ATLANTA (Court TV) — The daughter of defendant Christopher Wolfenbarger took the stand on Monday as her father stands trial for her mother’s murder.
Christina Garrett, 30, revealed she had no memory of her biological mother, Melissa Wolfenbarger, who disappeared when she was very young.
Christina Garrett, daughter of Christopher and Melissa Wolfenbarger, testifies in father’s murder trial Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. (Court TV)
Christopher is accused of murdering Melissa, who disappeared in late 1998. Her remains, including her severed head, were found in trash bags in April and June 1999. At the time, her remains were misidentified and weren’t positively identified until 2003.
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On Monday, Garrett testified that she was raised by her paternal grandparents and initially thought they were her biological parents. She didn’t learn that Christopher was her father until she was in high school.
Garrett described the confusion she felt upon learning about her parentage, stating it didn’t make sense to her.
She described finding hidden photographs of her mother and being discouraged from asking questions about her. When she did inquire, family members were reluctant to discuss Melissa.
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Garrett said she began asking more questions after Melissa’s funeral in 2003, where she recognized Norma Patton as a woman who had shown up at their house a few years prior.
At age 19, Garrett found information about her mother on Facebook and reached out to Melissa’s family, the Pattons, eventually meeting with them several times over the years.
Garrett testified that she no longer maintains a relationship with her father or his family, having last spoken to him in 2013.
During cross-examination, Garrett acknowledged understanding why her father’s family discouraged association with the Pattons, citing the conviction of her maternal grandfather, Carl Patton.
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