Woman called police twice before being found dead in Laughlin

A woman allegedly killed by her boyfriend in a Laughlin homeless camp called police at least twice to report him for domestic violence before her death, court documents show.

Aaron Justin Campbell, 46, called police from the Riverside Hotel in Laughlin on May 7 to report that his girlfriend, 59-year-old Barbara Heide, had died during the night, according to Campbell’s arrest warrant.

Medical Staff and Metropolitan Police Department officers found Heide dead in a ditch near the Colorado River Heritage Trail, the warrant states. Homicide detectives were called to the scene after Clark County coroner’s office investigator noticed wounds on Heide’s back and drag marks on the ground leading from Campbell and Heide’s tent to the ditch.

According to Campbell’s arrest warrant, Heide called police on Jan. 2 and filed a battery warrant after Campbell allegedly tore off her clothing and burned it. On April 17, Heide was found beaten and unconscious in a park bathroom, but told police that she didn’t want to file a report and “get Campbell in trouble,” the warrant states.

Campbell changed his story several times during an interview with detectives, the warrant states, but initially told police that he found Heide’s body after she left the tent to urinate but never returned.

Campbell later said he and Heide had an argument inside their tent because he was upset that she met with her husband earlier in the day. He said he didn’t harm Heide, according to the warrant, but dragged her out of the tent because she had been drinking and he was afraid she might urinate inside.

Police arrested Campbell on July 17 after the coroner’s office determined Heide died from blunt force trauma and that the wounds on her back from being dragged across the ground were inflicted after her death.

Campbell was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on one count of murder, where he remains in custody without bail.

Contact Max Michor at mmichor@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0365. Follow @MaxMichor on Twitter.