Arrest in Montana Camper Killing Originally Blamed on Bear: NPR

Daren Abbey, 41, is charged with first-degree murder in the killing of Dustin Kjersem earlier this month.

Montana Correctional Facility

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Montana Correctional Facility

When Dustin Kjersem's girlfriend found his body at a campsite in the woods of Montana, she suspected that Kjersem had been killed by a bear based on the severity of his wounds. But police say it was a man – and that they have now arrested a suspect who has confessed to the crime.

The accused killer “removed items from the campsite that he believed contained evidence that could link him to the crime,” including an ax used against Kjersem, Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer said on Thursday in a press conference.

But he missed a beer can, Springer said. Using the DNA from the can, Montana's state crime lab was able to find a match: Daren Christopher Abbey.

“This person confessed to the murder of Dustin Kjersem,” the sheriff said of Abbey, who is 41 years old.

Abbey is being held in Butte on two counts of voluntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence. He was denied bail, according to Gallatin County records.

State Department of Corrections records show Abbey has arrested four or more people for drunken driving, which raises the offense to the level of a felony. He has several tattoos on his stomach and arms, including swastikas and Viking symbols.

Investigators are still working to determine the motive for the killing. Spring said that while Abbey told them his version of events, investigators were still working to make sure they learned the whole truth.

“There appears to be no connection between our victim and our suspect,” Spring said, later adding, “This appears to be a heinous crime committed by a person who had no regard for the life of Dustin Kjersem.”

Describing Kjersem's final days, the sheriff said the 35-year-old set up camp on Thursday, Oct. 10, in the Moose Creek area about 35 miles south of Bozeman, where he planned to spend the weekend with his girlfriend.

“This camp included a wall tent with a wood stove, beds, lamps and many other items,” Springer said.

Kjersem's girlfriend had to work on Friday, so he wanted to leave the campsite that same evening to bring her back.

“Dustin didn’t show up to pick up his girlfriend and she got worried,” Springer said. “Saturday morning she and her friend drove to the campsite and found Dustin dead in the tent.”

Abbey, who has ties to the nearby town of Big Sky, told investigators that he also planned to camp that Thursday – but when he got to where he planned to camp, Kjersem was already there.

“He stated that Dustin welcomed him to the campground and offered him a beer,” the sheriff said. “At some point, this person hit Dustin Jerson with a piece of solid wood, stabbed him in the neck with a screwdriver, and finally hit him with the axe.”

Springer claimed Abbey took a number of items from the campsite, including an Estwing camp axe, a Remington shotgun, a Ruger Blackhawk revolver and an orange YETI brand cooler.

As NPR reported earlier this week, the sheriff's office initially said when Kjersem's death was reported that a bear attack may have been responsible.

However, wildlife authorities found no signs of bear activity and an autopsy confirmed the case was a homicide, sparking the search for Kjersem's killer.