The Getaway

This episode of Park Predators investigates the 2012 murder of Chris McCallum, a 33-year-old father and dedicated family man, whose body was discovered in a blood-soaked tent rolled down a cliff in Klamath National Forest near the Oregon-California border. The case began as a missing persons report when his wife, Trisha McCallum, claimed he had stayed behind at their campsite after she returned home to care for their young children. However, inconsistencies in her story, conflicting accounts with her stepsister Amber Lubbers, and forensic evidence—including gunshot wounds consistent with Trisha’s .40 caliber firearm—led investigators to suspect foul play. The narrative unfolds through a detailed reconstruction of the crime, revealing Trisha’s financial dependence on Chris, her secret online relationships with men seeking to be her 'sugar daddies,' and her alleged attempts to manipulate her husband’s death into a drowning or random attack. Amber Lubbers, initially a co-defendant, turned state’s witness after receiving a plea deal, testifying that Trisha had plotted to kill Chris weeks in advance and carried out the murder while Amber watched. Despite Trisha’s claims of innocence and a lack of recovered murder weapon, prosecutors successfully built a case using circumstantial evidence, digital records, and testimony. She was convicted of first-degree murder in 2013 and sentenced to 50 years to life, with parole not possible until 2036. The episode reflects on the lasting trauma for Chris’s family, particularly his father Mike McCallum, who maintains a blog dedicated to his son’s memory. The story raises questions about motive, justice, and the cost of truth in a case where the only certainty is the loss of a beloved father and son.