COLUMBUS, Mont. — A brutal attack at a family home in Stillwater County early Wednesday claimed the lives of a mother and daughter and left two men injured. Authorities say a 23-year-old man allegedly ambushed the victims as they arrived home during the pre-dawn hours.
According to charging documents filed in Stillwater County District Court, Ty Allen Turney was waiting for his estranged girlfriend, Nila Dawson, and her companions when they arrived at the residence. Turney is accused of shooting Nila and her mother, Justine Dawson, inside the garage, then pursuing Greg Dawson, Nila’s father, and shooting him in the back as he responded to the gunfire. A fourth victim, Mathew Cale Osgood, was also shot in the arm.
After the shooting, Turney fled the scene but later crashed a pickup truck into the Stillwater River, not far from the home situated between Absarokee and Nye. He is currently in custody at the Yellowstone County jail, facing multiple charges including two counts of deliberate homicide and two counts of attempted deliberate homicide.
Investigators described Turney as a jilted boyfriend who traveled from Texas to Montana in an attempt to rekindle his relationship with Nila. However, reports suggest that Nila had previously confided to a friend about a night in December when she was allegedly sexually assaulted by Turney. Despite this serious allegation, she chose not to report the incident to law enforcement.
The chilling events unfolded shortly after 3:40 a.m. when dispatchers received a 911 call from a female friend of Nila, who reported hearing gunfire and feared for her friend’s life. Greg Dawson also called for help, reporting that his daughter and wife had been shot, though the call disconnected before he could provide further details.
Moments later, he called back, revealing that Osgood had also been injured. Osgood managed to inform dispatchers that the shooter had fled in a white GMC pickup truck and that the suspect’s first name was Ty.
When law enforcement arrived at the residence, they found Greg Dawson had been shot in the back and was subsequently taken to a Billings hospital for urgent care. Tragically, Nila Dawson was pronounced dead at the scene, while Justine Dawson succumbed to her injuries later that morning.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene as Osgood and another friend attempted to escape the gunfire. Osgood, who had grabbed a pistol from Nila’s purse, was shot while seeking cover behind a vehicle. He later recounted seeing Turney descend a flight of stairs with a firearm before unleashing gunfire.
Legal proceedings are set to commence Thursday, where Turney will face the court. This violent episode has reverberated through the community, leaving residents grappling with the loss of life and the shocking nature of the crime.