Joe Campbell

Summary

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Snapped: Women Who Murder – “Joe Campbell”

Podcast by Oxygen | Episode Date: December 28, 2025

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Episode Theme and Overview

This episode recounts the escalating feud between two neighbors in Montana’s remote wilderness, culminating in the 2013 shooting death of Tim Newman by Joe Campbell. The narrative explores rural disputes over land access, property rights, and the ultimately deadly fallout between members of a tight-knit cabin community. Through interviews with law enforcement, family, and neighbors, the episode examines the self-defense claim, conflicting perspectives, forensic evidence, and justice in the wake of a controversial plea deal.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Setting & Community

• Diamond Bar X is a rugged, idyllic enclave in Montana’s Flathead National Forest, popular for its access to the Bob Marshall Wilderness.
  • "It's a sportsman's paradise. There's hunting, fishing, backpacking, horseback riding..." (Friend/Neighbor, 02:33)
• The people are described as tight-knit, sharing a mutual love for outdoor life.

2. The Altercation and Shooting (03:08-06:11)

• On October 18, 2013, a 911 call reports a heated confrontation between Joe Campbell and Tim Newman.
  • “Tim Newman is still arguing with Joe, and she's afraid things might get out of hand.” (Narrator, 03:54)
• A second call soon reports shots fired. Deputy Steiner finds Newman dead at the scene; Campbell surrendered his weapon calmly.
  • “I noticed what looked like a gunshot wound to his hand and a gunshot wound that hit his vest.” (Deputy Steiner, 01:14)

3. Who Was Tim Newman? (06:26-10:14)

• Tim is portrayed as an outdoorsman, dedicated friend, and community member—“a kind-hearted soul” who restored his cabin and helped neighbors.
  • “He'd give you the shirt off his back. Tim was just a kind-hearted soul, I believe.” (Friend/Neighbor, 08:52)
• Found love with his wife Jackie; together they were “soulmates” (Friend/Neighbor, 10:09).

4. The Feud’s Roots & Escalation (13:15-16:11, 23:03-29:55)

• Access Dispute: Joe Campbell bought up large tracts and blocked historic trails, asserting private property rights, while many—particularly Tim—believed in a public access tradition called the “pony trail.”
  • “He locked the gates, said, no more. I don't want anybody crossing. Tim Newman felt he couldn't do that, that it was a historical easement.” (Investigator, 14:15)
• The dispute escalated for years: cut locks, repeated trespassing citations for Tim, reports of Campbell brandishing firearms.
  • “Joe would put a new one on. Tim would cut a lock, Joe would put a new one on. It just kept escalating and escalating.” (Deputy Steiner, 15:32)

5. Violence Foretold & Legal Inertia

• Neighbors repeatedly warned authorities, fearing violence if the situation wasn’t handled.
  • “We’ve had so many incidences up here, and he's now pulled a weapon. Nothing's been done, and someone's going to get shot.” (Neighbor, 28:14)
• Officials insisted it was a “civil matter,” declining criminal action even after guns were brandished.

6. Immediate Aftermath & Initial Investigation (12:12-18:09)

• Joe Campbell claimed he shot in self-defense when Tim allegedly drew a gun.
  • “He reached around behind him and pulled out his gun...and that's when I drew my gun. I shot.” (Investigator, 16:53)
• Montana’s strong “stand your ground” law complicated law enforcement’s response.

7. Skepticism and Community Reaction (21:35-22:43)

• Many doubts arose among Tim’s friends and neighbors. Community sentiment strongly distrusted Campbell’s story.
  • “I believe he thought he could get away with murder.” (Family Member, 22:25)
• Fears spread: “The feeling up there then was there's a guy living up here that's capable of killing somebody, shooting him in the back. It scared off a lot of the neighbors.” (Friend/Neighbor, 35:35)

8. Forensics & Reenactment Challenge the Self-Defense Claim (31:08-39:15)

• Autopsy & Ballistics: The trajectory of Tim’s wounds contradicted Campbell’s version. Evidence suggested Tim was running away, shot in the back first.
  • “The angle indicated opposite of what he said. That’s where our alarm bells went off.” (Investigator, 32:23)
• Neither the gun’s placement nor the bolt cutters supported Joe’s account.
  • “Tim was left handed. And when he was shot and killed, the gun was laying by his right hand.” (Neighbor, 38:34)
  • “I don't think that Tim ever drew a gun. I think it was pulled out...and placed by his right hand. I think it was staged after the fact.” (Investigator, 38:44)
• A reenactment in May 2014 confirmed the forensic team’s theory: Tim was shot in the back while running.

