FULTON COUNTY, GA — A Fulton County jury has found Christopher Wolfenbarger not guilty in the decades-old murder of his wife, Melissa Wolfenbarger.

Jurors deliberated for only a few hours before reaching the verdict.

Melissa Wolfenbarger vanished shortly after Thanksgiving in 1998. Her remains were discovered the following spring in trash bags near her home and later identified through dental records in March 2003.

Christopher Wolfenbarger was arrested in 2024 after investigators said new DNA evidence linked him to the case.