Melissa Cobin is the daughter and accomplice of murderer Lorraine Cobin, until Melissa turns on her.
History[]
Melissa was born to Lorraine when she was a teenager, but Melissa’s father abandoned them both. To get rich, Lorraine would marry into wealth, starting with realtor Nick Claussen. When she divorced him after the market fell through, she received more in a settlement because she made Melissa lie that Claussen raped her. She then married electronics store owner Alan Cobin, but in spite of him loving her and Melissa very much, Lorraine regularly cheated on him.
When Alan was preparing a divorce, Lorraine ordered career criminal Ronald Buck to kill him, then killed Buck when he was blackmailing her for more of a payday. Melissa was ordered to lie that Lorraine was with her the whole night, but she acquiesced and told police Lorraine left for enough time to kill Buck. Lorraine was acquitted at trial for Buck’s murder by lying Melissa killed him and Lorraine was taking the fall. With this, Melissa was convinced and wore a wire when Lorraine took her out on a yacht to celebrate the acquittal, ensuring Lorraine would confess to Alan’s hired murder.
The planned worked, and when Lorraine was informed through a reveal of the setup from the legal team waiting at the docks, Lorraine insulted her, Melissa replying she only learned what Lorraine taught her. Lorraine was convicted and sentenced to death for Alan’s murder, and Melissa was absolved of obstruction charges for her cooperation. (L&O: “For Love or Money”)