A nurse who was allegedly murdered by her Oregon neighbor just two weeks after her wedding was planning to move to her distant husband in Washington state, her family said.
Police recovered the remains of 32-year-old Melissa Zuben on Friday evening after a three-day search and arrested her neighbor, Bryce Johnathan Schubert, 27, who has been charged with second-degree murder.
The newlywed was reported missing Wednesday after she failed to show up for her morning shift at St. Vincent Hospital in Southwest Portland. Her co-workers requested a well-being check on her, but police found no sign of her at her apartment.
Jubane married her husband, Brian Lantero, of Hawaii, on the island of Honolulu on Aug. 24 and had returned to Oregon just before she disappeared.
The newlyweds first met in Hawaii and dated for more than a decade, traveling back and forth to see each other. Lantero last spoke to his new wife on the day she went missing. Khon,
Zuben will remain in his apartment in Oregon to be closer to his work, while Lantero will stay with Melissa's family in Washington state, his mother-in-law, Imelda Lantero, told the local news station.
But Imelda Lantero said Jubane planned to find a job in Washington after the wedding so she could live with her new husband.
Since his alleged murder, family members have been taking to social media to advocate for justice and preserve his memory.
Jubane’s cousin Jacques Marquez has dedicated parts of his social media to her, including changing his profile picture to read “#JusticeForMelissaJubane.”
“He has the sweetest soul in the world and I wanted to create a space for people who had any contact with him, who knew him, had a very close relationship with him, just everyone who has sweet memories of him,” Marquez said in an article. Post to Instagram,
Jubane’s father also expressed his anguish online.
“I am so sad right now because of you, my daughter Melissa Jubane. As the Beaverton police officers promised us, you will get justice soon,” Melissa's father, Valentin Jubane, wrote in a post. Facebook,
“I believe in our Almighty God and in His only Son our Lord God Jesus Christ. Many good people all over the world love you.”
Onilobes Allen, another cousin of Melissa, urged politicians to protect potential victims from bad guys.
“(…) Our government needs to protect (people like Melissa) so we can have a chance to live in peace and celebrate happiness in the world, but unfortunately she was taken advantage of and killed by someone very bad. I am asking the government to make laws that protect good citizens,” he wrote in a post Facebook,
