Four locals accused in kidnapping conspiracy
Two Lincoln County women are locked up following accusations they kidnapped and assaulted another woman for allegedly stealing money from a shared acquaintance.
Rusti Dawn Miller, 42, and Ashley Marie Davis, 35, are in the Lincoln County Detention Center on $100,000 bail following a Jan. 18 incident in the Lower Granite Creek Road area.
Each are charged with one felony count of conspiracy to commit aggravated kidnapping.
Miller is also charged with criminal possession of dangerous drugs, criminal possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of burglary tools from another incident.
Both defendants appeared in district court Monday. Davis pleaded not guilty to the conspiracy to commit aggravated kidnapping while Miller pleaded not guilty to the drug possession charges.
Miller's arraignment was rescheduled for March 24. Ashley Young, an attorney in the state Public Defender's Office, told Judge Matt Cuffe a representative for Miller was still being sought.
In addition, two men who were allegedly involved in the incident, Sean Waldron and Hunter Yuille, have also been charged.
According to the narrative by county Det. Dan Holskey, he got a call from Deputy Brandon Huff about a knife assault on Lower Granite Creek Road near Libby. Holskey learned Miller, who had been stabbed multiple times, and Feryn Paige Willey, who was injured during the alleged assault, were both taken to Cabinet Peaks Medical Center.
Cap. John Davis, Huff and Deputy Derek Breiland took statements from those involved, photographed the scene and collected evidence, including a folding blade knife, sunglasses with a large amount of reddish colored hair, a denture and marijuana paraphernalia.
Det. Holskey and Det. Brandon Holzer met with Willey at her home. Holskey said Willey’s face was bruised and she wore a neck brace. She also winced in pain and held her stomach while they spoke.
Willey, in initial and subsequent interviews, told Holskey she was hanging out with Jessica Tallmadge and Sean Waldron when Waldron accused her of stealing money from him. Willey said she blocked Waldron on messenger so he could not communicate with her.
Willey said she began receiving messages from a man named Hunter Yuille. She didn’t realize he was a friend of Waldron. At about 9 p.m. Jan. 17, Yuille was messaging with Willey and he suggested they meet. Willey said she left her home at 4 a.m. to meet with Yuille in the parking lot of The Shed. When she approached his truck, Davis got out and told Willey to get in. The alleged victim said she refused before Davis told her, “it would be bad if she refused.” Willey said she was forced to sit between Yuille and Davis in the front seat of the pickup.
At that point a vehicle pulled up with Waldron driving and Miller in the passenger seat. During the drive to Lower Granite Creek Road, Davis accused Willey of stealing money from Waldron. Davis allegedly said Willey “(profanity) up and she was going to pay for it.” Davis then removed a pocket knife from Willey’s possession.
At some point, Miller and Waldron pulled next to Yuille’s truck. Waldron told them to drive Willey to the end of Lower Granite Road. They eventually pulled over with Yuille and Davis getting out. Willey grabbed her phone from Davis and Yuille allegedly grabbed Willey by the feet and tried to pull her out of the truck.
During the struggle, Miller allegedly grabbed Willey by the hair and pulled her from the vehicle. Willey said Miller and at least two other people punched and kicked her. But in a later statement to Det. Holskey, Miller said no one else struck Willey during their fight.
Willey said she found her knife and began striking at Miller in an attempt to get away. Eventually, Miller let Willey go and told the others Willey stabbed her. Miller was rushed to Waldron’s truck and it headed toward Libby.
Willey called 911 and was taken to Cabinet Peaks Medical Center by Capt. Davis.
Initial efforts by law enforcement to find Miller, Davis, Waldron and Yuille were not successful, but on Jan. 23, Miller called the sheriff’s office, looking for her missing denture. Miller didn’t make a Jan. 24 appointment with Det. Holskey, saying she had to go to Kalispell for medical care for the injuries she suffered in the incident.
But Miller did speak with Holskey on Jan. 28. She told him she gave Waldron money to gamble with in a casino and he won several hundred dollars. He said he was going to give Miller half of the money, but Willey allegedly stole it.
Miller also allegedly told Det. Holskey she believed she was brought along because the others knew she would fight Willey and thinks they were set up. Miller repeatedly said she was a victim and left Libby because of her fear of Willey.
Det. Holskey also interviewed another Libby resident, Chris Martin, who said he didn’t like what happened to Willey and the people involved should answer for what they did to her.
Waldron allegedly told Martin he wasn’t going to get Willey himself, but he was going to have her delivered to him. At 3:14 a.m., Waldron left Martin’s residence because he had to pick someone up. He returned, then left again at about 4:30 a.m.
Not long after, Martin got a message from a friend saying Miller had been stabbed by Willey on Granite Road.
Det. Holskey wrote in his Jan. 29 report that efforts to locate Davis, Waldron and Yuille were unsuccessful. Davis was eventually taken into custody and remains in the county jail.
Court records indicate Waldron was supposed to go on trial in December 2024 in Butte-Silver Bow County for felony drug possession, but the case has been suspended and a bench warrant for his arrest was issued Jan. 24.
Ashley Marie Davis appeared March 3, 2025, in Lincoln County District Court. (Paul Sievers/The Western News)