Fargo man found not guilty in girlfriend’s death

FARGO (KVRR) – A Fargo man has been acquitted of murder in connection with the death of his girlfriend.

A jury in Fargo found 29-year-old Cody Plumlee not guilty of murder, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment. Plumlee was convicted of reckless driving, theft of property and giving false information to law enforcement.

Plumlee was arrested in early December after police were called to a north Fargo apartment.  They found his girlfriend, Kirsten Knaus, unconscious. Knaus was hospitalized with serious injuries and died in late December, 2020.

Court documents say Plumlee pushed Knaus down the stairs during an argument over the keys to a car that they both use after she struck him in the head with a frying pan.

Plumlee said methamphetamine use had strained their relationship.