| Age at missing | 21 years old |
| Case ID | melissa-moreland |
| City en | Paw Paw |
| City geo ID | 4817780 |
| City slug | paw-paw |
| Classification | Endangered Missing |
| Classification en | Endangered Missing |
| County en | |
| County fips ref | 54065 |
| County slug | morgan-county |
| Created at | 2026-01-16T16:23:17.046178+00:00 |
| Date of birth | |
| Disappearance details | Moreland was last seen at the now-defunct High's gas station in Paw Paw, West Virginia late in the evening on October 23, 1987. When she'd left her father's home that day, her parents thought she was going to spend the night with a friend. She has never been heard from again. Because she had a history of leaving home from time to time, she wasn't immediately reported missing. In November 1985, almost two years prior to her disappearance, Moreland was attacked by Dwight David Blair. He also assaulted another woman. Both females testified against him in court. He was charged with sexual abuse and assault, but reached a plea agreement with the prosecution and pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding. Blair was sentenced to a year in jail; he could have faced a six- to forty-year prison term if convicted of the original charges. He was pardoned and released only four months into his sentence. Moreland disappeared several months later. It isn't clear whether her disappearance is related to the prior assault or whether Blair is a suspect in her case. Moreland lived with her parents near Paw Paw at the time of her disappearance. Her father has since died. Little information is available in her case, but authorities believe she's deceased. Investigating Agency Morgan County Sheriff's Department 304-258-1067 Source Information The Tri-State Herald-Mail NamUs Unsolved Appalachia Updated 3 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated April 20, 2018; details of disappearance updated. |
| Disappearance details en | Moreland was last seen at the now-defunct High's gas station in Paw Paw, West Virginia late in the evening on October 23, 1987. When she'd left her father's home that day, her parents thought she was going to spend the night with a friend. She has never been heard from again. Because she had a history of leaving home from time to time, she wasn't immediately reported missing. In November 1985, almost two years prior to her disappearance, Moreland was attacked by Dwight David Blair. He also assaulted another woman. Both females testified against him in court. He was charged with sexual abuse and assault, but reached a plea agreement with the prosecution and pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding. Blair was sentenced to a year in jail; he could have faced a six- to forty-year prison term if convicted of the original charges. He was pardoned and released only four months into his sentence. Moreland disappeared several months later. It isn't clear whether her disappearance is related to the prior assault or whether Blair is a suspect in her case. Moreland lived with her parents near Paw Paw at the time of her disappearance. Her father has since died. Little information is available in her case, but authorities believe she's deceased. Investigating Agency Morgan County Sheriff's Department 304-258-1067 Source Information The Tri-State Herald-Mail NamUs Unsolved Appalachia Updated 3 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated April 20, 2018; details of disappearance updated. |
| Disappearance details word count | 242 |
| Distinguishing marks | White female. Light brown hair, green eyes. |
| Distinguishing marks en | White female. Light brown hair, green eyes. |
| Full name | Melissa Moreland |
| Full name en | Melissa Moreland |
| Height | 5'2 - 5'5 |
| ID | 12323 |
| Investigating agency | Morgan County Sheriff's Department 304-258-1067 Source Information The Tri-State Herald-Mail NamUs Unsolved Appalachia |
| Missing since | 1987-10-23 |
| Official last updated | 2018-04-20 |
| Official update count | 3 |
| Official update history | details of disappearance updated. |
| Path | west-virginia/morgan-county/paw-paw |
| Race | White |
| Race en | White |
| Sex | Female |
| Source info | The Tri-State Herald-Mail NamUs Unsolved Appalachia |
| State en | West Virginia |
| State ref | WV |
| State slug | west-virginia |
| Status | active |
| Updated at | 2026-01-16T16:23:17.046178+00:00 |
| URL path | west-virginia/morgan-county/paw-paw |
| Weight | 105 pounds |
Moreland was last seen at the now-defunct High’s gas station in Paw Paw, West Virginia late in the evening on October 23, 1987. When she’d left her father’s home that day, her parents thought she was going to spend the night with a friend. She has never been heard from again. Because she had a history of leaving home from time to time, she wasn’t immediately reported missing. In November 1985, almost two years prior to her disappearance, Moreland was attacked by Dwight David Blair. He also assaulted another woman. Both females testified against him in court. He was charged with sexual abuse and assault, but reached a plea agreement with the prosecution and pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding. Blair was sentenced to a year in jail; he could have faced a six- to forty-year prison term if convicted of the original charges. He was pardoned and released only four months into his sentence. Moreland disappeared several months later. It isn’t clear whether her disappearance is related to the prior assault or whether Blair is a suspect in her case. Moreland lived with her parents near Paw Paw at the time of her disappearance. Her father has since died. Little information is available in her case, but authorities believe she’s deceased. Investigating Agency Morgan County Sheriff’s Department 304-258-1067 Source Information The Tri-State Herald-Mail NamUs Unsolved Appalachia Updated 3 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated April 20, 2018; details of disappearance updated.