Melissa Ripton (Leah Pipes) is a minor (remorseful) villainess from "Seven Feet Under", episode 6.09 of Crossing Jordan (airdate March 21, 2007). She was a 16-year-old high school student and was best friends with two of her classmates, Stephanie Federman and Cindy Tallridge. Unbeknownst to their parents, the three girls were also moonlighting as prostitutes, conducting their business at the Wycombe Hotel, where Melissa had a job making reservations over the phone.
One night, after Cindy didn't come to her house after meeting with a client, Melissa went to the hotel room she booked for them with Stephanie to check on her. When they got there, the girls were shocked to find Cindy dead. Stephanie began to call the police, but Melissa (knowing the police would uncover the prostitution ring if they came) stopped her and had her help get rid of Cindy's body, wrapping her in a sheet and placing her in an open grave.
When Cindy's body was discovered and the investigation uncovered a sex cam website Cindy ran, Melissa and Stephanie claimed that Cindy wasn't serious about the website and stayed quiet about their own illicit activities. Eventually, though, Melissa was outed as a prostitute when Russell Berman (another client of the girls) was interrogated and identified Melissa as one of the girls he paid to have sex with. Melissa was brought in for questioning and, while her parents initially told her to stay quiet, Melissa was persuaded by Jordan Cavanaugh to talk.
After revealing her and her friends' operation and tearfully recounting how she had covered up Cindy's murder, Melissa went with Jordan (along with Dr. Garret Macy and Detective Matt Seely) to show them where Cindy's body was in the room, apologizing for her actions. Soon after, a handprint was found on the wall--and Melissa was shocked to see the DNA prove that it was from her father Frank, proving he was Cindy's killer. As revealed by Frank soon after the revelation, Frank had had a tryst with Cindy and killed her when she threatened to tell Melissa. Frank was arrested, and Melissa and Stephanie were also taken into custody for their actions.