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March 9, 2026

America May 9, 2023

DNA Testing Confirms woman is  Melissa Highsmith who was kidnapped in 1971 

America ı By Jackie Allen

819 0 Comments

Fort Worth Police confirmed the true identity of a Texas woman, Melissa Highsmith, who was abducted as a toddler 52 years ago.  She was found through DNA testing and was reunited with her birth family after more than five decades of separation. Police confirmed the family's private DNA testing results this week. Now 53 years old, Melissa grew up as Melanie Brown. And she was raised just ten minutes away from where she was kidnapped. She never knew she was taken from her parent's home in Fort Worth in August of 1971. And that the woman who claimed to be her mother kidnapped her while posing as a babysitter. 

A baby is kidnapped

Melissa Highsmith's biological mother, Alta Apantenco, posted a newspaper ad for a babysitter shortly before her daughter was kidnapped. A woman responded to the ad, agreeing to meet then-21-year-old Alta at the diner where she worked, but never showed up. The prospective babysitter called later, telling Alta that she really wanted the position and had previously babysat other children in her large backyard. Without meeting in person, Alta hired the woman over the phone out of desperation, having recently separated from her husband, Jeffrie Highsmith. On August 23, 1971, a mysterious, well-dressed woman wearing white gloves showed up at her Seminary Road apartment. While Alta was asleep, the woman told the Apantenco's roommate that she had "come to pick up the baby." She took away Melissa, who was last seen wearing a pink dress and white sandals.  The Highsmith family continued to throw birthday parties for Melissa after her disappearance.  After years of searching for her long-lost daughter, 73-year-old Alta Apantenco said that she had nearly given up hope. 

DNA testing finds a match

The Highsmith family hired a genealogist and had 23andMe DNA testing done that led them to the Fort Worth woman in 2022. On Melissa's 53rd birthday, a match for recently submitted DNA was returned.  The Ancestry service linked her biological father Jeffrie Highsmith's sample to those of Melissa's three children with her husband, John Brown. On the weekend after Thanksgiving, Melissa was reunited with her parents. And two of her four siblings were also present.  Melissa's biological sister Victoria Garner posted a message on Facebook saying, "I couldn’t stop crying. I was overjoyed and I’m still walking around in a fog trying to comprehend that my sister is right in front of me and that we found her.” Sharon Highsmith, Melissa's younger sister, said that the discovery was "overwhelming and incredible." 
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Jackie Allen
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Jackie Allen

Jackie is a freelance journalist and technology geek. She worked as a telecom project director for AT&T and BellSouth. Before joining the USA Herald she has written books, articles, blogs and whitepapers. Her clients include Samsung and other technology companies.

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