LIVINGSTON – A southern Montana man has pleaded not guilty to deliberate homicide in the shooting death of a Livingston man who had responded to a plea for help from his ex-girlfriend.
Skyler Leroy Griebel, 29, pleaded not guilty Monday to felony charges in the Feb. 8 shooting death of Tyler Netto, 35. Park County District Court Judge Brenda Gilbert maintained his bail at $1.5 million.
The evidence against Griebel was laid out in charging documents filed on March 10, the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported.
Griebel had been staying with a woman in the town of Clyde Park, court records said. The woman messaged Netto, her former boyfriend, via Facebook early on Feb. 8 asking for help. She said Griebel had taken her phone, had a gun and wouldn’t leave.
Netto and another man grabbed some bear spray for protection and drove to the woman’s home, acting like they were “unaware anything was going on,” the second man told investigators.
After Griebel pointed his gun at both visitors, Netto locked himself in a bathroom, the other man said.
While in the bathroom, Netto texted an off-duty sheriff’s deputy on his duty phone, saying he was at the woman’s house and that Griebel was armed. The deputy did not see the text for several hours, court records said.
At one point the woman, the other man and Griebel went outside the house. The woman and the other man went back inside and locked Griebel out, court records said. He started banging on the doors and windows and was eventually allowed back in after saying he wanted to collect his belongings and leave.
The other man said he was driving away when he saw Griebel shoot a gun toward the house, court records said. He returned to find Netto laying on the floor. Griebel and the woman were gone.
Griebel went to another house where he reported his girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend had pepper-sprayed him. The woman said she ran because she feared Griebel was going to shoot her.