9. Arrest, Trial & Controversy (39:42-43:43)

• Joe Campbell was arrested in June 2014, but after posting high-value bail, never spent a night in jail.
• Trial: Began February 2016. Prosecutors presented detailed evidence, but conflicting experts confused jurors.
  • “It was hard to heal and move on when we're sitting in court looking at a murderer.” (Jackie Newman, 42:13)
• Outcome: The jury was hung, resulting in a mistrial. Joe Campbell took a plea deal for 20 years’ probation, but no prison time.
  • “Never spend a night in jail for killing a fella. I don't know. It's money. It's money.” (Jackie Newman, 43:36)

10. Aftermath & Legacy (43:43-44:38)

• Campbell was banned from the mountain and had to sell his properties.
• Community members regained peace and access; a memorial now marks the place of the shooting.
  • “There's still access to the national forest for the general public, for the average guy. And that's something that I'm grateful to those that made that happen.” (Jackie Newman, 44:17)
  • “We look at that [tree]. It’s hard not to think about him.” (Friend/Neighbor, 44:29)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the Feud and Warning Signs:

• "He wanted to be king of the mountain. He wanted to run the place." (Friend/Neighbor, 01:41)
• "We were told, unfortunately, that it was a civil problem...We thought, okay, before violence comes to it, we'll just fight him legally." (Friend/Neighbor, 28:30)
• "The next time you see him, it's going to be in a body bag." (Friend/Neighbor quoting Campbell, 07:07; 30:25)

On Community Fear:

• “It scared off a lot of the neighbors. They decided to stay away because they were afraid.” (Friend/Neighbor, 35:35)
• “You didn’t know if you were going to be next.” (Jackie Newman, 31:17; 35:52)

On Forensic Breakthrough:

• “That’s where our alarm bells went off. This is wrong. This didn’t happen the way he said.” (Investigator, 32:23)
• “If you are shot just standing there, you’re gonna fall and your legs will be together...If you’re running...one leg is already out, such as Tim Newman was.” (Investigator, 36:47)

On Justice and Aftermath:

• “The state negotiated that he could not come back on the mountain. He had to be 10 miles from his residence because so many of us were witnesses.” (Neighbor, 40:43)
• “Never spend a night in jail for killing a fella. I don't know. I don't know. It's money. It's money.” (Jackie Newman, 43:36)
• “There's still access to the national forest for the general public ... that's something that I'm grateful to those that made that happen.” (Jackie Newman, 44:17)
• "I'll see you in a few years, buddy." (Jackie Newman, 44:38)

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Key Timestamps

• 03:08-06:11 – The 911 call and shooting; discovery of Tim Newman’s body.
• 13:15-16:11 – Origins and escalation of the land feud.
• 21:35-22:43 – Neighbors express distrust and fear of Campbell; community reaction.
• 31:08-39:15 – Forensic evidence and reenactment contradict Campbell’s self-defense claim.
• 39:42-41:04 – Arrest of Campbell; trial outcomes; community reflects on safety and justice.
• 43:36-44:38 – Aftermath, plea deal, and memorial for Tim Newman.

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Tone & Language

• The episode balances investigative rigor with the raw emotion of a close-knit, fractured community.
• The voices of law enforcement are measured, focused on procedure and evidence (“We need to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt it wasn't self defense by the forensic evidence.” Investigator, 32:00).
• Friends and neighbors express grief, exasperation, and a sense of injustice (“I believe he thought he could get away with murder.” Family Member, 22:25).
• Jackie Newman’s voice in the closing minutes is somber but grateful for positive changes rising from tragedy.

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For listeners, this episode is a sobering look at how community strife, isolation, and the ambiguity of self-defense law can clash—with lasting effects on real people.

Transcript

[Narrator]

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[Investigator]

What's up, players? What's up, players and players. I'm here for all of it. All of it.

[Narrator]

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[Neighbor]

We're that ride or die group.

[Narrator]

That's my sister.

[Investigator]

And we're gonna have a good time.

[Narrator]

But they've got drama down to a science. We all should be able to drag.

[Investigator]

I'm ready for the drag right now if you're interested. You dogs are home.

[Deputy Steiner]

Family, me, my kids.

[Jackie Newman]

Out of your mouth.

[Narrator]

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[Investigator]

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[Narrator]

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[Jackie Newman]

No, no.

[Narrator]

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[Investigator]

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[Deputy Steiner]

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[Investigator]

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[Friend/Neighbor]

My goal this season is to be the first man that throws a cheerleader onto the moon.

[Investigator]

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[Narrator]

In the wilderness of Montana, an outdoorsman is killed on his neighbor's land.

[Investigator]

There were shots fired.

[Jackie Newman]

One of them's down. We need somebody else to mount.

[Deputy Steiner]

I noticed what looked like a gunshot wound to his hand and a gunshot wound that hit his vest.

[Narrator]

But was the shooting justified?

[Investigator]

He reached for a gun. So he drew first and shot him. He said it was in self defense.

[Deputy Steiner]

When someone's shot in the back, how is it self defense?

[Narrator]

The investigation reveals a bitter and escalating feud.

[Friend/Neighbor]

He wanted to be king of the mountain. He wanted to run the place.

[Investigator]

You're trespassing. We are, yeah. For about three quarters of a mile.

[Narrator]

It's a case that proves fences might make good neighbors, but sometimes they can start a war.

[Investigator]

Both were packing weapons openly and were ready for trouble.

[Deputy Steiner]

It was a constant fight and battle up there.

[Friend/Neighbor]

He said, the next time you see him, it's going to be in a body bag.

[Narrator]

Nestled in the foothills of Montana's Flathead National Forest is a remote getaway known as Diamond Bar X.

