FARGO, ND (trfnews.i234.me) – Jody Campbell, 59, tragically lost her life on Saturday, June 8, during a domestic dispute with 61-year-old Randall Dale Duffy at an apartment in the 3100 block of 33rd Street South, Fargo. On Monday, Duffy was charged with murder, a Class AA felony, and felony domestic violence, a Class C felony, in connection with Campbell’s death. He is currently held at the Cass County Jail.
Court documents reveal a history of violent encounters between Campbell and Duffy. The charges detail that Duffy called 911 at 11:48 a.m. Saturday, stating to dispatchers, “send someone.” When officers arrived, Duffy met them outside his apartment and admitted, “I choked her out too long” during a fight. Officers discovered Campbell’s body in a closet, where Duffy had directed them.
Duffy told investigators that the altercation started over meth and a missing meth pipe. He admitted to putting Campbell in a headlock during the argument until she went limp and fell. After leaving the apartment for about an hour, he returned to find her unmoved. Panicking, he delayed calling the police for six or seven hours and moved her body into a closet to keep their dog away from it.
Duffy’s criminal history includes numerous assault and drug charges, and he had previous domestic violence charges involving Campbell. In December 2020, Campbell reported that Duffy tried to suffocate her, but the charges were later reduced to disorderly conduct. A review of 20 previous incident reports involving Duffy found at least nine related to domestic disputes with Campbell, with the most recent occurring in July 2023.
Neighbors frequently reported loud arguments from their apartment, and police were often called to intervene. In a Facebook post, Blackbird Woodfire, where Campbell worked as a server for a decade, paid tribute to her, describing her as “the face and heart of the restaurant.”
A GoFundMe campaign has been established to cover funeral and other expenses, with a portion of the proceeds going to a domestic violence crisis center.