Shivangi Sinha
In November 2020, firefighters in Mt. Morris, Illinois, responded to a fire at the home of Melissa Lamesch, who was nine months pregnant and just days away from giving birth. Her remains were found in the kitchen, but investigators quickly determined she had not died in the fire. Instead, they concluded she had been strangled, and the fire had been deliberately set to mislead authorities. As detectives examined her personal life, attention turned to Matthew Plote, the baby’s father, who had concealed the pregnancy and was the last known person to see her alive. The investigation and case against Plote have been detailed in CBS’ ‘48 Hours: The Firefighter’s Secret.’
Matthew Plote Hid Melissa Lamesch’s Pregnancy From His Friends and Family
Matthew Plote had established himself as a firefighter and paramedic with the Carol Stream Fire Department in Illinois. He met Melissa Lamesch around 2013 while they were in college, and the two developed a close friendship that eventually turned into a long-term casual relationship. For years, their arrangement appeared stable. In early 2020, Melissa learned she was pregnant and was eager to embrace motherhood. Plote, however, was reportedly unreceptive to the news and didn’t disclose the pregnancy to his family or coworkers. It was reported that he was motivated by the desire to keep the impending birth entirely hidden. Per Melissa’s family, Plote allegedly became increasingly distant and responded to her messages only sporadically. Despite this, Melissa wanted her child to have both parents involved. She continued trying to include Plote in her life and the baby’s future.
On November 25, 2020, just one day before Thanksgiving and two days before her scheduled induction, Plote went to Melissa’s home. That evening, firefighters responded to reports of a fire at the house. Melissa was found dead in the kitchen, and investigators soon determined she had been strangled. The level of smoke and carbon monoxide in her system didn’t support death by fire, and ligature marks on her neck were consistent with strangulation. Police concluded the fire had been deliberately set to conceal a homicide. Investigators began speaking with Melissa’s family and learned that Plote had been the last person to visit her before the fire. When police first questioned him, he claimed that Melissa was alive when he left and said he had no knowledge of what happened afterward.
However, as detectives uncovered his reluctance about becoming a father and the fact that he had concealed the pregnancy from colleagues, their suspicions deepened. Plote’s supervisor at the fire department was asked to speak with him, but the conversation produced nothing substantive. When Plote was brought in for further questioning, his responses raised additional concern. When asked whether he had killed Melissa, he denied any involvement in her death. However, he admitted that he hadn’t intended for her to die. Furthermore, investigators observed his demeanor to be “emotionless,” and the prosecutors later highlighted his ambiguous statements in relation to a certain “deadline” regarding Melissa’s pregnancy.
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Matthew Plote is Incarcerated at an Illinois Prison Today
Matthew Plote was arrested on March 9, 2022, and charged with murder, intentional homicide of an unborn child, and arson. By that point, he had already been dismissed from his position as a firefighter after becoming the central suspect in the investigation. He remained incarcerated until his trial began in March 2024. At the trial, the defense argued there was no DNA evidence tying Plote directly to the crime scene and claimed the case relied on speculation and circumstantial evidence.
The jury rejected that argument and found him guilty on all counts, including four counts of first-degree murder, three counts of intentional homicide of an unborn child, arson, aggravated domestic battery, and concealment of a homicidal death. In June 2024, Plote was sentenced to life in prison, concurrent with 60 years for the unborn child homicides and 15 years for arson. A request for reconsideration was denied in August 2024, and in January 2026, an appellate court upheld his convictions. Today, at the age of 38, Matthew Plote is incarcerated at Hill Correctional Center in Galesburg, Illinois, where he will likely spend the rest of his life.