[Friend/Neighbor]

It's a sportsman's paradise. There's a couple of rivers that run through the area, the Dearborn river and Falls Creek. There's hunting, fishing, backpacking, horseback riding, any kind of outdoor recreation.

[Deputy Steiner]

People are down home. It's a very nice, small, tight knit community.

[Narrator]

But on October 18, 2013, the serenity is threatened when the Local sheriff's Department receives a 911 call from homeowner Tanny Converse.

[Jackie Newman]

911, what is your emergency?

[Investigator]

Hi, you need the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff to come up the Upper.

[Jackie Newman]

Dearborn, up Falls Creek, having a altercation.

[Investigator]

With a neighbor and.

[Jackie Newman]

What's going on?

[Investigator]

I'm, like, in shock.

[Jackie Newman]

I'm sorry.

[Investigator]

The neighbor ran us down with the atv and he's just ranting and raving at us.

[Jackie Newman]

Okay, what's the neighbor's name?

[Investigator]

Tim Newman. We've had quite a bit of problems with him before. We've had trouble in that area before with these two particular individuals. She was concerned that there was trouble and she wanted somebody right away.

[Narrator]

Tanny says her husband, Joe Campbell, is still arguing with Tim and she's afraid things might get out of hand. Unfortunately, the nearest deputy is over 20 miles.

[Investigator]

The response to this area is very difficult. You get to go on a highway, partway, then the road turns to gravel and then it turns to dirt.

[Deputy Steiner]

I called in and I was told that there were two males in a verbal argument at Table Mountain, Joe Campbell and Tim Newman. And they needed me to go out and talk with them.

[Narrator]

Before Deputy Steiner can get there, a second call comes in.

[Jackie Newman]

9, 1 1, what is your emergency? Hi, I just called Congress up by.

[Investigator]

Falls Creek in the Upper Dearborn. The altercation with the neighbor, there were shots fired and one of them's down.

[Neighbor]

We need somebody up here now.

[Investigator]

That stepped up that response from the deputy who run lights and sirens to get there.

[Deputy Steiner]

It took me about 20, 25 minutes to get out to that area. Once I crested the top of the hill, I was able to see the two individuals. I saw Joe Campbell standing on the opposite side of a cattle gate and then lying on the ground was Tim Newman.

[Narrator]

On the ground near Tim is a.357 revolver and a pair of bolt cutters. Campbell's gun, a semi automatic pistol, is resting in his holster.

[Deputy Steiner]

I started to walk up towards the gate, just talking to Joe, telling him to keep his hands up where I could see his hands and told him to not make any movements. And then I checked on Tim.

[Investigator]

Tim was laying on his back with his hands outstretched.

[Deputy Steiner]

I noticed what looked like a gunshot wound to his hand and a gunshot wound that hit his vest. I tried for a pulse. I didn't feel any pulse, didn't see any breath move. And so I knew he had been passed away for a little while.

[Investigator]

How did this end? And how come it ended where we have Tim Newman dead on this road?

[Narrator]

Born on August 27, 1960. Timothy Bruce Newman always had a passion for the outdoors.

[Jackie Newman]

Tim, I believe, was born in California. I spent his early childhood there. And as he was starting out in life and discovering what he wanted to do, I know he came to Montana a few times as a young man. He's got family in eastern Montana. Multi generational ranchers over there.

[Friend/Neighbor]

I think that's how he fell in love with the place. And he was looking for his own piece of paradise.

[Narrator]

Tim especially loved an area known as the Bob Marshall Wilderness, which locals call the Bob.

[Friend/Neighbor]

The Bob is one of the largest wilderness areas. Horseback or foot is the only way in there. It's pristine wilderness the way it was 10,000 years ago.

[Narrator]

In 2001, Tim fulfilled his dream of moving to Montana. After his first marriage ended in divorce.

[Friend/Neighbor]

He had moved to Great Falls and he had become an electrician. And he was looking for a cabin to build or to remodel.

[Neighbor]

He had a successful business. I guess I partly based that on the fact that he was able to buy a place up the Diamondbar X to have an extra home.

[Family Member or Close Friend]

Tim was great friends with my parents. Tim had recently purchased his property. And as a cabin owner, my dad and Tim had just a ton of interests together. And so they just automatically clicked. The love of horses, love of the land, hunting, fishing, they really hit it off.

[Jackie Newman]

He was avid hunter, loved being in the Rocky Mountains, and that cabin afforded him the ability to do that.

[Narrator]

Tim's cabin had fallen into disrepair over the years, so he spent most of his free time renovating it. In Diamondbar X, he found a community full of kindred spirits.

[Friend/Neighbor]

Everybody had the same interests and the same mindset to come up on the weekends. Enjoy your cabin, enjoy your friends, enjoy your neighbors.

[Jackie Newman]

It was very friendly. The bottom bar was open and had restaurant there and everything. And everybody'd stop and visit and stuff and then head on up to their cabins for the weekend.

[Friend/Neighbor]

Tim was a great guy. He was one of those persons that would do anything. He'd give you the shirt off his back. Tim was just a kind hearted soul, I believe.

[Narrator]

In 2003, Tim's neighbors repaid his kindness by setting him up on a date with a divorcee named Jackie.

