Jody Carol Buzzell, a 52-year-old White female, was a beloved mother, grandmother, and gifted massage therapist residing in Fryeburg, Maine. Known for her infectious laugh and beautiful smile, she was a person who brightened any room she entered. A graduate of Fryeburg Academy and the University of Southern Maine, she was inducted into the massage therapy Hall of Fame in 2010. Jody was a caring and giving person who consistently put others before herself.
She found joy in skiing, hiking, painting, singing, and, most of all, spending time with her family. She was a devoted mother to her four children and a loving grandmother to her two grandchildren.
On January 26, 2015, a tragic event unfolded in the small town of Fryeburg. Relatives of the Buzzell family contacted the police, leading to a significant police presence at their home on West Fryeburg Road. After several hours of investigation in the freezing temperatures, the Maine State Police tactical team entered the residence. In the early morning hours of January 27, they discovered Jody Buzzell's body in a first-floor room. It was determined that she had been shot and killed by her husband, 52-year-old Mark Buzzell, on the afternoon of January 26.
The search for Mark Buzzell continued throughout the night, with Route 113 being closed for about 12 hours. His body was found approximately four hours after his wife's, in a vacant residence next door that belonged to a family member. It was concluded that he had taken his own life. Investigators revealed that Mark Buzzell had left a note and had also informed family members that he had killed his wife. The day of the murder-suicide, he had sent a threatening message to another man. The deaths of Jody and Mark Buzzell were investigated as a domestic violence murder-suicide. Jody's death marked the first homicide in Maine in 2015.
The community of Fryeburg was left in shock and mourning. In the days following the tragedy, hundreds of people gathered for a candlelight vigil and walk to remember Jody and show support for her four children. Participants, many wearing purple in a sign of domestic violence awareness, walked from Fryeburg Academy to Bradley Park. The event was a testament to the deep impact Jody had on her community and a somber beginning to the healing process for a town shaken by the devastating loss.
