COLUMBUS — The man accused of killing two people and wounding two others near Absarokee in December of 2025, changed his plea changed his plea of "not guilty" to "guilty" Thursday afternoon in Stillwater County District Court in Columbus.
RELATED: The Absarokee community reacts after Tyler Allen Turney's court appearance (Dec. 2025):
Tyler Allen Turney is accused of shooting and killing his estranged girlfriend, Nila Dawson, and her mother, Justine Dawson, at the home on Stillwater River Road, between Absarokee and Nye. Prosecutors said he also shot and wounded Nila Dawson's father, Greg Dawson, and her friend, Matthew Cale Osgood.
Prosecutors stated in charging documents that Turney drove from Texas to Montana in an attempt to reconcile with Nila Dawson, a student at Rocky Mountain College. Instead, prosecutors allege, he raped Nila Dawson at her campus apartment and tracked her to her parents' home, where he shot and killed both mother and daughter.
Turney shot Greg Dawson in the back when he investigated the early morning commotion in the garage, then shot Osgood as he approached the residence to help, according to court documents.
Turney could face four life sentences; sentencing is expected in October or November.
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This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
