.1908261145550.jpg)
A new TV series, Vengeance: Killer Neighbors, will premiere this August and will include several true crime stories about homicidal neighbors. One episode, titled “Deadly Trespass,” covers the tragic murder of Timothy Newman, whose family was represented by our very own Attorney Zander Blewett in a civil wrongful death lawsuit. Mr. Newman was killed in October of 2013 after a longstanding feud with his neighbor, Joseph Campbell, triggered Campbell to shoot Newman on his property. Although Campbell claimed the shooting was in self-defense, forensic and circumstantial evidence suggested otherwise.
Hoyt & Blewett PLLC proudly takes on a wide variety of personal injury cases, including wrongful death. We are passionate about fighting for the rights of our victims and their families, as you can see in the case of Timothy Newman. We invite everyone to tune in on Sunday, Sept. 1st, 2019 at 6 PM MST, to learn more about the murder, criminal trial, and civil lawsuit.
The Newman Murder
In October of 2013 in Lewis and Clark County, 53-year-old Timothy Newman was shot and killed by his neighbor, Joseph Campbell, age 67, due to an age-old property dispute regarding their land access. The two had been involved in many arguments about the land access, and following the shooting, Campbell claimed that he shot Newman in self-defense after Newman pointed a gun at him.
However, upon further investigation, authorities discovered that Campbell had been involved in several disputes with neighbors over the years, including at least 24 calls to the local police about high-conflict behavior between 2010 and 2013. Additionally, forensic evidence contradicted Campbell’s account of Newman’s death.
According to Campbell’s accounts, Newman came to their shared property gate holding a revolver, which he held behind his back. Campbell claims that Newman then cocked the hammer and aimed the revolver at him, at which point Campbell says he pulled out his own gun and shot his armed neighbor. When Newman attempted to rise, Campbell fired again, fatally shooting Newman in the back.
The forensic evidence, on the other hand, indicates that Newman’s initial injury was a shot to the back, which severed his spinal cord. The second bullet then struck Newman’s chest, presumably after he fell over from the initial shot.
The Trial and Wrongful Death Lawsuit
The State of Montana took legal action against Campbell and charged him with deliberate homicide in 2016. The trial lasted 3 weeks and ultimately resulted in a hung jury and mistrial. During that time, Campbell maintained that he shot his neighbor in self-defense, but when he faced the second jury, he pleaded no contest to negligent homicide. During that plea, Campbell said he shot Newman in the back without knowing Newman had a gun on him.
After the criminal trial, Attorney Zander Blewett filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Joseph Campbell on behalf of Newman’s family. They settled the case for $1 million, which was the highest attainable sum under Campbell’s homeowner’s insurance policy.
Watch the Case On TV
Vengeance is an original series hosted by HLN, a national news network owned by CNN. The show began with the series Vengeance: Killer Lovers, and will pick up again with Vengeance: Killer Neighbors on August 4th. This series will include 10 episodes of neighborly relations gone wrong, and will cover the murder of Timothy Newman in Episode 6, titled “Deadly Trespass.”
During the “Deadly Trespass” episode, viewers can anticipate seeing interviews with Newman and Campbell’s friends and neighbors, along with statements from local law enforcement, associated media, and our very own Attorney Zander Blewett.
Vengeance: Killer Neighbors can be accessed on Channel 52 or 614 for Spectrum subscribers, Channel 204 for Direct TV subscribers, and Channel 202 for Dish Network subscribers.
To get in touch with Attorney Blewett or another lawyer at our firm, contact Hoyt & Blewett PLLC today.