AKRON, Ohio — In an emotional plea, Rhonda Elkins-Chapman told News 5 she’s still in disbelief that her granddaughter, Melanie Elkins, is dead.
But she says she won’t stop fighting.
“This will never go away until justice is served for her,” said Elkins-Chapman.
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Pictures are all Elkins-Chapman says she has left as she mourns the loss of her granddaughter.
“She was a light. No doubt about it,” said Elkins-Chapman.
But that light Elkins-Chapman says Melanie would bring to any room was blown out after her granddaughter's life was cut short at 13-years-old.
The Summit County Medical Examiner determined she died from a combination of methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Elkins-Chapman told News 5 the journey to this point began on Thanksgiving Day in 2022, after Melanie revealed to her, she had been raped by 30-year-old Anthony Mignano, who Summit County Prosecutors say moved in with the then 12-year-old and her father.
“After the Thanksgiving weekend, I approached the courts in Akron, the juvenile court system,” said Elkins-Chapman. “I spent seven months, all the way up until the week she died, trying to get her out of her situation.”
This week, News 5 reported Mignano was sentenced to life in prison for Melanie’s rape after he admitted to having sex with Melanie three times.
He is not charged in relation to Melanie’s death.
“I have no choice in my heart but to forgive him but what is going to be the rest of his life is something that he was old enough to understand was wrong,” said Elkins-Chapman.
In a separate case related to Melanie’s death, 31-year-old Keith Earley was arrested and sentenced to nine months in prison after he allegedly dumped her body in the Akron alley.
“It’s different. It’s changed our lives quite a bit,” said Elkins-Chapman.
As the investigation continues, Elkins-Chapman commends her granddaughter for being brave to speak her truth and encourages parents to listen to their children if they’re in a difficult situation.
“Don’t put it off because you really don’t know what they’re living through,” said Elkins-Chapman.
Elkins-Chapman told News 5 she hopes the alley where police found Melanie’s body is one day shut down.
She also says she wants to see the juvenile court system take more of a proactive approach.
