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Vol. 19, No. 23
February 22, 2023
Uhrich sentenced to 80 years for deliberate homicide By Jeff Smith of Anderson Broadcasting for the Valley Journal
Firefighters pg. 9
Unions pg. 17
Yoga pg. 20
POLSON — A Polson man convicted of murder was sentenced in Polson’s District Court on Feb. 14 to 80 years in the Montana State Prison with none of that time suspended. Tyler Uhrich, 20, pleaded guilty to deliberate homicide for the execution-style death of Rozlyn Paige Bluemel, 22, as part of a plea agreement reached on Oct. 22, 2022. The plea agreement dismisses one count of felony criminal endangerment. Uhrich will be eligible for parole in Tyler Uhrich 20 years. Although the prison term was in accordance with the plea agreement, some family members of Bluemel spoke against Uhrich being released before he served his entire 80-year term. Prosecutor Brendan Mc-
JEFF SMITH PHOTO
Sharline Clairmont-McFarland, mother of Rozlyn Paige Bluemel, is comforted by her husband Adam during the sentencing of her daughter’s killer.
Quillan, with the Lake County Attorney’s office explained to presiding Judge John Larson of Missoula that the sentence is within the parameters of similar sentences for similar crimes committed in the 20th
Judicial District. According to court records, shortly before 10 p.m. on May 10, 2022, Lake County 911 took a report that a person, identified by the initials J.D., had reported being lost in the Hell Roar-
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ing Canyon area of the Mission Mountains East of Polson. J.D. had also reported that there was a domestic violence situation with shots fired. When law enforcement officers arrived, they were unable to locate
the parties, but J.D. did provide law enforcement with more details about who was involved. She indicated that she had seen Uhrich standing over the mother of his child, Rozlyn Paige Bluemel, 22. J.D. stated that when she approached the two, Uhrich turned his attention toward her and Bluemel ran off into the woods. She said Uhrich chased after her. J.D. said she heard a shot and Uhrich returned. When J.D. last saw Uhrich he appeared to be walking toward where he had left his vehicle. Law enforcement did locate Uhrich’s vehicle, which was still running with the headlights on and the child inside. The window had been left open and the child appeared to be cold and was crying. This is the reason McQuillan brought the criminal endangerment charge. A search for Uhrich and Bluemel continued overnight and into the next day. It was late afternoon May 11 when see page 2