An Oregon nurse who went missing days after returning home from a wedding in Hawaii was found dead Saturday after a three-day search, and police have charged her 27-year-old neighbor with murder.
According to Beaverton police, Melissa Jubanet, 32, a cardiology nurse at St. Vincent Hospital in Southwest Portland, raised concerns with friends and family after she didn't show up for her shift the morning of Sept. 4.
Police received a call from the apartment requesting that they check on Jubanez, and officers responded, met with staff at the apartment and conducted a search for the missing nurse.
Officers found no sign of the newlyweds inside their apartment in Beaverton's Five Oaks neighborhood.
Jubanez married her husband, Brian Lantero, on Aug. 24 in Haleiwa, Oahu, Honolulu.
Lantero last heard from his wife around 6 a.m. the morning she didn't show up to the hospital. According to KHON.
“Officers and family members attempted to contact Melissa throughout the day but were unsuccessful as her cell phone appeared to be switched off,” police said. In a Facebook post. “Furthermore, a search of Melissa's bank and credit card records did not yield any new information regarding her whereabouts.”
“Her absence without any communication was deemed unusual and disturbing,” police added.
With no clues as to Jubané's whereabouts, she was registered as missing just after 3pm on September 4.
Police carried out a welfare check and discovered Jubaneh's body on Friday evening, more than two days after he was reported missing.
“After a thorough investigation, it was determined that one of Melissa's neighbors, Bryce Jonathan Shubert, 27, of Beaverton, was involved in her disappearance,” police said in a statement Saturday morning.
Schubert, 27, was arrested Friday night and charged with second-degree murder, according to jail records reviewed by The Washington Post.
Schubert will work as a nurse at Providence Portland Medical Center from September 2022 to October 2023. According to Fox 12.
Police declined to provide further details as the investigation is ongoing.
“We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the community members who assisted in the search for Melissa. Our deepest condolences go to Melissa's family, friends and coworkers,” police wrote.
According to KHON, Jubanet and Lantero first met in Hawaii and got engaged on the island of Oahu last year after dating for more than 10 years.
The couple married on August 24th and had their wedding ceremony the following day in front of friends and family.
The couple flew to Washington state on September 1 and spent Labor Day with Jubanet's family before leaving for her apartment in Oregon on September 2.
Jubanez arrived for work on September 3 and had intended to stay in the apartment because it was close to her workplace, her mother-in-law told the outlet.
“We are heartbroken to hear the news of the passing of Melissa Jubanet, a nurse and colleague at Providence St. Vincent Hospital. This is a shock to us all and she is mourned by her colleagues. Melissa was an exceptional nurse and we thank the community for all of the concerns expressed. Melissa was a Providence person and we will miss her,” Providence St. Vincent Hospital said.
Jubaneh's colleagues paid tribute on Saturday after her death was announced.
“You will be missed by all. Rest in peace, a sweet and wonderful person. May your family find comfort in the weeks and years to come,” Zachary Horton wrote on Facebook. “I am completely devastated by what happened but am so relieved that we were able to find you and answer the question of where you went.”