[Friend/Neighbor]

Tim and Jackie were both freshly divorced off of other marriages, and they fell in love and they found their soulmate.

[Jackie Newman]

Jackie's a beautiful lady and I know that Tim loved and respected her, not only for her physical beauty, but she's a very beautiful person on the inside. Very, very caring and giving person. Tim proposed to Jackie after only two.

[Narrator]

Weeks in May 2004, Tim and Jackie got married. They lived and worked in nearby Great Falls, but spent their weekends in Diamondbar X, transforming the cabin into their dream vacation home.

[Jackie Newman]

They were both very hard workers and they would set a goal and work together to attain those goals. All the work that they did is just incredible. If you could see before and after pictures, it's amazing.

[Friend/Neighbor]

You can see they were soulmates. They belonged together. They belonged up there.

[Investigator]

This was just kind of their heaven on earth.

[Narrator]

But now those dreams have been shattered. Tim is lying dead on the trail to his beloved wilderness, shot by one of his neighbors, Joe Campbell.

[Deputy Steiner]

Joe is standing there with his hands up. I had a thing of like, how am I going to get him to come through the fence without him putting his hands down? Because get too close to his gun for me. So I explained to him to keep his hands on his fence and put the holster next to the gate so I could unholster his gun. When I removed Joe's gun from his holster, the magazine was still in the gun and there was one in the chamber. Joe relayed to me that Tim pulled a gun on him and Joe said he had defended himself.

[Investigator]

We know there's history, we've been there multiple times. This is something that we had hoped for a day that would never come. So we had an index of suspicion that we needed to investigate this very thoroughly.

[Deputy Steiner]

There's two sides of the story. We were able to talk to one.

[Narrator]

Coming up, investigators learn more about a long standing feud.

[Family Member or Close Friend]

He right away said it's private property and you can't trespass on my property and grabbed the shotgun and pointed it at us.

[Narrator]

And one story isn't quite adding up.

[Investigator]

I think it was staged after the fact.

[Narrator]

Montana sheriffs are investigating the death of 53 year old Tim Newman who was shot during an altercation in the remote area of Diamond Bar X. Who shot him is no mystery. Tim's neighbor, 67 year old Joe Campbell has already admitted to pulling the trigger in self defense.

[Investigator]

When I got there, Joe was in the back of Deputy Steiner's vehicle. He seemed emotional, as you would expect. He's just in a shooting.

[Deputy Steiner]

At that point I read Joe his Miranda rights and he agreed to talk without a lawyer present. Knowing these rights, do you wish to talk to me? If you say yes now, you can stop at any time answering the questions.

[Investigator]

It's up to you.

[Jackie Newman]

I will.

[Investigator]

I'm wondering whether I should or not, but I will.

[Jackie Newman]

Yes.

[Investigator]

He was angry that he'd been handcuffed because he felt that it was Self defense, and he shouldn't have been handcuffed. I'd never really talked to Joe before, so I have to use that moment in time and all my years of service to figure out, okay, is this guy telling me the truth or not?

[Narrator]

According to Campbell, this isn't the first time he's locked horns with Tim Newman. He says the shooting was the culmination of a long standing feud.

[Neighbor]

Joe Campbell came into the area in 1998. Tim and Joe used to get along.

[Jackie Newman]

He did mention that when he first met Joe Campbell, he seemed all right. Seemed like he was just gonna be another guy up there with horses and outdoorsmen and a hunter. And then he partnered up with someone else, and they bought up all the land up there that was available. And that's when things started to change.

[Investigator]

Joe bought up land, didn't want anybody crossing it. Tim took offense to that. And that's where the dispute came about.

[Deputy Steiner]

Tim Newman believed that there were some trails that were public access to get into the Forest Service, where Joe Campbell believed that public access was not able to go through his land.

[Investigator]

There was a historical path that was called the pony trail that people probably in the early 1900s had gone on this area. It's a way to get to public land and go through Joe's land. He felt that people were abusing the privilege of crossing his land and not respecting whatever he had. So he locked the gates, said, no more. I don't want anybody crossing. Tim Newman felt he couldn't do that, that it was a historical easement. There was no easement. There was nothing. But I think he was just determined that that's the way he was going to go.

[Narrator]

Campbell says after purchasing the land in 2000, the feud heated up when Tim cut the locks he'd installed and reopened.

[Investigator]

The path he'd caught Tim before moving across his land code of the West. You just don't go crossing people's private land without talking to them, requiring permission. There's laws about trespassing. Joe felt that Tim was not respecting him, and Joe was calling the sheriff's office.

[Deputy Steiner]

Everyone knew that Joe and Tim were fighting all the time. I mean, it was a common occurrence up there. Tim would cut a lock, Joe would put a new one on. Tim would cut a lock, Joe would put a new one on.

[Investigator]

It just kept escalating and escalating. Newman forcing the issue and cutting locks and continuing to trust pass, continuing to get tickets. It's been going on for quite a while. We've been driving around, making threats and driving through our Meadows and your deputies.

[Jackie Newman]

Have been nothing but super coming up.

[Investigator]

Here and responding to trouble calls and threats and that sort of thing.

