A woman who stands accused of fatally shooting her husband with the help of her mother is claimed to have uttered some chilling words to him before he died.
Melissa Fay Calumpit, 35, allegedly lured her twice-estranged husband, 37-year-old Travis Haywood Calumpit, to meet her on July 12 under the pretense of rekindling their relationship, an arrest affidavit reveals, cited by the New York Post.
Travis was discovered face down with a gunshot wound to the chest at Martin’s Landing, a 60-acre campsite near the Snake River and the Oregon border, the document states.
Earlier that day, Travis had told his stepfather he planned to meet Melissa at the campgrounds, hoping to reconcile and go camping together over the weekend.
Instead, Melissa reportedly led Travis to a secluded spot and killed him as part of a plan devised by her mother, Rosalie Lynn Morris.
Police became suspicious of Melissa after a phone interview in which she allegedly made several incriminating and inconsistent statements, revealing intimate knowledge of the homicide details not known to the public.
Initially, Melissa denied any involvement, claiming she and her mother had been driving in Nevada. However, she changed her story when police presented dashcam footage from Travis's car showing her at the scene, per PEOPLE.
Melissa admitted to killing her husband but initially claimed it was in self-defense after he allegedly raped her at the campsite.
“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 affidavit reads.
In one account, Melissa stated Travis took her gun and racked a round into the chamber but did not threaten her with it.
Rosalie attempted to take the blame, suggesting the murder was her idea. According to the affidavit, she hosted a family meeting the day before the incident, attended by two other adults, where they conspired to kill Travis.
“She said she searched for an unregistered firearm to use in the murder and 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.”
Rosalie claimed she was hiding in an outhouse when she heard both Melissa and Travis yell, followed by a gunshot.
Melissa reportedly struck Travis with a rock, prompting him to lunge at her before she shot him, according to Rosalie’s account.
“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 fled, stopping to dispose of the gun and Travis's cell phone in a reservoir.
Melissa allegedly stayed long enough to hear her dying husband's final words.
The documents read: “Melissa said after she shot Travis he asked her ‘Why?’"
She then allegedly said to her husband: "I'm sorry. I love you."
Melissa and Rosalie each face one count of first-degree murder and destruction of evidence.
Rosalie also faces liability for murder based on an aiding and abetting theory. Both are being held on a $2 million bond.
Two separate GoFundMe pages have been set up since the incident, with one aiming to raise money for Travis' funeral, and the other to support the couple's three children.
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