Crime
Melanie Nadler Litt Found, but Husband Lesley Litt Says She Remains Unsafe and in a Mental Health Crisis
COBB COUNTY, GA — The search for 52-year-old Melanie Nadler Litt, who was reported missing earlier this week, has taken a troubling turn despite police announcing that she had been found safe.
According to the Cobb County Police Department, Melanie Litt was located and appeared unharmed, prompting authorities to cancel the BOLO (Be On the Lookout) alert.
In a public statement, police reassured residents that “Melanie was not in any danger, and there is no indication of foul play.”
However, Melanie’s husband, Lesley Litt, has publicly disputed that assessment, stating that his wife is “not safe” and is in the midst of a severe mental health crisis.
Lesley Litt claims that Melanie is being manipulated and controlled by the man she was found with, describing the situation as one of psychological and possibly physical abuse.
Witnesses have corroborated seeing Melanie in distress.
One man, identified on social media as Billy Robertson, said he recognized her at a market — identifying her as his dentist — and confronted the man accompanying her.
According to Robertson, the man became aggressive and began shouting, after which he grabbed Melanie and quickly left the area.
In a post describing the encounter, Robertson wrote:
“I literally found the missing woman and chased the man. I confronted them, and she was so scared. When I asked if she was OK, the male grabbed her and took off with her. I gave chase. He tried to say her husband was after them.”
Lesley Litt has since confirmed that the individual seen with his wife has a history of domestic violence, including charges related to assaulting a previous partner.
He fears that Melanie, who he says is not thinking clearly, may be too afraid or disoriented to ask for help.
Melanie Litt was reported missing on Tuesday morning after failing to arrive for work at Family Dentistry at Seven Hills in Dallas, Georgia. She had worked the previous day at another office on Villa Rica Way in Marietta.
When police conducted a welfare check at her residence, they found her cell phone left behind, though her vehicle was missing. That vehicle was later discovered abandoned behind a business on Barrett Parkway.
A coworker reported last speaking with Melanie on the evening of October 12, when she had dinner with a friend. She was scheduled to leave the following Wednesday for a trip to Japan with her husband.
Lesley Litt stated that he was out of town visiting their son when his wife disappeared and immediately contacted authorities after learning she had not shown up for work.
Despite official statements, Melanie’s husband insists that she remains in danger and is not receiving proper care or protection.
He is urging anyone who encounters her to call 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, and to report her location to authorities immediately rather than allowing her to leave.
Lesley emphasized,
“The police do not know her. They did not do her justice and let them both walk away. She needs professional mental health intervention immediately.”
The case remains under review, and concern continues to grow among family, friends, and community members who fear that Melanie Litt may still be in harm’s way.
Crime
Attorneys Argue Jacob Bard Actions in Deadly Kentucky State University Shooting Were Legally Justified
Attorneys representing Jacob Bard, the man accused in a deadly shooting at Kentucky State University, contend that his actions were legally justified and undertaken in defense of his family amid what they describe as a violent and uncontrolled situation on campus.
In a press release issued Monday afternoon, Bard’s legal team from the Indiana-based law firm Danks & Danks asserted that Bard “was completely justified under the law in his use of deadly force.”
Bard is accused of fatally shooting one Kentucky State University student and wounding another during an incident at a campus dormitory.
According to the attorneys’ statement, Bard traveled to Kentucky State University after his younger son reported being attacked on multiple occasions.
The release alleges that on Monday, December 8, a group of approximately 20 to 30 individuals gathered outside the son’s dormitory, some allegedly armed, and began beating on the door. Campus police were reportedly called to respond to the disturbance.
The following morning, Bard and his wife met with Kentucky State University police. While the attorneys stated that officers appeared sincere in their efforts, they claimed it was evident to the family that campus police were “ill-prepared to deal with the out-of-control and violent environment.”
The legal team further alleges that both the university and its police department failed to adequately address what they described as multiple armed and violent felonies against Bard’s sons, ages 18 and 19, as well as other students in the days preceding the shooting.
Those alleged incidents included burglaries and armed assaults.
Later that morning, the family attended a meeting at Young Hall with campus police and a university dean.
According to the release, the meeting left the family convinced that the university would not be able to maintain a safe environment, prompting them to begin removing the son’s belongings from the dormitory.
When the family returned to the residence hall, the attorneys claim that individuals previously involved in the alleged assaults were present, despite assurances they would not be allowed inside.
The statement further alleges that those individuals photographed the family and made verbal threats.
The attorneys contend that, even with two armed Kentucky State University police officers present, a group of 20 to 30 individuals gathered in the dormitory lobby and “violently and viciously attacked” Bard’s son and family members.
According to the release, Bard’s son was slammed into the concrete floor and beaten by multiple people, and the officer on scene allegedly lost control of the situation.
“In the chaos,” the attorneys wrote, Bard attempted to pull attackers off his son but was struck himself. Believing his son to be in imminent danger of death or serious physical injury, Bard then drew his firearm and shot two individuals whom the attorneys say were actively assaulting his son.
The legal team also stated that no charges have been filed against others allegedly involved in the confrontation and claimed the Bard family has continued to receive death threats.
The release further alleges that the mother of the deceased student has publicly called for retaliation against Bard’s son and sought assistance from criminal groups—claims that have not been independently verified by authorities.
The case against Bard was presented to a grand jury on December 16.
During a previous court hearing, a detective testified that at least one video reviewed by investigators did not show the shooting victims assaulting Bard’s son.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not issued a final determination regarding the circumstances surrounding the shooting.