Assault with a weapon charges in C-Falls case dropped

Flathead County District Court Judge Dan Wilson dismissed last month assault charges brought up against a pair of Columbia Falls residents after the victim in the case stopped cooperating with prosecutors.

Buffie Nadine Daniels, 45, and Aaron Egan Kodama, 50, both faced felony assault with a weapon charges following an investigation into an alleged April 5, 2022 attack on Martha Road in Columbia Falls. The two entered not guilty pleas at their subsequent arraignments, setting the stage for eventual jury trials.

But on Feb. 10, Deputy County Attorney John Donovan filed motions to dismiss in both cases.

“The state has attempted to contact the victim in this case numerous times without success,” Donovan wrote in the motion. “Due to the lack of participation by the victim in this matter, the state cannot proceed with prosecution.”

Wilson ordered both cases dismissed with prejudice that same day, meaning prosecutors cannot refile the charges.

Daniels and Kodoma came to the attention of Columbia Falls Police after officers met with a bloodied man about 11:43 p.m., court documents said. The man told officers that two individuals, a male and a female, attacked him. The male attacker allegedly used a baton while the woman pulled out a handgun and cocked it, court documents said.

Officers later found Daniels and Kodama in a nearby home alongside a black handgun and a bent metal baton, court documents said.

News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or dperkins@dailyinterlake.com.