[Narrator]

Campbell tells investigators it all came to a head that afternoon as he and his wife Tanny were taking a walk along the access trail.

[Deputy Steiner]

Tim head been following them on a four wheeler as they'd been walking.

[Investigator]

He said, as soon as you leave, I'm going to cut you off. And it seemed like he was getting a little more agitated.

[Deputy Steiner]

So then Joe's wife Tanny went down the hill to make the initial 911 call.

[Narrator]

A moment later, Campbell says Tim approached brandishing a pair of bolt cutters and a gun.

[Deputy Steiner]

Joe said, I told Tim that I was armed just so he would know that I was armed.

[Narrator]

But the warning went unheeded.

[Investigator]

Happens really fast. He reached around behind him and pulled out his gun. I don't know if he fired or not. His gun was pointing at me and that's when I drew my gun. I shot. And he spun around. I thought I'd hit him, but I wasn't sure. And he spun around and he still had the gun in his hand and he was going down. I shot him again. I think that's it was maybe the.

[Jackie Newman]

Lower back or something.

[Investigator]

I don't know. What he described initially was plausible. Was it possible? We didn't know, so we didn't arrest him. We didn't take custody of him at that moment. Following the law, we had to let him go. There was not enough to overcome the law. That said, we have to prove that it wasn't self defense. Our stand your ground law is extremely strong. If you are in reasonable fear of bodily injury, you get to use reasonable.

[Deputy Steiner]

Force to defend yourself, including a weapon.

[Narrator]

After taking Campbell's death statement, detectives inspect the crime scene.

[Deputy Steiner]

We got together with the coroner and once the death was pronounced, then we were able to process, process Tim. I hate to say it that way, but you know, we start taking pictures of Tim unzipping clothes, rolling, rolling over, taking pictures, just seeing where everything is at. Crime scene was consistent because, you know, Joe talked about where Tim had parked his four wheeler and there was a four wheeler on scene. Joe talked about Tim walking up to a gate and Tim was found within a few feet of the gate. Joe said he was on his property on his side of the gate and that's where Joe and all the shell casings were. Next to Tim was his revolver. It was a six shot revolver laying on the ground. I didn't see any evidence of his gun being fired.

[Narrator]

Investigators collect the evidence and translate Tim's body to the medical examiner for autopsy. Once the crime scene is secured, officers turn their attention to Joe's wife, Tanny, to corroborate his story.

[Investigator]

Joe's wife was there to support Joe. Tim Newman was the instigator, and Tim Newman was the aggressor. And Tim Newman was the one who had caused all of this and that Joe had to act in self defense.

[Narrator]

Less than an hour into the investigation, the case already appears to be closed. But not everyone believes Joe's story.

[Deputy Steiner]

As we were leaving the area, a female had flagged us down and it was Tim's wife.

[Investigator]

Someone had already told her that Tim was dead. She was very sad, frustrated, angry, mad at the situation. He was crying and said, I asked him not to do it. Peacock brings the thrills of Jurassic World Rebirth. Home survival is a long shot that's.

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[Friend/Neighbor]

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[Deputy Steiner]

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[Friend/Neighbor]

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[Investigator]

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[Jackie Newman]

It is chaos.

[Investigator]

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[Friend/Neighbor]

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[Family Member or Close Friend]

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[Neighbor]

Treat me like that.

[Investigator]

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[Jackie Newman]

This is a situation we got going on.

[Friend/Neighbor]

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[Narrator]

Hours after the fatal shooting of Tim Newman, investigators accompany his grieving widow, Jackie Newman, back to their idyllic cabin in the woods. They find a group of friends and neighbors gathered there in support.

[Friend/Neighbor]

Sue called me, my wife and told me what had happened. And within an hour and 40 minutes, the word had spread.

[Investigator]

When I talked to Jackie, she clearly was in mourning and distress. Jackie didn't say a lot to me and I didn't expect her to just found out her husband had been killed. Crying, angry. Everything that you would expect.

[Narrator]

Although no one saw the shooting, several mourners think Joe Campbell made up his story of self defense. It seems many of them have also had problems with Campbell.

[Investigator]

They got the drifts that Joe Campbell had been pretty oppressive to these folks.

[Family Member or Close Friend]

I'm not sure what prompted the change in Joe, but when people have an opportunity to behave badly and they get away with emboldens them to continue that behavior. I believe he thought he could get away with Murder.

[Friend/Neighbor]

There was years of frustrations and years of confrontations leading up to that day. Joe was always rubbing everybody the wrong way and saying things and doing things by actions that weren't part of the community up there that we were all used to.

[Narrator]

But it didn't start out that way. At first. Joe and Tanny seemed to get along with everyone.

[Neighbor]

They owned property up the hill from us. It's a little ways the crow flies.

[Friend/Neighbor]

He worked for the foresters for a number of years, and then they had retired up to the Diamondbar X. And Tanny was doing some computer work from home, which back in those days nobody did. But now everybody's doing it.

[Neighbor]

They did a lot of trail running and so we'd see them go by our place and they'd wave. And we got married at the waterfall that's just below our place. And Joe and Tanny were there just like all the other neighbors.

