Man Wanted for Child Rape Faked His Death in Louisiana, Arrested in Georgia

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A man wanted for the statutory rape of a child in North Carolina faked his own death in a supposed kayaking accident here in Louisiana before being arrested in Georgia.

Melvin Phillip Emde (41), was reported missing on August 7, after a supposed kayaking accident that was reported by his son after he allegedly went overboard and drowned during an excursion in the Mississippi River in Hahnville, Louisiana.

"The St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office has search efforts underway to locate Melvin Phillip Emde, a forty-one-year-old white male from Talihina, OK," the St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office posted on Facebook at the time. "Melvin Emde was reported missing by a family member after he was observed going overboard while kayaking in the Mississippi River near Matis Road in Hahnville, LA just after midnight on August 7, 2023."

“We immediately became quite suspicious that this may have been a faked accidental drowning and death in order for Mr. Emde to escape charges in Brunswick County, North Carolina. However, we could not publicly expose our suspicions for fear of tipping him off,” said Sheriff Greg Champagne in a recent post.

Emde was wearing an ankle monitor as a condition of bail, according to the Sheriff's Office. "Through investigation," the office said in a news release, "detectives learned earlier on the day of the reported drowning, Emde visited Walmart in Boutte and purchased two prepaid phones."

Several weeks later, Emde was arrested fleeing from the scene of a motorcycle crash in south Georgia when a Georgia State Highway Patrol officer attempted to stop a motorcycle for not having a license plate on Sunday, September 17, according to the St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office. The motorcyclist tried to run from the Highway Patrol, but ended up crashing.

The rider then attempted to flee on foot, but was taken into custody in Georgia. Emde gave Georgia law enforcement a false name, but a fingerprint check revealed his identity was in fact Emde. He was sent to the Dougherty County Jail in Albany, Georgia, where he is being held until he is transferred to Brunswick County, North Carolina, for trial.

There are no plans to extradite Emde to Louisiana, and there are currently no pending charges for faking his death in the state.