An Idaho woman has been sentenced to life in prison after admitting in court that she shot and killed her estranged husband at a popular campsite, despite previously claiming she acted in self-defense.
Melissa Calumpit, 36, had initially pleaded not guilty to the July 12, 2024, killing of 37-year-old Travis Calumpit.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Travis traveled that day to Martin’s Landing, a camping area in Parma, Idaho, about 40 miles northwest of Boise. He believed he was going there to meet Melissa in an effort to repair their troubled relationship.
The couple first married in 2010, divorced in 2018, and then remarried in 2020.
The affidavit states that Melissa told investigators she moved out of the family home in April 2024, alleging that Travis had been abusive toward their children.
Travis went to the campsite as planned, and a few hours later deputies with the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office discovered his body.
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Investigators quickly focused on Melissa as a suspect, but she initially denied any involvement. She claimed that she and her mother had intended to drive to meet Travis, but said bad weather prevented the trip and that they instead returned to Nevada, where she was living at the time.
However, authorities noted in the affidavit that Melissa mentioned specific details about the killing that had not been released publicly, raising further suspicions. Deputies then learned there was a dash camera in Travis’ truck.
Although the camera did not capture the actual shooting, the video showed that Melissa did meet Travis at the rendezvous point on the day he was killed, according to the affidavit.
Confronted with the evidence, Melissa allegedly admitted to shooting Travis but insisted it was an act of self-defense, claiming he tried to rape her at the campground. Investigators wrote that “her story changed several times” over the course of their interviews.
Melissa told deputies that after she shot Travis, he asked her, “Why?” She said she replied, “I’m sorry. I love you.”
Despite these statements, both Melissa and her mother, 60-year-old Rosalie Morris, originally pleaded not guilty to all charges at their first court appearance.
Rosalie was accused of helping plan and support the killing. According to the affidavit, she allegedly told investigators she had initially intended to kill Travis herself and was later charged as an accessory and with aiding and abetting the murder, which authorities say was discussed and planned during a meeting at her home the day before the shooting.
Eventually, both women reached plea agreements with prosecutors. Melissa pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, while Rosalie pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting murder.
In October, Rosalie was sentenced to 30 years in prison, with 18 years fixed before she can seek parole.
This week, a judge sentenced Melissa to life in prison. She will be eligible for parole after 27 years.
“He didn’t deserve that. He should still be here with me and my family,” Travis’ sister, Anna Norris, said at the sentencing hearing.
“I miss my big brother so much,” she added.
