Alabama man admits to faking his dad’s death in LA to evade rape charges in another state

LINK

Behind a paywall. Full story below.

Three years ago, Seth Emde called 911 to report that his father had a heart attack and fell in the water on a fishing trip in St. Charles Parish. The U.S. Coast Guard spent days scouring parts of the Mississippi River in Hahnville before halting the search.

Emde, 23, stood in a federal courtroom last week and admitted it was all a lie concocted to help his father evade the law.

Melvin Phillip Emde, 43, was facing sexual misconduct charges in North Carolina when he and his son devised a scheme to fake his death in Louisiana, federal authorities allege.

He and Seth met up in Kenner and rented a hotel room on Aug. 5, 2023. The next day, they bought twine, worms, bobbers, angling rods, and other fishing gear from the Walmart in Boutte, prosecutors allege. They also purchased two pre-paid “burner” phones and calling cards to evade tracing.

That night, they took two kayaks to the Mississippi River near Matis Road in Hahnville. Melvin Emde cut off his ankle monitor and later tossed it in the water.

In his 911 call on Aug. 7, Seth Emde falsely claimed his father fell overboard into the river. He doubled down on the drowning story when St. Charles Parish deputies questioned him hours later.

But court records indicate Melvin Emde fled back to Oklahoma that day and spent more than a month on the run under an assumed name, “Michael Smith.”

The elder Emde was using that alias when he and his son reunited in Martin County, Florida to do hurricane relief together in early September 2023.

St. Charles Sheriff Greg Champagne said then that detectives became suspicious after learning of Melvin Emde’s child rape case in Brunswick County, N.C. and began working with North Carolina officials.

That month,, a Georgia state trooper spotted Melvin Emde riding a motorcycle with no license plate. He tried to escape but crashed, and his fingerprints revealed his true identity.

He went on to plead no contest to two counts of indecent liberties with a juvenile in April 2025, North Carolina court records show. A judge sentenced him to serve between 32 and 58 months in prison.

Melvin Emde’s federal trial over allegedly faking his death is scheduled to begin Aug. 4 in New Orleans.

When it became clear he was alive, Coast Guard officials questioned Seth Emde, who told agents he hadn’t seen his father since the day he fell into the river.

Seth Emde faces up to 15 years in prison on his two federal charges. U.S. District Court Judge Greg Guidry set sentencing for Sept. 16.

“Seth Emde deeply regrets his involvement in his father’s scheme and takes full responsibility for his actions,” Chief Federal Defender Claude Kelly said in a statement. Kelly added that his client has cooperated with the feds “and will continue to assist the government going forward.”