Melanie Carmichael (Sophina Brown) is a villainess from "The Partners in the Divorce," the second episode of Bones' eighth season (airdate September 24, 2012). She is a lawyer and the estranged wife of architect Gavin Carmichael, and the couple was in the midst of a bitter divorce.
Gavin was defended by ruthless divorce lawyer Richard Bartlett, whose burned body was found in the beginning of the episode by a pair of homeless men. Melanie had threatened Bartlett via voicemail on the day he was murdered, and it was revealed that she had a history of violence. However, when Booth and Brennan first met with the couple, they had stated that they had called off their divorce, with Melanie claiming that she was pregnant and their love was stronger than ever. As revealed later on, though, the couple's divorce ending was not their idea.
It was revealed in the episode's climax that Bartlett nullified their divorce right after Melanie signed the document, using little omissions (Gavin's middle name and Melanie's maiden name being missing) as excuses due to not being paid by the couple. Melanie went into a rage and stabbed Bartlett in the neck with a pen, and Gavin later tossed Bartlett down a construction chute, killing him. The villainous couple posed as a loving husband and wife to cover their tracks (including lying about expecting a child), but their reveal came during Brennan and Booth's interrogation. Gavin offered to make a deal and outed Melanie as the killer, prompting the villainess to berate him. However, when Booth revealed that it was Gavin's actions, not Melanie's, that killed Bartlett, the evil Melanie put all of the blame on Gavin, while also stating that he was the one who burned the body and enjoyed doing so. The couple was later arrested (off-screen) for Bartlett's murder.
Trivia[]
- Sophina Brown also appeared on Castle as the evil Brooke Carver, and on NCIS: Los Angeles as corrupt cop Jennifer Grear.