Samantha Fignani

Samantha Shea Fignani, a 23-year-old White woman described by loved ones as a mother, daughter, and sister with a sweet smile and infectious laugh, was killed on May 22, 2017, in Orofino, Idaho. Her life was cut short in an act of jealousy that would lead to two criminal convictions.

The motive for the killing was a love triangle. On the day of the shooting, Jessica Colpitts was on the phone with her boyfriend, Joseph Walker, who was incarcerated on drug charges. During the call, Walker admitted to having a new relationship with Fignani. Soon after, Colpitts asked a friend, Cassie Madsen, to drive her to Fignani’s home. Madsen later testified that she believed Colpitts was only going to confront Fignani and start a fight. Instead, Colpitts walked to the front door armed with a .410 shotgun. When Fignani opened the door, Colpitts shot her. Fignani was rushed to Clearwater Valley Hospital, but she died from her injuries.

The investigation that followed involved multiple search warrants and even an FBI underwater evidence recovery team, which was called in to search a nearby pond for the murder weapon. The case against Colpitts was built on several key pieces of evidence, including recorded jailhouse phone calls between her and Walker, DNA evidence, and the crucial testimony of Cassie Madsen. Madsen told the court that after the gunshot, Colpitts returned to the car laughing and said, “I shot her in the crotch. She’ll live.”

On March 29, 2019, a jury found Jessica Colpitts guilty of first-degree murder. At her sentencing hearing in September 2019, the court heard emotional victim impact statements. Fignani’s mother spoke of her overwhelming pain, and a family friend shared that Fignani, who had been struggling with addiction, had asked her to raise her infant daughter so the child could have a better life. Judge Gregory FitzMaurice sentenced Colpitts to life in prison with a fixed term of 18 years.

Cassie Madsen was later charged for her role in the crime. In December 2019, she was charged with felony aiding and abetting a first-degree murder. On August 11, 2020, Madsen was sentenced to a seven-year prison term, with five years fixed and two indeterminate. She was also ordered to pay a $5,000 civil fine to Fignani's family. With the sentencing of both women, the case was closed as of August 2020.