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Valu-Lodge Murder Investigation Update
07/11/08 - 12:29 PM
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In a news conference Friday morning, the Panama City Police Department said a registered sex offender out of Georgia confessed to the murder of Melinda Denise Hinson, 13.

Matthew Lee Caylor, 33, was interviewed Thursday at the Bay County jail where he was being held on unrelated charges.  The Panama City Police Department is charging Caylor with one count of open homicide, sexual battery and failure to register as a sex offender.

At the news conference, State Attorney Steve Meadows promised to seek severe punishment for the crime.

Melinda was living at the Valu-Lodge motel on Highway 98 in Panama City with her family.  She was found dead in room 140 Thursday morning by a housekeeper.  Police say Caylor was staying in that room but had checked out.

Melinda was reported missing to PCPD at 8:00 p.m. Tuesday night and had been missing since 6:00 p.m.  Police say evidence and the suspect’s statements indicate that Melinda was dead before they were notified.

PCPD sent a news release on her disappearance at 2:00 a.m. Thursday.  Detectives say their two-day investigation led them to addresses on Panama City Beach, contacts at the hotel and ultimately to the room where Melinda’s body was found.

Caylor was originally arrested early Wednesday morning by the BCSO following an investigation into a home invasion robbery on Panama City Beach that occurred at 4:00 p.m. Tuesday afternoon.

He faces charges of home invasion robbery, 2 counts of aggravated assault, 2 counts of false imprisonment, fugitive from justice, failure to register as a sex offender, fleeing and attempting to elude, and felony driving with license suspended or revoked.  The Bay County Sheriff’s Office says the vehicle he was driving was reported stolen out of Georgia. 

Investigators say Caylor attempted to assault two women who were acquaintances of his.  They say he tried to lure one of them into a back bedroom.  After she refused he attacked her on the couch.  She got away but he cornered her in her roommate’s bedroom.  There he physically assaulted both women.  They managed to get him out of the room and call 911.  Caylor regained entry and threatened them with a knife and then fled the apartment.

A neighbor gave investigators a partial tag number and vehicle description.  Shortly after midnight Wednesday, the Repeated Offender and Gang Unit Enforcement team spotted Caylor’s vehicle on Middle Beach Road.  Officers say he fled and a pursuit began westbound on Front Beach Road.  He was arrested after they put down spike strips.

Stay tuned to News 13 and wmbb.com for updates.