Investigators say 27-year-old EMT Melissa Lamesch was strangled and then a fire was set at her Mt. Morris home on Nov. 25, 2020. Prosecutors allege the father of her unborn son, firefighter-paramedic Matthew Plote, kept the pregnancy secret and was arrested March 9, 2022, on charges including murder, intentional homicide of an unborn child and arson. The case is explored in the "48 Hours" episode "The Firefighter's Secret."
The Firefighter's Secret: Was An Expectant Mother Murdered Before Her House Was Set Ablaze?
Matthew Plote / Credit: Carol Stream Fire District
On Nov. 25, 2020 — the day before Thanksgiving — emergency crews in Mt. Morris, Illinois, found 27-year-old EMT Melissa Lamesch dead on the kitchen floor near the oven after a house fire. What began as an investigation into a suspicious blaze quickly turned into a homicide probe.
Case Overview
Initial scene work revealed no obvious electrical faults, and investigators reported that the oven and stove burners were turned off. An autopsy found no soot in Lamesch’s lungs and normal carbon monoxide levels, but pathologists noted signs consistent with strangulation. Authorities concluded Lamesch had been killed before the fire was started.
Allegations and Arrest
Investigators focused on the alleged father of Lamesch’s unborn son, 33-year-old firefighter-paramedic Matthew Plote. Prosecutors say Plote kept the pregnancy a secret — even from family and colleagues — and grew increasingly worried that a child would change his life. Ogle County prosecutors have said Plote may have concealed the pregnancy "in the hopes that the child wouldn't be born."
Plote was arrested on March 9, 2022, and charged with murder, the intentional homicide of an unborn child and arson. Prosecutors allege there is evidence he was at Lamesch’s home the day the fire was set and that he started the blaze to conceal the killing.
Defense Response
Plote’s defense attorney has stated that his client admitted being at the home and did not hide that presence from investigators. According to the defense, Plote visited to discuss plans for involvement with the baby and that the two discussed finances before he left while Lamesch prepared lunch.
Community Reaction
“We put fires out. We don’t start fires. We help people. We don’t hurt people.” — Rob Schultz, Chief, Carol Stream Fire District
Chief Schultz and colleagues described shock and disbelief at the suggestion that a firefighter could intentionally harm someone.
Where To Learn More
The case is examined in the "48 Hours" episode titled "The Firefighter's Secret," reported by Nikki Battiste. An encore aired Jan. 31 on CBS and the episode is available for streaming on Paramount+.
Note: Plote has been arrested and charged; legal proceedings are ongoing. This article reports allegations and charges rather than a conviction.
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