BILLINGS — Greg Dawson, the man who was shot in the ambush-style attack near Nye about a month ago, remains in the hospital recovering from his injuries.
The attack happened on December 8, leading to the deaths of Greg's daughter Nila Dawson, 20 years old, and his wife Justine Dawson, 60; all were allegedly shot by 23-year-old Ty Turney.
Prosecutors alleged in charging documents that Turney drove from Texas to Montana in an attempt to reconcile with Nila, a student at Rocky Mountain College.
Instead, prosecutors allege, he raped Nila at her campus apartment and tracked her to her parents' home, where he shot and killed both mother and daughter.
Turney shot Greg 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 charging documents.
Turney pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Since then, Greg has been recovering in a Billings hospital. This week, he will be transferred to a hospital in Salt Lake City for further care.
One of Dawson's former coworkers, Trebor Nedbalek, said it has heavily impacted the entire region.
"This is one of the most devastating things I've seen happen," Nedbalek said Sunday afternoon. "Just anger over the senselessness of it all."
Nedbalek said he was stunned when he heard that the Dawsons were the family involved.
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"It pretty much stopped me in my tracks when I found out it was him," Nedbalek said. "He's a great friend. He'd help anybody."
Now, Nedbalek is finding a way to help the family, with hospital bills piling up and the emotional distress being overwhelming.
"He's going to need more than physical help, and we want to be there for him," Nedbalek said.
On February 21, Nedbalek is hosting a fundraiser at Canyon Creek Brewing in Billings with various different events.
"We're going to do a chili cook-off and silent auction," Nedbalek said. "We'll also do a 50/50 raffle. Basically, just raise as much as we can to help him with what's coming in the future."
Nedbalek said it's the Montana way to help those in need and that he's hoping for a big turnout in a few weeks.
“In Montana, we always reach out to help each other, and I just want Greg and his family to know that we’re all here for them, whatever they need," Nedbalek said. "We’ll do our best to help.”
