The shocking final message a heartbroken friend received from Melissa Price just 12 minutes before her brutal death has emerged as a haunting detail in the horrifying murder case that has gripped the quiet Canadian city of Moncton.
Melissa Price, a 39-year-old local woman described by those who knew her as kind-hearted and full of life, was found discarded like rubbish in an outdoor garbage bin on High Street near a popular walking trail. Her body was discovered on February 15 in what police initially called a âsudden deathâ â but the grim reality soon unfolded as a cold-blooded homicide.
The discovery sent shockwaves through the tight-knit community in New Brunswick, where residents are still reeling from the brutality of the crime. Now, with a man charged in her killing, new details are surfacing about those final frantic moments â including the chilling last text she sent to a close friend.
That message, sent in what investigators believe were the dying minutes of her life, has left her loved ones devastated and searching for answers. Friends say it was a simple check-in, perhaps a cry for help disguised as casual conversation, but one that now carries an unbearable weight of tragedy.
The Grisly Discovery That Shocked Moncton
It was a chilly February afternoon when emergency services rushed to High Street in central Moncton after reports of a sudden death. Officers arrived around 12:10 p.m. to a scene that would haunt them: the body of a woman stuffed inside a large outdoor garbage bin near Wheeler Boulevard and a pedestrian pathway.
The location â a spot used by locals for casual strolls â made the horror even more personal. This wasnât a remote dumping ground; it was in plain sight of everyday life.
RCMP initially withheld the victimâs identity as they pieced together the nightmare. But on March 9, they publicly named her as Melissa Price, 39, of Moncton. In a brief release, authorities confirmed the death was being treated as a homicide, stressing it was an âisolated incidentâ with no threat to public safety.
Yet for Melissaâs family and friends, nothing about it felt isolated. It felt personal, cruel, and utterly preventable.
Autopsy results reportedly revealed she had been sexually assaulted and strangled â a ferocious attack that ended her life shortly after she was last seen alive. The exact timeline remains under wraps as the investigation continues, but sources close to the case suggest the window between her disappearance and death was terrifyingly short.
The Arrest That Brought Some Measure of Justice
Just days after the identity release, the case took a dramatic turn. On March 12, RCMP announced the arrest of Devlin OâBlenis, 35, also of Moncton. He faces a charge of first-degree murder â the most serious in Canadian law, implying planning and intent.
OâBlenis appeared in Moncton provincial court, where he was remanded into custody without bail. His next court date is set for April 2, but the swift charge has offered a sliver of closure to a community desperate for answers.
Police have been tight-lipped about the motive or the relationship between OâBlenis and Price, but the rapid arrest suggests investigators had strong evidence linking him to the crime scene or the victim.
For many, the question lingers: How did a seemingly ordinary woman end up in such a horrific situation?
The Heartbreaking Final Message â 12 Minutes Before the End
Amid the horror, one detail stands out as particularly gut-wrenching: the last text Melissa sent to a close friend, timestamped just 12 minutes before her life was brutally taken.
According to those familiar with the investigation and the friendâs account, the message was innocuous on the surface â a quick note checking in, perhaps sharing a thought or asking how the day was going. But in hindsight, it has taken on a sinister significance.
The friend, who wishes to remain anonymous to protect their privacy during this painful time, received the text and replied almost immediately. There was no response.
Twelve minutes later, Melissa was dead.
Friends say Melissa was not known to be in immediate danger that day. She was outgoing, loved spending time with loved ones, and had no history of public drama. Yet that final message now feels like a desperate tether to the outside world â one that was cruelly severed.
âShe was always the one to brighten your day with a quick text or a funny meme,â one friend told local reporters. âThat last one⌠it was just her being her. And then silence. We didnât know it was forever.â
The content of the message hasnât been publicly released by police, but its timing has fueled speculation and sorrow online. Social media groups dedicated to missing and murdered persons have lit up with tributes, many sharing candle emojis and prayers for justice.
âHow can someone do this?â one commenter wrote. âShe reached out, and no one knew she needed saving.â
Who Was Melissa Price? A Life Cut Tragically Short
Melissa Price was more than a homicide statistic. Born and raised in the Maritimes, she was known for her warm smile, quick wit, and unwavering loyalty to friends and family.
Those who knew her describe a woman who loved simple pleasures: walks along the trails near her home, coffee catch-ups, and helping others whenever she could. She had faced challenges in life, like many do, but friends insist she was turning things around and looking forward to brighter days.
âMelissa had a heart of gold,â a longtime friend shared in an online tribute. âSheâd give you the shirt off her back. To think of her suffering like that⌠itâs unbearable.â
Family members have remained private, but community posts show an outpouring of grief. Flowers, candles, and notes have appeared near the grim discovery site on High Street â a makeshift memorial to a life stolen too soon.
In the wake of the tragedy, advocates are calling for greater awareness around violence against women in Canada. Statistics show that hundreds of women are killed each year in this country, many by intimate partners or acquaintances. Melissaâs case, though âisolatedâ according to police, fits into a larger pattern that campaigners say demands urgent action.
The Investigation Continues â What Happens Next?
With OâBlenis in custody, the RCMPâs Major Crime Unit is building what sources describe as a âstrong case.â Forensic evidence from the scene, including DNA and surveillance footage from nearby areas, is believed to have played a key role.
The charge of first-degree murder carries the possibility of life imprisonment with no parole for 25 years â the harshest sentence available in Canada short of the death penalty, which was abolished decades ago.
For Melissaâs loved ones, the road ahead will be long and painful. Funerals, court appearances, and endless âwhat ifsâ loom large.
Yet in the midst of grief, thereâs a quiet determination: to remember Melissa not for how she died, but for how she lived.
As one friend put it in a poignant Facebook post: âShe sent that last message reaching out, like she always did. Now itâs our turn to reach out â for justice, for change, and for each other.â
The message she sent 12 minutes before she died may never be forgotten. It stands as a final, heartbreaking reminder of a woman who deserved so much more time.