NBC’s crime documentary show, Dateline, will be releasing an episode dedicating the investigation of Shannon Melendi, who was a victim of Butch Hinton’s murder.

The new episode is titled Shannon’s Story, which followers investigator Dennis Murphy through the horrifying discovery of the heinous murder of the disappeared teen.

Let us learn more about the murder of Shannon Melendi, her killer Butch Hinton and his whereabouts now, along with details on what happened to Shannon Melendi after her disappearance.

Dateline: Shannon Melendi Murder

NBC Dateline’s Shannon’s Story covers the tragic story of Florida teen Shannon Melendi’s murder at the hands of Butch Hinton. Shannon was only 19 at the time of her disappearance from Atlanta.

Born on March 26, 1994, Melendi was a student at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, where she was last seen at a softball game keeping score in DeKalb County.

The 19-year-old was born and raised in Miami and was a soccer player who aspired to be a future attorney with dreams of serving on the United States Supreme Court.

Her dreams and aspirations got crushed when she suddenly disappeared with no leads for the next ten years of her life, with her family holding onto the hope of someday finding her.

The teenager’s family’s hopes were crushed once the police and investigators found the killer who brutally murdered their beloved family after sexually abusing her.

Where Is Killer Butch Hinton Now?

The killer of Shannon Melendi, Butch Hinton, is currently serving his sentence for the murder of the teen at the Hays State Prison in Georgia.

Butch knew the victim from the softball game; she was scorekeeping the day of her disappearance as the killer was working as an umpire at the game.

An anonymous report was crucial in catching the criminal even though it had been almost ten years. After finding the evidence against Butch Hinton, he first did not admit to having any connections to Shannon’s disappearance.

He had a previous record of being a sex offender, which made the investigators not give up on the lead, and it finally paid off as the killer cracked under the paranoia and guilt and confessed to his crimes.

The court sentenced Hinton to life imprisonment for the murder of Shannon Melendi, and at 61years of age, he is still paying for his crimes.

What Happened To Shannon Melendi?

Shannon Melendi was a victim of a brutal murder by her killer Butch Hinton who kidnapped the young girl, sexually abused her, murdered her, and then burned her body.

The murderer confessed to his crimes in court after his 2005 conviction, where he admitted to kidnapping the young girl and sexually exploiting her, promising to let her go after selling her car.

After exploiting her for sexual favor twice against her consent, Butch murdered the teenager, and he described the incident by saying, “ I came over on top of her real quick. I took the tie and put it around her neck. I think I crossed it and strangled her right there.”

Shannon Melendi’s murderer confessed to incinerating her body, taking his wife out to eat, and gifting her the ring he took off Melendi’s dead body. To this day, Shannon’s family has not found closure from the incident since they never found the remains of their beloved family member.