We are learning more details about the death of 22-year-old Polson resident Rozlyn Bluemel.
Court documents from Lake County show that 20-year-old Tyler Uhrich is being charged with deliberate homicide and criminal endangerment. Uhrich is accused of shooting and killing Bluemel in the Hell Roaring Canyon Area on Tuesday, May 10. He then ran from the scene, leaving behind a 2-year-old child alone to face a night of freezing temperatures on a rural forest road in the Mission Mountains.
Lake County law enforcement responded to a call from a friend of Bluemel’s stating a domestic violence situation was occurring shortly before 2 p.m. on May 10. Bluemel’s friend states that Uhrich followed Bluemel’s vehicle into the mountainous area and approached the truck occupied by Bluemel and another occupant.
Prosecutors say in court documents that the friend states Uhrich "had not been expected or invited to join any of the people in the woods." Uhrich then reportedly jumped into the vehicle’s truck bed and began beating on the roof while Bluemel and the occupant attempted to drive away.
The occupant of the truck said he heard gunshots as Uhrich jumped out of the bed of the truck and several more shots were reported fired. At this time, Bluemel exited the truck as the occupant drove the truck away down the road.
While this was occurring, Bluemel’s friend was still in her vehicle up the road when she heard gunshots. Bluemel’s friend slowly proceeded down the road toward Uhrich and Bluemel and saw Uhrich standing over Bluemel who was on the ground — on her back — facing Uhrich.
Uhrich reportedly turned his attention to Bluemel’s friend driving down the road, as Bluemel ran into the woods. Court documents state Uhrich then chased Bluemel into the woods as Bluemel’s friend attempted to call Bluemel’s phone.
A short time later, Uhrich emerged from the woods and approached Bluemel’s friend’s vehicle, and banged on the vehicle window before proceeding back up the road toward his own vehicle.
When law enforcement arrived on the scene neither Bluemel nor Uhrich could be located. Law enforcement found Uhrich’s vehicle — which was still running with the headlights on — and discovered a two-year-old child was present in a car seat. The child appeared cold and was crying, court papers state.
Law enforcement also located two 9 mm Sig Sauer magazines in the vehicle and a shotgun was found in the trunk. Bluemel’s body was found lying face down on the ground on the afternoon of May 11 with prosecutors saying it appeared that Bluemel had been shot in the back of the head. On the ground under where her body was found, law enforcement found a bullet buried in the dirt.
Uhrich was arrested on Friday, May 13 by Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputies in the Pablo area after spending two days on the run from law enforcement. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday, May 19 at the Lake County Courthouse in Polson.
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