Suvechha Sarkar
On August 6, 2013, a tragic event unfolded in the tight-knit community of Simpson, Pennsylvania, when 44-year-old Melissa Marie Rocuba was fatally shot in her residence. For years, her death was considered a devastating accident. However, as time passed and questions lingered, suspicions grew among her loved ones and the authorities. The case’s investigation comes into focus in CBS’ ’48 Hours: Melissa Rocuba’s Final Moments.’ The episode delves deeper into how the cold case was reopened, shedding light on the killer. Moreover, it features interviews with Melissa’s daughter, sister, and the officials who made sure justice was served.
Melissa Rocuba Passed Away a Few Days After She Was Shot in the Head
Born on July 23, 1969, in Bristol, Pennsylvania, Melissa Marie Rocuba brought immeasurable joy to the lives of her parents, Joseph White and Virginia Stilwell Twombly. She had always fostered a close relationship with her sister, Joann Shockley. Unfortunately, the relationship between their parents, Joseph and Virginia, didn’t work out, and they eventually parted ways. Joseph got a second chance at love when he met Valerie White, and they soon tied the knot. Melissa grew up in Cape May Court House, New Jersey, and was known among her loved ones for her cheerful personality. She completed her initial education at Middle Township High School in Cape May Court House. In her adulthood, Melissa crossed paths with Bruno Charles Rocuba, and they soon began dating.
Ultimately, Melissa and Bruno got married sometime around 1989. Over the course of the next few years, they welcomed their daughters, Sabrina and Chelsea. Gradually, Melissa channeled her focus to her family and loved spending time at the beach, going to the casinos, and enjoying quad riding. Simultaneously, she joined the Ladies Auxiliary of the American Legion Post in Carbondale. By 2013, Melissa was overjoyed to welcome her grandchildren, Gregory and Emily, into the world. She became entirely involved in their lives and was a proud stay-at-home grandma. Every aspect of her life seemed to be going perfectly until everything changed on August 6, 2013.
On that fateful day, authorities received a 911 call from Melissa’s residence in Simpson, Pennsylvania, reporting that she had been accidentally shot. When officials rushed to the scene, they discovered Melissa on the bed with a single gunshot wound to the head. They reportedly noted a pool of blood on the floor beside the bed, with Chelsea trying to hold a towel on her wound. They also discovered that Bruno suffered a gunshot wound to his left hand. Reports state that Melissa was airlifted to Geisinger Community Medical Center in Scranton, where she was put on life support. Bruno was rushed to a different hospital, where he underwent surgery. Sadly, on August 10, 2013, Melissa passed away after her family had to make the devastating decision to take her off life support.
The Death of Melissa Was Initially Considered an Accident For 7 Years
On August 6, 2013, Bruno reportedly made the 911 call, where he first claimed that he and Melissa had been “fighting” when the gun went off. According to court records, he changed his statements shortly after, claiming that he was playing with the gun when the gun accidentally went off. Further reports suggest Bruno again changed his account on the call, stating that he and Melissa were allegedly handling the gun before he accidentally pulled the trigger. Right after the shooting, Bruno had called their daughter, Chelsea, to inform her about the situation. Since Chelsea lived next door, she reportedly rushed to the scene and found Melissa on the bed. Chelsea stated that Bruno later claimed that he was sitting on the bed while cleaning the gun when Melissa allegedly sat on the opposite side, and he accidentally fired the weapon.
According to official records, when Bruno was questioned at his home on August 7, he claimed that he had been keeping his pistol on the nightstand due to recent incidents of robbery in the area. In his statements, he said that he was allegedly trying to put the gun away while he and Melissa sat on opposite sides of the bed. Reports state that he claimed, “And I pulled the trigger by accident.” Although due to a lack of concrete evidence, the authorities initially considered the shooting an accident, the case remained open. New detectives were assigned to the case once again in 2020, which changed the investigation. At first, they reportedly reviewed the original 911 call, in which Bruno changed his statements three times. According to investigative reports, Bruno changed his accounts around 7 times within a day after the incident.
Multiple Witness Statements During Re-Investigation Helped Arrest the Killer
When Chelsea was again interviewed in February 2022, she reportedly informed the authorities that a few months before the shooting, Melissa allegedly told her that Bruno had once threatened her with a gun. According to court records, Chelsea also claimed that several months following the shooting, Bruno told her that on August 6, 2013, he had tried to scare Melissa with the gun, but when he allegedly shoved her, it went off. Moreover, officials learned from Joann that Bruno had allegedly pulled a gun on Melissa during a previous argument and claimed that he had been unfaithful multiple times.
Investigative reports state that as detectives made progress, they learned that Melissa and Joann had inherited $1.5 million from their mother, which she had won from a casino. Reports state that the inheritance was split between Melissa and Joann. Melissa’s remaining payout reportedly should’ve been divided between Bruno, Chelsea, and Sabrina. According to police records, Bruno had stolen over $100,000 from the payout intended for his daughters since Melissa’s death. Furthermore, official records indicate that a neighbor of Bruno came forward claiming that he was having an affair with the neighbor’s wife, shortly after Melissa passed away. Officials further learned that after Melissa’s death, he had quickly gotten rid of her possessions, like clothes and her beloved dog, Zeus.
As per court records, Bruno’s family members also informed the detectives that it was only a few months before he began dating a woman named Tonia Wilczewski, which raised questions about whether he had an affair with her before Melissa was shot. Authorities uncovered footage from Melissa and Bruno’s home security system, which reportedly captured the audio of them fighting before a shot was fired on August 6. Ultimately, Bruno was arrested on June 3, 2022, and charged with the murder of Melissa and theft of property. On May 28, 2024, he pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and was sentenced to 12 to 40 years in January 2025. Considering the time he has already served, Bruno will become eligible for parole in 2035.
