WOBURN, Mass. - On Friday, a private volunteer team of investigators in Woburn dug with a backhoe and sifted by hand for the tiniest piece of evidence that could lead to the body of a girl last seen in 1989.
Crews dug about a half mile south of railroad tracks in the woods near Montvale Avenue, the last place 14-year-old Melanie Melanson was seen.
Soil in that location had tested for human remains and three cadaver dogs picked up the scent of human decomposition.
The search was sparked by a tip to police.
It was that person's belief this area was the original burial site," said Alan Tate, of Mission for the Missing. "And since that time, Melanie had been moved to another location."
Anxious family members waited nearby along with members of the Woburn Police Department, who would close the area off as a crime scene if any evidence was found.
"It's tedious work, you know, it's by hand," said Tate.
In July, search teams combed several acres in Stoneham, where the tipster believed the body had been moved. Nothing was found in that area.
Of Friday's search, investigators said they would work to make sure they get an answer.
"We'll do a thorough job so that when we leave this area we'll know that she's either here or not here," said Dr. Anne Marie Mires, a forensic anthropologist.
Tate said he hopes someone's conscience gets to them and tells them something.
"These folks are now adults who have kids Melanie's age," said Tate.
The team will return Saturday.
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