[Narrator]

However, things took a turn once Campbell bought up all of the undeveloped property in the area.

[Neighbor]

There was a little over 600 acres, kind of patchworked all over the mountain. A lot here, a lot there, you know, some bigger chunks.

[Jackie Newman]

As soon as you get to the other land, they just changed 100% and talked. Ya. I mean, he'd just complain about everything if you crossed any part of his land. He was having a fit.

[Family Member or Close Friend]

Campbell started putting up gates on all the roads that we had access, in particular the trails and the roads we had used to access Forest Service land and claimed that he owned them and everybody who had been using them didn't have that access.

[Friend/Neighbor]

He can block off all these access points that we had used for years and years, and it had been a traditional use in there for 100 years. And all we were doing is passing through his property into the Forest Service and he was going to do whatever it took to stop people from going through his land.

[Narrator]

Tim Newman wasn't the only one who had a problem with the changes.

[Investigator]

There was some bad blood between Joe Campbell and anyone else that wanted to exercise their rights to enter the wilderness.

[Jackie Newman]

Every place you'd go, you run into him and he was always hollering at you to get back on the road, you gotta have permission to come up here.

[Narrator]

Neighbors say they tried reasoning with Campbell to no avail.

[Neighbor]

We tried to have a community meeting to talk about it. He came to that community meeting and basically said, I own the land, I can do what I want.

[Jackie Newman]

Some people are greedy. He just wanted it all for himself and didn't want anybody else going anywhere on the land. Several times Campbell had stopped people on their horses and actually pointed guns at him, told them to turn around.

[Investigator]

Casey, come here. You're on private property without permission. Casey, you're just passing. We are, yeah. For about three quarters of a mile. There isn't any right of way through here, and there isn't any easement, and you don't have any right to hunt up here. Let's try this weapon you're carrying.

[Friend/Neighbor]

Are you threatened doing a little bird hunting?

[Investigator]

That ain't a bird gun does the job for me.

[Neighbor]

Then he had the incident with Joe Eberly and his daughter Jocelyn Aberly.

[Family Member or Close Friend]

My dad said, you know, we'll take a ride. It was my last day in country before I had to fly back to Iraq. There was an access for horses to go on the pony trail, and so we jumped on our horses, and at that point, Joe Campbell had put up a gate and a lock on the pony trail so we couldn't go any further. And as we approached the gate, he came running up to the gate, and he also had a shotgun that was leaned up against the post. And he right away said, it's private property and you can't trespass on my property. And he and my dad got into a verbal altercation. And Joe grabbed the shotgun and started waving his hands and waving the shotgun to spook the horseshoe. And then Joe takes the shotgun and points it at us. I was scared. It was just so surreal. It was just like, you've got to be kidding. I'm coming back from Iraq, where I've had three tours where we get shot at every day. I said, and here I'm in my backyard and this crazy man's waving a shotgun at us. I said, you know what the blank is going on? My dad's determined. He says, we have every right to go on these trails. We're going to go up. And I just told my dad, you know what, dad? I'm like, let's stop. We'll go back, make a sheriff's report on this. I'm like, I want this followed up on. I want to press charges. Crickets never heard anything again.

[Narrator]

By September 2009, the situation had gotten so bad that a group of residents sought legal help.

[Neighbor]

Me and several of the neighbors write a letter to the Lewis and Clark county attorney and the Lewis and Clark county sheriff to say, we've had so many incidences up here, and he's now pulled a weapon. Nothing's been done, and someone's going to get shot.

[Friend/Neighbor]

We were told, unfortunately, that it was a civil problem, but in my mind, I. Pulling a gun on a guy is a criminal offense. They never charged him with anything. We thought, okay, before violence comes to it, we'll just fight him legally. So we did that. We decided to pool our money, whoever wanted to get involved in it, and fight him legally with a lawsuit. So there was 10 families. Tim did become involved in that. He was one of the original 10.

[Narrator]

But a costly court battle with a wealthy landowner proved impossible to sustain.

[Friend/Neighbor]

After that pool of money was spent, we had to go back to each cabin owner and say, okay, we're out of money. We need more time. Is everybody still in? We lost two or three. I think Tim was one of them. He said, I just can't afford to do this anymore.

[Narrator]

That's when Tim decided to take the direct approach.

[Jackie Newman]

He was just frustrated. Tim thought, I'll just get in trouble so I can get in front of a judge and assert my rights. And he did that by cutting chains and locks and opening gates.

[Friend/Neighbor]

That was his civil disobedience. And for all the other cabin owners to gain access. He was doing it for everybody because that's the kind of guy Tim was.

[Narrator]

Neighbors say Tim's plans seemed to work. After several trespassing charges, he was set to face Campbell in court that October. But it never came to pass. On August 14, two months before the shooting, the Lewis and Clark County Attorney's office made a motion to drop the criminal charges, deciding it was a civil matter.

[Jackie Newman]

That's when things started to really go sour between Joe Campbell.

[Friend/Neighbor]

When Joe Campbell found out that the charges were dropped, he became very irate and made threats to people like, the next time you see Tim, it's going to be in a body bag. And those were his exact words.

[Narrator]

It didn't take long for Tim to hear about Campbell's threats.

