A nurse allegedly murdered by her Oregon neighbor just two weeks after getting married had plans to move out to be with her long-distance husband in Washington state, her family shared.
Police recovered the remains of Melissa Jubane, 32, on Friday evening after a three-day search that ended in the arrest of her 27-year-old neighbor, Bryce Johnathan Schubert, who was charged with second-degree murder.
The newlywed was reported missing on Wednesday after failing to show up to her morning shift at St. Vincent Hospital in Southwest Portland. Her coworkers requested a wellness check on her, but police didn’t find any signs of her at her apartment.
Jubane married her husband Bryan Llantero, of Hawaii, on the island of Honolulu on Aug. 24 and had just returned to Oregon before she vanished.
The newlyweds first met in Hawaii and dated for over a decade, flying back and forth to see each other. Llantero had last heard from his new wife the morning she went missing, according to KHON.
Jubane would stay in her Oregon apartment because of its close proximity to her workplace while Llantero stayed in Washington state with Melissa’s family, her mother-in-law Imelda Llantero told the local news station.
But after tying the knot, Jubane planned to look for a job in Washington so she could live with her new husband, Imelda Llantero said.
Since her alleged murder, family members have taken to social media to advocate for justice and preserve her memory.
Jax Marquez, one of Jubane’s cousins, has turned to dedicating parts of her social media to her, including changing her profile picture to read “Justice for #melissajubane.”
“She has the sweetest soul in the world and I wanted to be able to create a space for those that had any interactions with her, those that knew her, had really close relationships with her, just anybody that has sweet memories of her,” Marquez said in a post on Instagram.
Jubane’s father also expressed his heartbreak online.
“I’m in so much pain right now for you my daughter Melissa Jubane. As promised by the Beaverton Police Authorities to us, your justice will be done soon,” Valentin Jubane, Melissa’s father, wrote in a post on Facebook.
“I have trust in our God The Almighty and His only son our Lord God Jesus Christ. You are loved by so many good people around the world.”
Another one of Melissa’s cousins, Onilobes Allan, urged politicians to protect potential victims from bad actors.
“[…] our government need[s] to protect [people like Melissa] so we can have a chance to live in peace and have happiness in the world but unfortunately got taken advantage and was killed by someone that is very evil. I’m asking the government to make laws that protect good citizens,” he wrote in a post on Facebook.