Wednesday, July 24, 2024 - An estranged wife and her mother are accused of teaming up to gun down the younger woman’s husband at an Idaho campground.
Melissa Fay Calumpit, 35, allegedly lured her twice-estranged husband, 37-year-old Travis Haywood Calumpit, on July 12 for what the victim thought was the first step in rekindling their storied romance, according to an arrest affidavit.
Travis Calumpit was found “face down, feet toward the river, with blood near his left side” and a gunshot wound to the chest at Martin’s Landing, a 60-acre campsite near the Snake River and Oregon border, the document reads.
Earlier that day, Travis told his stepfather that he had plans to meet with his estranged wife at the campgrounds “in the hopes that they would reconcile their relationship and go camping together” over the weekend.
Instead, Melissa Calumpit allegedly walked the father of her three children to a secluded spot and killed him as part of her mother, Rosalie Lynn Morris’, plan.
Police suspected the new widow after they conducted a phone interview with her in which she “made several statements during the investigation that were both incriminating, inconsistent with the evidence, and led investigators to believe she had intimate knowledge of details of the homicide that were not known to the public.”
Melissa Calumpit initially denied any involvement, claiming she and her mother had gone on a drive in their home state of Nevada, but later changed her tune when cops showed the pair dashcam video from Travis Calumpit’s car of his estranged wife at the scene.
She admitted she killed her husband in self-defence after he raped her at the campsite, the affidavit states.
The alleged gunman said they had been married and divorced before, later remarrying and separating again due to Travis Calumpit’s serial abuse.
“Her story changed several times. She ultimately said she had the .380 pistol in her pocket, hit Travis in the head with a rock, and shot him when he charged at her,” the document reads.
“In one version of events, Melissa stated Travis took her gun and racked a round into the chamber. She did not make any statements that indicated Travis threatened her with the gun.”
Morris seemingly tried to save her daughter by suggesting the murder was her idea, per the arrest affidavit.
She allegedly told police she hosted a family meeting at her home the day before the bloodshed, where they conspired “about how to get rid of Travis for good.”
“She said she searched around for an unregistered firearm to use in the murder, and she planned to do it herself; however, Melissa wanted to come along,” the affidavit reads. “Rosalie believed Melissa killed Travis so that Rosalie would not get in trouble.”
According to the mother, Morris was hiding in an outhouse an hour after Melissa and Travis Calumpit met up together when she heard them both yell and a gunshot rang out.
Melissa Calumpit had hit Travis Calumpit with a rock and “knocked him silly,” prompting him to lunge at his wife before she pulled the trigger, according to Morris’ side of events.
“Rosalie described Travis as an abusive, drug addict, with mental health issues,” police allege.
“Rosalie said she decided she had to kill Travis and compared it to putting a dog down to save livestock.”
The mother-daughter pair then allegedly took off, stopping along the way to dump the gun and Travis Calumpit’s cell phone in a reservoir.
The cold-blooded wife stuck around long enough, however, to hear her dying husband’s final words.
“Melissa said after she shot Travis he asked her ‘Why?’ and she said, ‘I’m sorry. I love you,’” the documents state.
Melissa Calumpit and Morris each face one count of first-degree murder and destruction of evidence.
Morris also faces liability for murder based on an aiding and abetting theory.
They are both being held on a $2 million bond.
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