A reserved Tyler Miller quietly pleaded guilty Wednesday to the savage Christmas 2010 murders of 35-year-old Jaimi Hurlbert and her 15-year-old daughter, Alyssa Burkett.

The surprise change of plea in front of Flathead District Judge Stewart Stadler came after Miller’s attorney filed for the hearing on Dec. 23, just two days before the one-year anniversary of the murders. 

While he was questioned about his desire to plead guilty, Miller, 35, confirmed he made the decision despite the interest of his attorney, Noel Larrivee, in pursuing the trial that had been set for March 5, 2012.

Neither Larrivee nor Flathead County Attorney Ed Corrigan would comment on the hearing or the case.

Miller faces between 12 and 110 years in prison, life in prison or the death penalty for each of the two deliberate homicide convictions. His sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.

Corrigan earlier this year filed notice of his intent to seek the death penalty. In a previous court ruling, Miller was found mentally competent to stand trial.

Security at the courtroom was slightly elevated, with attendees screened using metal-detector wands. Among the roughly 30 people at the hearing — which included several attorneys — were Hurlbert’s sister Jennifer Hurlbert, her father, Butch, and friend, D’Lon Lambright.

Jennifer Hurlbert said she was surprised when she heard Miller was going to change his plea.

“I did not believe it, I just thought that it was another one of his attention games,” she said.

She also was taken aback by his open guilty plea.

“It’s very shocking, actually,” she said, “considering he planned [the murder], did it and was very proud.”

The conviction was only the first of two specific steps necessary for justice, according to Butch Hurlbert, who said he has little faith the second step will be taken.

“I won’t be happy unless he gets the death penalty,” Butch said. “He’s convicted, but I can tell you already the judge isn’t going to give him the death penalty.”

Lambright agreed.

“He needs out of here, he needs hung,” Lambright said. “It’s ridiculous.”

Butch said what family and friends of the victims have gone through in the last year is “a load of hell.”

“Jaimi and Alyssa didn’t have anybody standing up for them, they didn’t get million-dollar lawyers, they got murdered,” he said, later adding: “I lost two members of my family. They died. I just celebrated Christmas without them. Christmas Day I got to go to the cemetery instead of watching my kid open presents. Not fun. Unless he gets the death penalty, I’m not happy.”

According to court documents, the chain of events leading to the murders began when Miller and Hurlbert broke up on Sept. 19, 2010. From that point on, Miller consistently sent her threatening text messages, broke into her home and stole money from her.

In a statement to police the day before her murder, Hurlbert said Miller was verbally and psychologically abusive to her during their relationship and after they broke up.

On Dec. 23, 2010, Miller began sending Hurlbert emails threatening her life.

Police were notified of those emails when her friend, Michelle Koffler, called 911 to report that Miller was attempting to break down Hurlbert’s door the following day.

Investigating officers also found Facebook messages sent by Miller to Hurlbert on Dec. 24 threatening her, Koffler and their friends.

Butch Hurlbert filed a complaint against Miller that morning after Miller left a profane and threatening message on their answering machine. The message referred to an accidental phone call in which he said he overheard Hurlbert and Koffler talking about him.

“I’m going to die soon, next day or two,” Miller said at one point in the message. “I can’t have a (expletive) family because she has to have her (expletive) crack. I’m going to show this world if I can’t have my (expletive) family then I’m gonna make a mark on your (expletive) crackhead (expletive).”

That day, Miller told Hurlbert “this is my day to die” and that he was “going to go out like a true soldier.”

Later that evening, Miller showed up at The Scoreboard while Hurlbert was working. When she saw him running across the parking lot toward her, she ran back inside. Another employee said he was threatening to kill Koffler and have a shootout with police.

On Christmas Day, the infant daughter of Miller and Hurlbert was at his mother’s house west of Kalispell. Miller was not allowed at the house due to his methamphetamine use, but he convinced his mother to let him come over and promised her there would be no confrontations between Hurlbert and himself.

Miller smuggled a .45-caliber handgun into the home in a backpack, then went into the bathroom, moved it to the waistband of his pants and “avoided tight hugs” with family members. Prior to going to his mother’s house, he had test-fired the gun to make sure it would work properly.

When Hurlbert arrived, one of Miller’s relatives was on the porch with Miller. She pushed him inside when he refused to go in so Hurlbert could pick up their child. At that point, Miller went back outside through the garage just as his relative went inside.

People inside the house heard Hurlbert say “Oh my God” just before the sound of gunfire.

Miller shot Hurlbert two times, once in the face and once in the shoulder, before shooting Burkett once in the center of her chest. He then hit Hurlbert in the face with the butt of his gun, splitting her lip completely in two.

When a mortally wounded Burkett started screaming “Mom! Mom!” Miller kicked her in the face.

Hurlbert died at the scene and Burkett died later at Kalispell Regional Medical Center.

Miller stole Hurlbert’s vehicle and fled the scene before abandoning it and stealing another car, which he drove to a vacant trailer home west of Kalispell, where he was located and arrested.

“I probably pulled off the most evil, manipulative pathetic thing today, but I feel good about it,” Miller said after being arrested. “(Expletive), I wish I felt bad, I wish to God I (expletive) felt bad, but I am (expletive) happier than hell. I prayed to God that I could pull off something like this.”

During other interviews after his arrest, Miller talked about being on meth during the days leading up to and during the murders.

“The meth had nothing to do with what I did, it just made it easier because it makes you numb,” Miller said, adding “I would do the same thing again if I had a chance to do it over. I just wouldn’t have done it in front of my family ... I’m glad she is dead.”

When asked by an officer how he was feeling, Miller said “I feel great.”

While in jail, Miller’s cell mate reported he repeatedly told the story of the murders and how he killed Jaimi and Alyssa.

“I’ll do it again if I don’t get the death sentence,” Miller said during another police interview. “In prison, I’ll figure out a way to do it...hurt somebody else ’til I get that death sentence ... I’ll live to be 80 in prison and it ain’t happening.”

Reporter Jesse Davis may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at jdavis@dailyinterlake.com.