- When Melanie heard a knock at the door, she never expected the news that followed
- Her husband James Addie had been living a double life with unsuspecting mistress Molly Watson
- In fact, he was days away from marrying Molly. But now she was dead.
- Was James not only a cheater, but a killer too?
Melanie Addie sighed. ‘Why are you so late home?’ she asked her husband James, 51.
Working as a corrections officer at a jail, James Addie finished his shift at 3pm but never got home until well after 5pm.
It’d been a point of contention in their marriage for years.
They first met when Melanie was 22, and working as a supermarket cashier, and James, then a 28-year-old mechanic, came to her register.
The following week, he asked her on a date.
James explained he’d been married three times but they all cheated on him.
Now though, in Melanie, he was sure he’d found someone special.
Within six months, the pair were engaged, tying the knot in 1995.
They went on to welcome two children, Emma and Ben.
In 2004 James took a higher paying job at the local jail.
Melanie gained a job as a teaching assistant, despite traditionalist James believing she should stay home with the kids.
In time, he became more controlling and domineering.
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Melanie hoped that by letting James have some freedom to go away with friends, it’d help repair things between them.
But James only became more distant than ever.
One night in April 2018, James went to visit a mate at around 7pm. Shortly after, Melanie fell asleep.
Around 2.45am she was awoken by a knock at her door. It was the police.
They explained they were searching for the fiancé of 35-year-old Molly Watson who’d sadly been found shot dead on the road in front of her car.
Tracing her fiancé’s address through the bridal registry, they’d found Melanie’s house.
Melanie was certain it was mistaken identity…
But on the passenger seat of the bride-to-be’s car was a marriage licence in two names – Molly Watson and James Addie.
Shockingly, they were due to wed in two days.
Melanie’s world shattered. Unbelievably, her husband of 22 years had been leading a double life – dating Molly for seven years.
Now, he was arrested on suspicion of Molly’s murder.
Melanie tortured herself. How could she not have known?
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Searching the house for evidence, she found photos of James and Molly stowed away in the garage.
Blindsided, Melanie confronted James in jail.
He insisted he was sorry for the affair, but was adamant he wasn’t a killer.
Melanie was sure of one thing – she wouldn’t stay married to a liar, cheater and possible murderer, and filed for divorce.
As the police investigation progressed, James’ web of lies unravelled.
Molly’s family told police James and Molly had met in 2011 when they worked together at the jail.
Molly’s son Declan was her world and she loved singing, sewing and making vlogs.
James convinced Molly that he and Melanie had separated even though they still lived together.
Sadly, she fell for his lies, and they began dating.
In October 2017 when James said his divorce was finalised, a thrilled Molly proposed to James and they began planning their wedding.
Ecstatic, Molly was so excited she purchased two gowns for the big day.
Tragically she never got to wear either.
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In April 2021, James Addie, 54, appeared in Cole County Circuit Court, Missouri.
The court heard how a week before Molly’s death, James told her that Melanie had died and he needed to plan her funeral with his children.
Then, on April 27, 2018 – the last day Molly was alive – James texted saying he wanted to see her, ahead of his ex-wife’s funeral the following day.
Molly’s phone records showed that she’d taken a 22 minute call from James at 8.26pm while she was driving.
Experts explained tyre tread on James’ car were consistent with tracks where Molly’s body was found, along with a white shirt, splattered with Molly’s blood.
James Addie, who’d pleaded not guilty, insisted he had returned home by 8.30pm but his daughter Emma, 20, testified she was completing homework at 10pm when he came back.
She said he had a shower and did some washing, commenting that he smelled of bleach.
Two more white shirts matching the one left behind at the scene were found at Addie’s home.
But what would drive James to become a cold-blooded killer?
Police searches of Molly’s devices indicated the day before she was murdered she was looking for Melanie Addie’s obituary but drew a blank.
The prosecution theorised that Molly had discovered James’ lie.
Instead of coming clean, it seemed James had gone to unthinkable lengths to try and cover his tracks.
Lawyer Katharine Dolin said, ‘James was living two separate lives… and set those two lives on a collision course.’
It took the jury just over two hours to find James Addie guilty of first degree murder.
Ahead of sentencing, a victim impact statement penned by Molly’s son Declan was read in court.
In it, he branded Addie a coward who took away one of the most important people in his life. She only made one real wrong decision, which is believing in and trusting you, Declan wrote.
Judge Jon E Beetem, sentenced Addie to life without the possibility of parole plus 10 years for armed criminal action.
A subsequent appeal in December 2022 was denied.
Melanie reflected to ABC News how, in hindsight, she wasn’t surprised her husband was a murderer.
‘He was a pretty selfish person… controlling and intimidating.’ Melanie said.
‘It just seemed like something he would do to fix a problem.’
