Alberta man convicted of attempted murders for 2015 Eureka shooting

Michael Gilbert Ilk Thursday night was convicted for attempting to murder two people from Eureka, after the Lincoln County District Court jury deliberated for nearly five hours.

The 12-member jury around 9 p.m. found Ilk, 41, of Alberta, guilty on two counts of attempted deliberate homicide and two counts of aggravated assault. Friends, family and supporters on both sides of the court room audience were in tears as Ilk hugged his family goodbye and was escorted back to incarceration. His sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 29.

Around 8 p.m. on April 15, 2015, Ilk was arrested at the Eureka Law Enforcement Center after firing about 10 shots at his ex-girlfriend Hadassah Pereslete and Tyler Wilson, from his pickup into Wilson’s. Pereslete and Wilson were each hit twice as they sped away from the construction site, where Pereslete worked that day, toward the Eureka Law Enforcement Center.

Lincoln County Attorney Bernard Cassidy argued that Ilk, filled with jealousy and rage, opened fire on Pereslete and Wilson with his 9-millimeter pistol as he blocked the exit from the construction site. Defense attorneys Sean Hinchey and Thane Johnson argued that it was Wilson who shot first with a .45-caliber pistol, and that Ilk fired back in self-defense.

Cassidy gave the state’s opening argument on Tuesday, the first to describe the scene where he said Ilk sprayed more than 10 rounds at Wilson and Pereslete, hitting them both through Wilson’s windshield and driver’s side window.

“They were hurt and they were afraid,” Cassidy said.

Montana State Trooper Neil Duram testified that he later found both 9-millimeter and .45-caliber pistol shell casings at the scene, although he didn’t examine the casings closely, simply saw different sizes and estimated. Wilson later testified that he had four guns, including two .45-caliber pistols, in his car that he had used for gopher hunting a few days earlier.

Pereslete had been dating Ilk from June, 2012 to January, 2015 and said they had lived together almost the entire time. Pereslete said Ilk was sometimes abusive and described a different night she said Ilk was angry threatened her life. They broke up in January, but continued to see each other in the months leading up to the shooting, although Pereslete said Ilk was controlling and pressured her to return to the relationship; Ilk even provided a list of requests to better their friendship, like texting him at scheduled times throughout the day.

On April 15, 2015, Ilk sent Pereslete a text saying he would see her later at her work place. She didn’t respond, but a day earlier had sent texts rejecting Ilk, like “I hate you so intensely,” and “I want you f***ing dead.”

Later on April 15, Pereslete texted Wilson, a longtime friend, asking him to come see her at work. As he was driving to her construction site, Pereslete sent Wilson a second text: “Bring a gun, better safe than sorry.”

“Haha, check,” he texted back.

Wilson arrived, picked Pereslete up, drove back toward the road and was then cut off by Ilk’s red Dodge pickup. Wilson and Pereslete testified that within seconds, Ilk opened fire on their vehicle.

“As I’m asking her who it was, bullets came flying through the windshield, cracking the windshield,” Wilson said. “After I passed him I remember hearing bullets hit my tailgate.”

Wilson floored the gas pedal, running over a pile of lumber to navigate around Ilk’s pickup and get to the road. When Wilson was back on the road he realized had bad been shot in the hand, because his right middle finger was bent at a 90-degree angle, knuckle blown away and blood rushing out.

“I knew I was bleeding a lot, and she was shot too,” Wilson said.

Wilson was shot in the left arm and the middle finger. Pereslete was shot near the right knee and her left arm.

On the way to the police station, Pereslete called 9-1-1 and Wilson pulled one of his pistols out of the center console. Wilson said after removing the gun, he placed it on top of the center console and never touched it again.

Wilson reached the police station four miles away, about 30 second ahead of Ilk, and ran for the front door; but the time was about 8:30 p.m., so the door was locked so he ran to the back door.

Pereslete was still sitting in Wilson’s pickup. She said when Wilson ran out of sight, Ilk’s red Dodge pulled into the parking lot so she leapt from inside the vehicle and under the rear axil, between the back tires.

“I was thinking I made it out initially and that he was there to end me,” Pereslete said, unsuccessfully fighting back tears. “Because I knew he would continue shooting and I knew my chance for survival would be the protection of the tires.”

Eureka Police Chief Ian Jeffcock was the first to respond to Pereslete’s 9-1-1 call after she and Wilson drove around Ilk’s pickup and escaped back toward Eureka. The surveillance video from Jeffcock’s police car shows Ilk get out of the car and to the ground at Jeffcock’s command. Off screen, Pereslete is heard screaming from beneath Wilson’s pickup. Ilk has been detained ever since.

Defense attorney Thane Johnson gave the defense’s opening statement on Thursday, painting a different picture than the one framed during the two previous days of testimony. Johnson said it was actually Wilson who first opened fire at Ilk’s pickup, after Wilson accelerated toward Ilk in his own pickup.

“The first shot wasn’t with his weapon,” Johnson said. “Now, (Ilk) had to deal with two weapons: Tyler tried to kill him with his pickup and a .45 pistol.”

Ilk said he arrived at the construction site that night and first saw Pereslete’s car, then Wilson’s pickup.

“He accelerated rapidly toward me. I could see the gun in his hand. I hadn’t pulled the gun out and I heard the first shot, his truck still coming directly at me,” Ilk said during testimony.

Ilk said once Wilson’s pickup was gone he turned and headed for the law enforcement center.

During the closing arguments on Thursday, Hinchey described the possibility of a fifth gun that Wilson brought to the construction site and then ditched after allegedly firing at Ilk first. Although Wilson, who was shot in the hand, said he grabbed the gun from his center console, no blood was found on any firearms in his vehicle.

Deputy County Attorney Jeff Zwang didn’t mention the possibility of a fifth gun during the state’s closing statement, but told the jurors that the physical evidence, such as the angle of the parked vehicles, didn’t support self-defense. (I don’t know what the math was)

“Intelligence and life events give the jury knowledge to convict,” Zwang said.

At 4:29 p.m. on Thursday, the jury left to deliberate for the next four and a half hours before handing Ilk a guilty verdict on four counts: two for attempted murder and two aggravated assault. His sentencing is scheduled for late August. Ilk could receive up to 110 years per count of attempted deliberate homicide. His aggravated assault charges each carry a 30-year maximum and a maximum fine of $50,000. Pereslete and Wilson are both suing Ilk in civil court for more than $1 million each.

Reporter Seaborn Larson may be reached at 293-4124 or by emailing slarson@dailyinterlake.com