The community of Stillwater County is reeling after a horrific early-morning attack claimed the lives of 20-year-old Nila Lynn Dawson and her mother, 60-year-old Justine Lynn Dawson, at their family home near Nye. The tragedy has left residents heartbroken and searching for answers as they come to terms with the sudden and violent loss of two beloved community members.
According to charging documents filed in Stillwater County District Court, 23-year-old Ty Allen Turney is accused of ambushing his estranged girlfriend, Nila Dawson, and the friends who were with her at the time. Investigators say Turney entered the garage of the Dawson home early Tuesday morning and opened fire, fatally shooting both Nila and her mother. Justine Dawson was rushed to a Billings hospital but later died from a gunshot wound to the head, leaving loved ones shattered by the loss.
The violence extended beyond Nila and her mother. Authorities reported that Gregory B. Dawson, Nila’s father, was shot in the back when he rushed toward the sound of gunfire to check on his family. He remains in intensive care at a Billings hospital, where doctors are working to stabilize him. Another victim, Mathew Cale Osgood, a friend of Nila’s, suffered a gunshot wound to the arm and is recovering.
Deputies responded to the Dawson home at around 3:40 a.m. after a 911 call reported gunfire at 1015 Stillwater Road. By the time law enforcement arrived, the scene was devastating, and Turney had already fled. He crashed a pickup into the Stillwater River shortly afterward and was arrested. He is currently being held in the Yellowstone County Jail and faces charges of two counts of deliberate homicide and two counts of attempted deliberate homicide.
Investigators believe the attack was premeditated. Court documents reveal that Turney traveled from Texas to Montana in an attempt to reconcile with Nila after she alleged he had raped her on December 6. Authorities say this tragic confrontation ended in unimaginable violence, leaving the Dawson family and their community forever changed.
Stillwater County residents are now mourning the heartbreaking losses of Nila and Justine Dawson while praying for the recovery of Gregory Dawson and Mathew Osgood. As the investigation continues, authorities are urging anyone with additional information to come forward, hoping to bring clarity and justice to a community shaken by senseless violence.