[Neighbor]

A group of us got together, and Tim had a gun. It was my understanding that a neighbor asked him about it, and he said, I'm carrying it because I'm afraid of Joe Campbell. I'm afraid he's going to pull a gun on me.

[Investigator]

Both were packing weapons openly, and they were ready for trouble.

[Narrator]

Coming up, forensic evidence tells Tim Newman's side of the story.

[Investigator]

That's where our alarm bells went off. This is wrong. This didn't happen the way he said.

[Narrator]

But his killer might get away with it.

[Jackie Newman]

There was a lot of people upset about it, so you didn't know if you were going to be next.

[Narrator]

After interviewing the other residents of Diamondbar X, detectives re examined Joe Campbell's claim that he killed Tim Newman in self defense.

[Investigator]

There had been a long time dispute, not just with Tim Newman, but with a vast number of the people at the residents up there.

[Narrator]

But if they're going to charge Campbell with a crime, investigators need more than a rumor of threats.

[Investigator]

Self defense in Montana is implied. We need to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt it wasn't self defense by the forensic evidence.

[Narrator]

The day after the shooting, the state medical examiner conducts an autopsy. Police are hoping the results will give them an objective account of how tim was shot.

[Investigator]

Mr. Campbell described that this confrontation happened right at the gate. Mr. Newman reached down to pull out his gun and then Mr. Campbell shot and shot him in the hand. And then as he spun, he was firing another one and shot him in the back. The first shot that we looked at was the one that hit him in the spine. The angle indicated opposite of what he said. That's where our alarm bells went off of this is wrong. This didn't happen the way he said.

[Narrator]

Did the stress of the moment cause Campbell to misremember? Or is he covering up a cold blooded murder? To find out, detectives bring him in for another interview on October 28th.

[Investigator]

When you interview someone right after something happens, there can be times where there are truly a memory blank. We did say, Joe, what you're telling us doesn't line up with what we found with the autopsy. Can you tell us again? Tell us about this? Because what you're saying doesn't add up.

[Narrator]

Despite the discrepancies, Campbell sticks to his story.

[Investigator]

I was scared he knew that he wasn't welcome on the property. I'm watching his hands and I'm watching him start pulling hammer back through the fence. Okay, so you. You reached down and you pulled your gun out. I went real slow so he wouldn't see the motion.

[Friend/Neighbor]

Okay, I fired.

[Investigator]

Then he spun backward and down and away from me. This sounds crazy, but I still don't know if he fired a shot or not. I don't know. It's extremely hard to prove a criminal case unless you've got some super physical fact that countermands everything else. If you can show that physically it had to happen, you're gonna have a lot better chance of removing all reasonable doubt. We need to take the forensic evidence and have someone that can do ballistics and reenact this type of thing where the evidence was found.

[Narrator]

The district attorney's office hires a forensics team to do the reconstruction in the exact same circumstances. But mother nature doesn't cooperate with their plan.

[Investigator]

This was a time of year where it was beginning to get into the fault. It snowed. We weren't able to get up there.

[Narrator]

For several months. The answers lie buried beneath the snow, and Joe Campbell remains a free man.

[Jackie Newman]

There was a lot of people that were very upset that he didn't get arrested and go to jail.

[Friend/Neighbor]

The feeling up there then was there's a guy living up here that's capable of killing somebody, shooting him in the back. It scared off a lot of the neighbors. They decided to stay away because they were afraid. Consensus was around was just to stay clear of the guy.

[Jackie Newman]

You didn't know if he was going to be next or what.

[Narrator]

Finally, on May 19, 2014, the snow melts enough for police to conduct a reenactment at the scene. Using a mannequin and measurements taken the day of the shooting, a forensic specialist tests Joe's version of events.

[Investigator]

The scientists came back and looked at different plausible scenarios. What Joe had said had happened, what we felt was happening, what fit with how the body, how Tim's body was shot.

[Narrator]

Joe claimed to shoot Tim first in the front. This spun him around and Joe's second shot was to Tim's back.

[Investigator]

But the body was found laying on his back with those legs spread. If you are shot just standing there, you're gonna fall and your legs will be together because there's no momentum. If you're running, chances are one leg is already out in front and it's going to be spread away, such as Tim Newman was.

[Neighbor]

It was shown beyond a reasonable doubt that Tim was turning away and running away when he was shot in the back.

[Narrator]

To forensic specialists, evidence indicates Tim was shot first in the back and spun around to land face up. And the trajectory of Joe's second shot negates. That's his self defense argument.

[Investigator]

He was shot when he was laying down.

[Neighbor]

For him to be shot the way Joe said, they had him doing some type of a matrix move like you would see in a cartoon animation, that he would have had to bend way back. And it just doesn't seem logical that a person could do that to make their scenario fit. The other important piece was the bolt cutters. Joe Campbell claims Tim was cutting the lock when he apparently took these bulky bolt cutters and dropped them and was able to grab his gun pointed at Joe. And then of course, Joe Campbell out drew him. So placement of the bolt cutters was very important because they weren't right at the gate. They appeared to be right where Tim fell over after he was shot in the back.

[Narrator]

The reenactment reveals another Inconsistency.

