Sometimes during a neighborhood Christmas party in 1989, five-year-old Melissa Brannon disappeared.

Melissa, are you going to get the codes?

None of the adults or other children at the party saw where she went or noticed anything

unusual.

It took science to see what witnesses did not.

Tammy Brannon and her five-year-old daughter Melissa had moved from Texas into this suburban

apartment complex in Lorton, Virginia.

Tammy was a single mother recently divorced, working as an accountant and beginning a new

phase in her life.

Tammy is a very good mother.

She's a very sweet, very caring person.

Kept to herself more or less, you know, she wasn't what I would call extremely outgoing,

although she did participate in just about everything.

One of the attractive features of the apartment complex was the active social program for

the residents.

Every Friday night was some sort of social gathering in the clubhouse.

And during the holidays, there were special events.

The night of December 3rd, they had a nice layout within the clubhouse and people spent

time getting to know their neighbors.

Tammy Brannon entered daughter Melissa, both attended that Christmas party in 1989.

All together, about 200 residents of the complex were there.

Everybody was very upbeat, having a very good time.

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