personal Journals, True Crime

4.6 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 22 October 2025

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

It should have been a time of celebration. Melissa Lamesch, a 27-year-old EMT, was just two days away from giving birth to her baby boy. Instead, her home in Mt. Morris, Illinois, was engulfed in flames on Thanksgiving Eve. First responders treated the scene as a terrible accident, but the medical examiner soon delivered a shock: Melissa had died before the fire even began. That truth exposed a dark motive, one rooted in a secret relationship and the imminent arrival of a child the father did not want. Join Jen and Cam as they discuss "The Deadline: Melissa Lamesch." Thank you to our team Listener Discretion by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Edward October ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Research & Writing by Lauretta Allen Executive Producers Nico & Jesse of The Inky Pawprint ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://theinkypawprint.com⁠⁠ Sources: https://people.com/melissa-lamesch-death-people-magazine-investigates-8766788 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta0IUWG5Zss https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZVCTWFkR90 https://www.finchfuneral.com/obituaries/melissa-lamesch https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/277013872/melissa-deanne-lamesch https://www.cbsnews.com/news/melissa-lamesch-matthew-plote-illinois-firefighter-accused-of-staging-house-fire-to-cover-up-murder-48-hours/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/696991681/?match=1&terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/697561140/?match=1&clipping_id=182247891 https://www.newspapers.com/image/697561135/?match=1&terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/700693973/?match=1&terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22%20obituary https://www.newspapers.com/image/824364094/?match=1&terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22%20 (Plote arrest) https://www.newspapers.com/image/825964251/?match=1&terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22%20 https://www.newspapers.com/image/894952081/?match=1&terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22%20 https://www.newspapers.com/image/831529455/?match=1&terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22%20 https://www.newspapers.com/image/831529533/?terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22%20 https://www.newspapers.com/image/824453855/?match=1&terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22%20 https://www.newspapers.com/image/839290648/?match=1&terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22%20 https://www.newspapers.com/image/833170919/?match=1&terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22%20 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1024379826/?match=1&terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22%20 https://www.newspapers.com/image/959058622/?match=1&terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22%20 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1021227602/?match=1&terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22%20 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1021227580/?terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22%20 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1057262119/?match=1&terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22%20 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1147080532/?match=1&terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22%20 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1144701359/?match=1&terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22%20 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1092816504/?match=1&terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22%20 (guilty) People Magazine Investigates: Season 8 Episode 11 Inferno of Lies (I watched it on HBO) https://www.wifr.com/2024/03/22/she-said-she'd-call-me-right-back-plote-trial-gains-powerful-witness-testimonies/ https://thecinemaholic.com/melissa-lamesch-family/ info on parents and siblings https://thecinemaholic.com/matthew-plote/ . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	If I get my kid a phone, I'll be able to keep in touch with them all the time.
0:02.8	We'll be on it all the time.
0:04.1	He could walk to school by himself. She could see something, she shouldn't. He could chat with grandma. Friends, trolls. They can access anything on the internet. They can access anything on the internet. So, should I give my kid a phone? Growing up with phones isn't always easy. Introducing EEE safer Sims. Sims that help moderate usage and shield harmful content on any smartphone.
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1:00.3	Hello, I'm Edward October. Over the years, I've narrated more ghost stories, horror shows, and creepypastas than I can count.
1:08.1	And yet, the crimes discussed on our true crime podcast managed to scare
1:13.3	the shit out of me. This program is not suitable for children or the faint of heart. If you are such a
1:19.4	person, go ahead and switch off this podcast. Listen to something else. Are you still with us?
1:26.9	Well, we've warned you. Hey, Jen.
1:49.0	How you doing, Cam?
1:51.0	I'm doing pretty darn okay. How about yourself?
1:53.8	I'm doing well. Doing very well. It's, uh, yeah.
1:57.3	It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. Isn't it now? Yes, it is. Tennis is over. All the big stuff is over. Now we can kind of just slide into the big, busy holidays. Ugh. Don't even remind me of that. Until then. I've got an episode. And I heard it's pretty interesting. We just talked for a second. I've never heard of it. Yeah. Are you ready? I'm so ready.
2:29.8	In November of 2020, the Lammish family had a lot to look forward to.
2:34.2	Yeah, it was the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and the vaccine was still months away.
	...

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