A Davenport woman who was accused of helping two people evade police and cover up a double homicide in 2024 has been released from custody and placed on probation.
Melisa Marie Weber, 50, was arrested on the evening of February 7, 2024. She faced several charges, including helping to hide the crime by abusing corpses, committing second-degree arson, and being an accessory after the fact.
Weber later pleaded guilty to the accessory charge. Judge Tom Reidel from the Seventh District Court sentenced her to a two-year suspended sentence. This means she won’t serve additional time in prison but will be under supervised probation for two years. Weber also has to pay $855 in fines, plus additional charges for crime services.
The charges against Weber were connected to a shocking case involving the deaths of Brian Goodwin and Amy Smith on January 15, 2024. The bodies of Goodwin and Smith were discovered early the next morning in the basement apartment of Goodwin’s home at 5210 N. Division Street in Davenport. Neighbors called authorities after noticing smoke rising from the house.
Brian Goodwin, 44, and Amy Smith, whose ages weren’t disclosed, were allegedly killed in a shooting. Two suspects, Adriana Blake and Devon Braet, were arrested just days later, on January 18, 2024. They are currently in jail, facing charges of being felons in possession of firearms. Their trial is expected to begin in early May.
According to investigators, Blake and Braet, along with Weber, were accused of setting a fire inside Goodwin’s apartment to destroy evidence and alter the crime scene. The fire caused significant damage to the bodies of Goodwin and Smith. Authorities also claimed Weber helped the pair avoid being caught after the incident.
However, court documents revealed some conflicting details. Search warrants and other public records didn’t place Weber directly at the crime scene or in the vehicle seen arriving at Goodwin’s apartment before the fire started. Surveillance reportedly identified Blake, Braet, and a third person in the car, but Weber was not mentioned as being present.
The third individual has not been charged in connection with the fire or for assisting Blake and Braet.
Weber spent nearly a year in custody—337 days to be exact—before being released on January 10, 2025. She had been transferred between the Scott County Jail and the Rock Island County Jail during this time.
This case remains a significant legal matter, and the trial of Blake and Braet is likely to bring more details to light as it unfolds in May. For now, Weber is on probation, and the investigation continues.
