KTVT

With a background spanning journalism, government, and corporate communications, Crayton previous led global media relations, crisis communications, and social impact strategy for Mary Kay across nearly forty markets worldwide.

Earlier in his career, he served as chief of staff to Dallas Mayor Laura Miller and worked as an investigative reporter for CBS 11 in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Today, alongside leading Sunwest and Lucern Ford Webb government relations, he remains active in civic and nonprofit leadership across Texas.

Crayton, thanks so much for coming on.

It turns out that Melissa, who is now 53 and was abducted when she was 21 months old, grew up with the name Melanie and was living in Fort Worth all this time.

Quote, It is overwhelming, but at the same time, it's just the most wonderful feeling in the world, said Melissa, who looked at baby pictures of herself for the first time during an interview with the CBS 11 News in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Believing they made the connection to their long-lost sister, the Highsmith family reached out to Melissa's children and got her email.

The dad wrote to her, but she was skeptical, saying, quote, end quote.

And one day I got a phone call.

from CBS 11, the local station in Dallas, Fort Worth.

Hey, Derek, we know you like to be on TV, and would you come a week from now and talk about this topic? Of course, I said, love to, love to do it, having never ever been on TV before.

But one of the things I've learned is it's better to create the opportunity than be fully prepared and not have an opportunity.