A Canadian man will spend the rest of his life in prison 16 months after he shot two people in Eureka.
Michael Ilk, 41, of Calgary, Alberta was sentenced in Lincoln County District Court on Aug. 29 to the Montana State Prison for 160 years. The sentencing came two months after a jury found Ilk guilty of two counts of attempted deliberate homicide, aggravated assault and assault with a weapon. Ilk is not eligible for parole.
According to law enforcement, Ilk shot his ex-girlfriend and another man near the Eureka Hills Subdivision on the evening of April 15, 2015. The victims drove away from the scene and called 911. Ilk then chased the two people in another vehicle all the way to the Eureka Law Enforcement Center.
Ilk was arrested at the law enforcement center. The woman sustained two gunshot wounds, one to the leg and another to the arm. The man was also shot twice, once in the arm and again in the hand.
During his trial in June, Ilk maintained that he was acting in self-defense. During his sentencing, Ilk read a letter to Judge James Wheelis, maintaining his innocence.