Hello listeners, I'm your host Amara, and this is Black Girl God, a true crime podcast.

On this episode of Black Girl Gone, I tell the story of John L. Melton. A 33-year-old woman was living in Neptune, New Jersey, and who was found brutally murdered inside her apartment on September 14, 2009.

John L. was a social studies teacher, but that day she didn't show up for work. Her ex-husband, who she worked with, went over to her apartment and found her dead.

For years, John L.'s murder went unsolved until people started talking. It took six years, but her killers were finally caught.

But the reason why John L. was murdered only added to the senselessness of her death. This is John L.'s story.

Before I begin this week's episode, I wanted to first thank everyone who listens and supports afterthoughts, and I also wanted to remind you that afterthoughts is simply bonus content.

I said when Jason and I started that it would not be everyone's cup of tea. I know a lot of you listen to Black Girl Gone because I just tell the story, and so it's perfectly okay if you don't like it.

Even if you just listen to our normal episodes, I still very much appreciate your support and hope that you continue to listen.

The story I'm covering this week is a really terrifying story.

John L. Melton's killers have been caught and convicted, but this story, unlike most of the stories I tell, isn't about domestic violence or betrayal.

There were no warning signs, and what happened to Janelle literally could happen to anyone, and it's one of the things that people fear the most, especially women who live alone.

Most people who are murdered are murdered by people they knew. Most of the stories that I've covered, the women who have been murdered, were killed by someone that they knew.

But this story is different. It took years for the case to be solved, and when it finally was, the truth revealed not only how heinous this murder was, but also how senseless it was.

Janelle Melton was born on July 7, 1977, in Trenton, New Jersey, where she grew up, and Janelle's upbringing shaped her academic journey.

Beginning her education at our Lady of Divine Shepherd School, she then moved on to McQuartonson Catholic High School, where she laid the foundation for her future achievements.

But the thirst for knowledge, Janelle eagerly went on to college and graduated from Morgan State University, a historically black university located in Baltimore, Maryland.

But her learning journey didn't stop there. After graduating from Morgan State, she came back to New Jersey, and her passion for education motivated her to get her master's degree, leading her to Monmouth University, where she began another chapter and completed a master's degree in supervisory education.

After receiving her master's, Janelle began her career as a teacher, and her commitment to teaching continued throughout her professional career.

She began teaching at the Village Charter School in Trenton, New Jersey, where she dedicated three years to shaping the minds of the children that she taught.

The enthusiasm and commitment that she showed to both students and colleagues was contagious. After that, Janelle moved on to the Grandville Charter School, where she brought her creative and unique teaching style to a brand new school.

The innovative approaches that she used and her passion for creating an engaging learning environment made her a highly respected teacher.

After her time at Grandville Charter, Janelle became a long-term substitute for the Trenton Board of Education.

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