Residents near the Smoky Mountains are still baffled by the mysterious disappearance of Thelma Pauline “Polly” Melton who vanished without a trace while on a hike with friends. Despite Melton's disappearance over 40 years ago, many people are still eager to discuss their theories.
Melton, who went out hiking with some friends , was last spotted in the Deep Creek area on September 25, 1981. Friends later told investigators that around 4pm, the woman suddenly picked up her pace and went on ahead. The last thing that her friends saw was Melton walking over a hill on the trail and out of their view, reports ABC affiliate WSYX .
Her friends said that they assumed that Melton had simply returned to the campground where a vehicle owned by Melton and her husband was parked. However, when they all returned to the campsite, her husband had claimed he hadn't seen Melton.
After waiting for almost an hour and a half for their friend to return, they called the police. Melton's friends then told police that the woman, who was 58 at the time, was familiar with the trail and was about five feet and ten inches.
The friends stated that Melton had Auburn hair and was wearing a pink and white blouse with tan slacks, low-cut tan shoes and eyeglasses. Friends added that she was also wearing a diamond-studded white gold wristwatch and a wedding band.
Authorities later canvassed the area and found that there was no evidence that anyone had ventured off the beaten path. Some of her friends did note that Melton was taking medication for high blood pressure and nausea at the time of her disappearance.
The Charley Project , which is a website seeking to raise public awareness for thousands of “cold case” missing people, noted that her disappearance came as Melton was reportedly grieving the loss of her mother, but was not suicidal at all. The site also notes that Melton had no ID, cash, or medications on her when she vanished. It is noted that she did have a packet of cigarettes with her.
According to Tennessee authorities , nearly 400 people go missing in the state each year. Those who may happen to know anything about Melton's disappearance are urged to call the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Melton's story is reminiscent of a California woman who went missing after she had told her friends she wanted to return to Sacramento while they camped near the Yuba River and Sweetland Creek near Nevada City. Esmeralda Marie Pineda went missing on August 25 after voicing her desire to return to civilization.
Her friends say that when they awoke the next day, Pineda was nowhere to be found. The pals searched for their friend all day but couldn't find her and there was no evidence that she had made it back to the city.
The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office was eventually brought in to help with the search. “Her friends went searching for her during that day, and couldn’t find any signs whether she had made it out,” Sgt. Dustin Moe of the NCSO said.
On September 6, Moe and his partner managed to locate Pineda and airlift her to safety. “The Sheriff’s Office and our search and rescue volunteers covered extensive ground throughout our search, and we are thankful today to find her alive,” Moe said in a statement.
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