In the early hours of May 14, 2021, a gathering of friends at the Fairfield, Montana home of 22-year-old Trysten Mark Fellers, a White male, took a tragic turn, ending in his untimely death. The night began with Fellers and his fiancée hosting a dinner for another couple. Later, three more friends, including Erin Elliott Holcomb, arrived at the residence after having spent time drinking and shooting guns.
As the night progressed and the friends became heavily intoxicated, Fellers became concerned about Holcomb's intention to drive. A dispute arose when Fellers attempted to prevent Holcomb from driving while under the influence, trying to persuade him to accept a ride home. Holcomb, however, refused to get out of the driver's seat of a pickup truck. The argument escalated, and Fellers called his nearby father, Earl "Sonny" Fellers, for assistance.
The confrontation between Fellers and Holcomb culminated in a fatal gunshot. Fellers was shot in the neck.
His father, who was on his way to help, reported hearing the gunshot and seeing Holcomb on his phone saying, "I just shot somebody, come and get me.". After the shooting, Holcomb attempted to flee the scene in a farm truck but got stuck in the mud. He was arrested shortly after the incident.
Erin Elliott Holcomb of Sun River was charged with deliberate homicide in the death of Trysten Fellers. He pleaded not guilty, and his bail was set at $100,000. In March 2022, following a trial in District Court in Choteau, a jury found Holcomb guilty of deliberate homicide. The prosecution argued that Fellers was trying to be a good friend by preventing a drunk driving incident. Holcomb's defense claimed he feared for his life and requested a jury instruction on justifiable use of force, which the court denied due to insufficient evidence. Holcomb was subsequently sentenced for the crime.