[Neighbor]

Tim was left handed. And when he was shot and killed, the gun was laying by his right hand.

[Investigator]

I don't think that Tim ever drew a gun. I think it was pulled out of the holster and placed by his right hand. I think it was staged after the fact.

[Neighbor]

Where the bolt cutters were, where the gun was. That's all great evidence that this wasn't any of the scenarios that Joe Campbell gave as his stories. The forensics showed that Tim was shot in the back when he was running away from the gate.

[Investigator]

This feud had been going for some time. I mean, it had been heating up. And with the forensic evidence, what we could find, we had enough evidence to go before a judge and say we feel that Joe Campbell murdered Tim Newman.

[Narrator]

On June 23, 2014, nearly nine months after Tim Newman. Newman was killed, Montana police placed Joe Campbell under arrest.

[Deputy Steiner]

We took quite a few officers with us. We had two or three go up to Joe's house just in case something might happen. And then Joe was arrested peacefully and there was no incident.

[Friend/Neighbor]

Word spread like wildfire. We thought, oh, boy, they finally got that son of a bitch. Here we go. He's finally going to get what he deserves.

[Narrator]

At his arraignment, Joe pleads not guilty. Under Montana's stand you'd ground laws, the judge sets bail at $1 million. But the wealthy landowner hardly bats an eye.

[Investigator]

He used his land that this incident happened on as collateral, plus cash.

[Jackie Newman]

He didn't spend a night in jail or anything. He bonded out right away and that was the end of that.

[Neighbor]

When he was released on bail, we were all super concerned. It was already bad enough that he'd been up there all those months before he was arrested. The state negotiated that he could not come back on the mountain. He had to be 10 miles from his residence because so many of us were witnesses.

[Narrator]

After several delays, Campbell's trial finally begins on February 15, 2016, more than two years after the shooting. Despite the evidence, prosecutors know they still face an uphill battle.

[Investigator]

We had to overcome that western mentality of this is my land, stay off my land, and I have the right to shoot you if I think you're.

[Deputy Steiner]

Going to police when someone's shot in the back. How is it self defense when you sift through everything?

[Investigator]

It seemed pretty absurd, but you have to get 12 jurors to agree beyond a reasonable doubt.

[Narrator]

Residents of Diamondbar X testify to Campbell's history of aggression and threats against Tim Newman. Prosecutors also walk the jury through the reenactment proving Tim was shot as he attempted, attempted to run.

[Investigator]

We brought in an expert to show that our theory on how he was shot was correct.

[Narrator]

But Campbell's defense produces their own expert to dispute those findings.

[Jackie Newman]

It was hard to sit and listen to conflicting experts. The state's experts said one thing and Campbell's hired experts said another. It was hard to heal and move on when we're sitting in court looking at a murderer.

[Narrator]

After a three week trial, the jury is sent to deliberate. They return 13 hours later.

[Friend/Neighbor]

Everybody thought, here we go. Justice is going to be served. Unfortunately, the jury didn't see it that way.

[Investigator]

The prosecution was required to get 12 votes of guilty from 12 jurors. If one of those jurors said, I feel there's reasonable doubt, that would be a mistrial. And that's what happened.

[Neighbor]

I was disappointed in the mistrial that we had a hung jury. Realistically, I knew all along. It's hard to convince 12 people beyond a reasonable doubt when you have two people telling a side of a story and one's dead.

[Narrator]

After the mistrial, the state quickly prepares to go back to court. But two months later, Campbell enters into a plea deal. Instead of prison. He receives 20 years of probation.

[Jackie Newman]

Never spend a night in jail for killing a fella. I don't know. I don't know. It's money. It's money.

[Friend/Neighbor]

I guess the good thing that came out of it, there were some good things, is he was banned from the mountain for 20 years, can't own a firearm for 20 years, and he had to sell his properties. And so just not having him around gave us a peace of mind that we can go up there and enjoy life again and return to normal.

[Narrator]

A memorial now marks the spot where Tim Newman was killed. Fighting for the land he loved, Tim.

[Jackie Newman]

Didn'T die completely in vain. There's still access to the national forest for the general public, for the average guy. And that's something that I'm grateful to those that made that happen.

[Friend/Neighbor]

There's a tree back up there where we go all the time and go horseback riding and hunting. And Tim's got his initials carved in there. We look at that, it's hard not to think about him.

[Jackie Newman]

I was just at, at the spot where he was shot just a few days ago. And it's very sobering. And I always take a few seconds and I just look around and I know he's there, you know, I know he's there. I'll see you in a few years, buddy.

[Narrator]

In 2016, Jackie Newman, Tim's widow, settled a wrongful death lawsuit with Joe Campbell. The terms were not disclose. Cozy traditions feel good and that includes your fall makeup look. From lashes for days to enhancing a smoky eye with your favorite shade of brilliant eye brightener. Thrive Cosmetics is your go to for completing every fall look. Plus every product is 100% vegan, cruelty free and made with clean, skin loving ingredients. Go to thrivecosmetics.com cozy for an exclusive offer of 20% off your first order. That's Thrive Cosmetics. C A U S E M E T I C S Com Cozy.