Melissa Lynn Howard, 45, of Slidell, Louisiana, has been missing since March 29, 2023. She was last seen in the 1600 block of Magnolia Street; the last person known to have seen her was her boyfriend, who reported she left of her own accord. An official missing person report was not filed until April 17, 2023, after the boyfriend told Melissa’s mother he had not seen her in weeks.

Melissa’s black 2015 Chevrolet Silverado was captured by an automatic license plate reader on April 1, 2023, traveling westbound on Jefferson Highway at South Clearview in Jefferson Parish. The truck was later found abandoned along Interstate 55 and towed. A search of the vehicle turned up no sign of Melissa or any clear indication of what happened to her. Some of her essential personal items — purse, driver’s license, debit card, and cell phone — were found at the boyfriend’s residence.

Authorities describe the circumstances as suspicious because of the delayed report, the abandoned truck recovered far from where she was last seen, and her personal effects left behind. Melissa is described as a white female with brown or dark blonde long hair, hazel eyes, and an upper right arm tattoo of a star above a Fleur-de-Lis. Does anyone who knew Melissa or who was in the Slidell or Jefferson Parish area around late March and early April 2023 have information that could help locate her?