The Northeast Philadelphia community is shocked after a heartbreaking discovery in Champion Park Playground.
On Thursday afternoon, police searching for a missing woman found a body buried in a shallow grave near the 900 block of Tustin Avenue.
What began as a desperate search ended with a sad confirmation: the remains belong to 29-year-old Melody Rivera, a young mother whose family had been anxiously searching for her.
The search began earlier in the day when detectives working on Rivera’s missing person case followed leads to the park.
With the help of a cadaver dog, investigators pinpointed an area that indicated something was buried.
As the sun set, officers brought in lights to continue their work.
Around 8:30 p.m., they uncovered what appeared to be the body of an adult woman.
It was a discovery no one wanted to make.
Rivera’s family confirmed the tragic news on Friday after the Medical Examiner’s Office identified the body.
Her mother, Maritza Garcia, shared that the last time she spoke to her daughter was during a FaceTime call on October 31.
When Melody didn’t return home or answer her phone, Garcia reported her missing just 12 hours later.
For six agonizing days, the family held on to hope.
And that hope was shattered when detectives confirmed that the woman found in the shallow grave was indeed Melody.
Police are now turning their focus to finding answers—and justice.
A person of interest has been named in the case: 29-year-old Geovanni Otero.
Otero, who is already wanted for violating his parole, is being sought by law enforcement.
Investigators are asking for the public’s help in locating him.
If anyone has information about his whereabouts, they’re urged to call the Homicide Unit at 215-686-3334.
