The creators of ABC News ’20/20: Murder of Molly Watson’ have focused on the tragic death of Molly, 35, in Missouri.
She appeared to have everything going for her, with a good job and an impending wedding, only to be brutally murdered in April 2018.
The authorities then started looking into her future husband, James Addie. However, they soon discovered that he had been married to Melanie Addie for nearly two decades.
So, shall we learn more about what happened and how Melanie’s testimony was crucial?
Who Is Melanie Addie?
When the cops discovered James had been Molly’s boyfriend for about seven years, they tracked him down to his home in Santa Fe, Missouri.
The authorities realized at that point that James was living a double life. He lived in Santa Fe with his wife and daughter while maintaining a secret relationship with Molly.
WATCH: Melanie Addie, the ex-wife of defendant #JamesAddie, testifies that she had no idea her husband was having an affair until the police told her his mistress was found dead.
What do you think is the State’s strongest evidence so far?
WATCH on #CourtTV – MO v. James Addie pic.twitter.com/iXcUGLFdUR
— Court TV (@CourtTV) April 27, 2021
Melanie later stated that she found out about her husband’s infidelity on April 28, 2018, hours after Molly died, which turned her life upside down.
Melanie had divorced James by the time his trial came around. In April 2021, she testified against James, claiming that on the night of the murder, he left the house around 7 p.m. while she went to bed about a half-hour later.
Melanie Addie- What Happened To Her?
Melanie divorced her husband, James, when she found out that he was living a double life all along.
At 2:30 a.m., the authorities arrived at their door and informed her of what had occurred. Melanie remembered that she hadn’t seen James’ jacket that night.
Melanie searched their house in the hopes of finding more information. “I just wanted to see if there was anything else I could find,” she explained in court.
This album featured photos of James and Molly together while they were on vacation in Florida.
WATCH: Melanie Addie, the ex-wife of defendant #JamesAddie, testifies that she had no idea her husband was having an affair until the police told her his mistress was found dead.
What do you think is the State’s strongest evidence so far?
WATCH on #CourtTV – MO v. James Addie pic.twitter.com/iXcUGLFdUR
— Court TV (@CourtTV) April 27, 2021
At the time, he told Melanie that the trip to Florida was for a work assignment, even showing her a letter that appeared to be from his workplace.
Furthermore, five days before James and Molly’s wedding, the wedding planner testified that she received an email informing her that James’ ex-wife had died over the weekend.
Where Is Melanie Addie?
Melanie also mentioned another trip James took to Mexico with some friends during the trial.
The defense brought up Melanie and James’ financial disagreements, and she stated that all she wanted was for him to be more responsible with his spending.
“It was just mind-boggling. It made no sense at all.” Melanie Addie opens up for the first time to @DebRobertsABC about finding out her now ex-husband lived a double life that led to a shocking murder.#ABC2020 premieres Friday on @ABC. Stream on Hulu. https://t.co/HNjPskZz9u pic.twitter.com/fqS3nLZMrv
— 20/20 (@ABC2020) January 6, 2022
Melanie’s testimony was ultimately crucial in proving that James lived a double life that she was unaware of.
Melanie appears to have stayed out of the spotlight since the trial. However, according to our information, the alleged former substitute teacher resides in Missouri.