A 30 year old Barberton man has been sentenced to life in prison for the rape of a girl in 2022 who was found dead in an alley in Akron in June of 2023. Anthony Mignano pleaded no contest and was found guilty of 3 first-degree felony counts of rape and 3 third-degree felony counts of gross sexual imposition. Mignano was sentenced to life in prison, labeled a tier 3 sex offender, and will be eligible for parole after serving 10 years. Authorities say Mignano moved in with then 12 year old Melanie Elkins and her father in the Spring of 2022 and admitted having sex with the girl 3 times. The young girl was found dead on Minordy Place, an Alley near South Arlington street in Akron on June 12, 2023. The Summit County Medical Examiner later determined she died from a combination of meth and fentanyl.
In a separate but related case last year, 31 year old Keith Earley of Akron was arrested and sentenced to 9 months in prison after he allegedly dumped Melanie’s body in the Alley. He pleaded guilty to gross abuse of a corpse and failure to report a death. The Akron police Department is still investigating her death, and NO ONE has been charged for her death at this time.