FORT LAUDERDALE — In a recent update to a tragic case that has gripped the local community, Fort Lauderdale Police have arrested Maurice Newson in connection to the stolen vehicle of murdered elderly couple Major and Claudette Melvin. Newson, 30, was taken into custody back in May on charges related to the theft and illegal sale of the Melvins' red Ford Fusion. NBC Miami reported that Newson, who had a past romantic involvement with the couple's granddaughter, has yet to be connected to the killings themselves.
The discovery of 89-year-old Major and 85-year-old Claudette Melvin, who were tragically found shot dead in their home, occurred on March 22 at their residence located on the 600 block of Southwest 30th Terrace. Initial investigations revealed that the Melvins' vehicle, a 2014 red Ford Fusion, was also missing from the premises. Without any explicit signs of intrusion or robbery inside their home, the stolen vehicle became a key piece of evidence to definitively link someone to the scene. During the extensive police efforts, detectives were eventually able to locate the missing vehicle in a tow yard, leading them to further uncover Newson's alleged involvement in its theft and eventual sale, WSVN detailed.
As the investigation persists, the family endures the torments of uncertainty and grief. "We're angry, we’re very angry. We’re still trying to wrap our minds about how can we? Who would? Who did? Why?" Kim Mitchell, one of the couple’s daughters, told WSVN in an interview. Her sister, Tonya Mitchell, also expressed her unfiltered despair and outrage over the loss, questioning the motive behind such cruel acts against the elderly couple. "What did you want? What were you looking for? You took nothing, but you killed them. Why?" she said. "To come in and kill two elderly people like that, you’re gonna burn in hell."
Investigators have dived deeper into the background of the arrestee, Newson, who is charged with theft and sale of the Melvins' vehicle, but not their murder. A tip-off about the sedan's location at a tow yard and information gathered from a tow truck driver helped police zero in on Newson as the seller of the stolen car. The seller had claimed to be tired of pouring money into the vehicle and let it go for a mere $200, only to be retconned by its media appearance as the car belonging to the murdered couple. Detectives used cellphone traces to affirm Newson's connection to the sale, while the granddaughter's polygraph response to questions surrounding her potential involvement paved the way to further probing, as outlined by the arrest report from WSVN.
While Newson faces his current charges, the police have not yet made any additional arrests or announced other suspects in relation to the murders of Major and Claudette Melvin.
