Melissa Aline Trotter is enjoying her life for all eternity in paradise. You can find her in the rainbows and among the butterflies.

Melissa enjoyed life to its fullest. She was always active in many aspects of life.

RELIGION: Her religious training was with the First United Methodist Church in which she participated in Methodist Youth Fellowship and Vacation Bible School teaching.

PATRIOTISM: Her love of her country and it's Flag were an important part of her life. She demonstrated this service as an active member in the Order of the Rainbow for Girls-Willis Assembly # 361. She was initiated into the assembly September 6, 1993 and served as Worthy Advisor 2-4-95 and 2-17-97. She was appointed in June 1997 a dual Grand Appointment as Grand representative of Virginia to Texas and Junior Member of the Special Projects Committee of the Grand Assembly of Texas

EDUCATION: A 1998 graduate of Willis High School and a freshman at Montgomery College, Melissa was majoring in Business Marketing

On December 8. 1998 Melissa was missing from the college and the Willis/Conroe/Woodlands area came together to form The Melissa Trotter Recovery Center . For 25 days an intensive search continued until January 2,1999 when hunters discovered Melissa's body. Authorities determined Larry Ray Swearingen ,age 27 from Willis, abducted Melissa ,attempted to sexually assault her, strangled her with a pantyhose leg and dumped her body in the Sam Houston National Forest. On July 11, 2000 a Montgomery County jury sentenced Larry Ray Swearingen to be executed.

Melissa's story does not stop here. God gives all of us a free will to make choices and we cannot allow evil the power to destroy Melissa's future and ours. If one life can be saved by Melissa's story then her death would not be vain.

Take time to recall the Serenity Prayer- God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference. .

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