Douglas County Treasurer mourns Chief Deputy killed in likely murder-suicide
Mackenzie Stafford
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – Dave Gill tells KRDO13 he was concerned on Monday morning when his Chief Deputy, Tanya Burnside, was not in right on time.
“Tanya was always punctual, and she had a long commute. She was driving from Colorado Springs up to Douglas County every day. And she was always on time. Almost always. If something was interfering, if there was an accident on the highway, and she was going to be late, she would call and let us know. And in this case, obviously, she hadn’t. So we were concerned and we’re trying to call her and to find out how she was because we were worried about her,” expressed Dave Gill.
He said they were trying to call her, but there was no answer.
“Eventually, we found out at about 9:30 that she was dead, that there had been a shooting, and that there were two bodies found. And we were fairly certain at that point that one of them was hers,” explained Dave Gill.
Gill says the news devastated the entire office.
“We shut down for the day on Monday. I sent people home. We were so sad that we couldn’t function,” recounted Gill.
Gill tells KRDO13 there are a few things that compare to the loss of Tanya Burnside.
“Bluntly, it has hit me harder than all of maybe three other things in my life. My father’s funeral, when I got called on to speak unexpectedly, that was a tough one. And, when my wife was in the hospital and close to death for three days. That was a hard one. And when we lost a previous chief deputy, that was it. So I am 77.5 years old. I’ve got a few years of experience in this life. And the loss of Tanya has hit as hard as any of those others,” shared Gill.
Tanya Burnside was Gill’s right hand at the Douglas County Treasurer’s Office.
“She was my chief deputy, and she was appointed to that position because of her ability and her work ethic. She was an incredible person, a joy to be around, but a very accurate and fast worker, obviously very highly intelligent. She was able to do work faster and more accurately than I or anyone else I know. Plus, she just radiated an energy, and she was just a joy to be around,” Gill continued, “she was just a ray of sunshine. Regardless of what the difficulty or problem was that we were having to work through. She was always there, with a smile and an answer. So…it wasn’t just the capability and the intelligence. The personality was just one of those rare people that when she enters a room, she just sort of brings an aura of energy that explodes around the room and affects everyone.”
A photo of Tanya Burnside shared with KRDO13 by a friend.
Burnside was also an employee at the El Paso County Treasurer’s Office. Chuck Broerman tells KRDO13 their office is devastated and that Burnside was a beloved employee, friend and colleague.
Past colleagues also shared that when Burnside was promoted to her role at the Douglas County Treasurer’s Office, she acted as a bridge between the counties. They say she was able to connect them on projects and help the two offices work together.
Gill says the importance of Burnside’s role cannot be understated and that she was irreplaceable.
“It is an extremely important position to the county and to the people. Without the treasurer’s office, nothing is funded. No one gets paid, no roads get plowed, no potholes filled. Nothing happens. So we’re the bankers for the county. Roughly $1 billion flows through the office, every penny of which has to be adequately accounted for and disbursed appropriately. And the chief deputy is one of the chief figures. I’m an elected official. I will be termed out in a year and a half. It has to go on. So the chief deputy is the one who is responsible for that continuity, because someone new is going to come in, and it’s going to take them four years to learn the job so well, they’re learning it. Who transfers the knowledge to them, and who keeps the show running? The chief deputy is that person,” explained Gill.
Police believe 45-year-old Tanya Burnside was a victim of homicide. The deceased man, 42-year-old Bryce Tallent, is suspected to have died by suicide.
According to police, they were called out on Sunday to the 4100 block of Sod House Trail. When they arrived, they found both a man and a woman deceased.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Colorado Springs police investigating suspected murder-suicide
Anyone with additional information regarding this incident is asked to call 719-444-7000. Police say if you wish to remain anonymous, you may call the Crime Stoppers Tip Line at (719) 634-STOP (7867) or 1-800-222-8477.