Melissa Calumpit, 36, has pleaded guilty to first‑degree murder in the July 12, 2024, shooting death of her estranged husband, 37‑year‑old Travis Calumpit, at Martin’s Landing campground near Parma, Idaho.
How investigators connected her to the scene
Authorities say Travis drove to the popular campground expecting to meet Melissa in an effort to repair their relationship. Deputies discovered his body at the site hours after he arrived. Melissa initially denied involvement, telling investigators that poor weather prevented her and her mother from driving to the meeting and that she had returned to Nevada.
Investigators became suspicious when Melissa mentioned details of the homicide that had not been publicly released. A dash camera recovered from Travis’s truck did not capture the shooting itself but did show Melissa meeting Travis at the planned rendezvous on the day he was killed. Confronted with that footage, Melissa admitted she shot Travis but said she acted in self‑defense, alleging he had tried to rape her. Police noted that her accounts shifted several times during interviews.
Charges, pleas and sentences
Melissa and her mother, 60‑year‑old Rosalie Morris, were initially arraigned pleading not guilty. Prosecutors alleged Rosalie discussed and planned the attack with Melissa the day before the shooting; Rosalie was charged as an accessory and with plotting and aiding the murder.
Each woman later reached separate plea agreements. Melissa pleaded guilty to first‑degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison, with parole possible after 27 years. Rosalie pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting and received a 30‑year sentence, with 18 years fixed before parole eligibility.
After the shooting, Melissa told deputies that Travis asked, "Why?" and that she replied, "I'm sorry. I love you."
At sentencing, Travis’s sister, Anna Norris, addressed the court: "He didn’t deserve that. He should still be here with me and my family. I miss my big brother so much."
Background
The couple first married in 2010, divorced in 2018 and remarried in 2020. Melissa told investigators she had left the marital home in April 2024, alleging Travis had been abusive toward their children.
This case highlights how digital evidence such as dash‑cam video can help investigators reconstruct events and corroborate or contradict statements made by suspects and witnesses.
