John Jefferson
Left: Daren Abbey (Montana Department of Corrections). Right: Dustin Kjersem (Gallatin Sheriff’s Office).
The man accused in the slaying of a fellow camper after a chance encounter out in the Montana wilderness claims he killed the victim in self-defense.
Fox News and Bozeman CBS affiliate KBZK obtained arrest documents that detailed more of the slaying of 35-year-old Dustin Kjersem. Daren Abbey, 41, is facing a deliberate homicide charge along with two counts of tampering with evidence in the case. Kjersem had set up camp in the Big Sky area on Oct. 10 with the intention of picking up his girlfriend the next day for a weekend together. That evening, according to police, Abbey had shown up in the same area with the intention of camping.
Abbey would later tell homicide detectives that Kjersem invited him into his tent where they had a couple of beers. Charging documents reportedly said that Abbey claimed things turned south when Abbey’s dog jumped on Kjersem’s air mattress, leaving behind paw prints. Abbey reportedly said he took a T-shirt to a nearby stream and got it wet to clean the air mattress.
When he returned, he reportedly claimed that Kjersem threatened to shoot him and his dog. A physical fight ensued and Abbey then “hit the victim on the head with a piece of firewood, stabbed the victim in the neck with a screwdriver, and hit the victim on the face with the blunt side of the axe,” the documents reportedly said. Cops said they didn’t buy his self-defense claims because the victim didn’t have any defensive wounds.
The suspect fled the scene but returned the next day to retrieve his hat. Kjersem’s girlfriend and another friend found the victim’s body in the tent on Oct. 12 after he failed to pick her up the previous night. Investigators collected several items from the tent as evidence, including beer cans. According to the affidavit, DNA matched two people: Daren Abbey and his twin, Dustin Abbey. Since Dustin Abbey has been in the custody of the Montana Department of Corrections since September, investigators had their suspect in Daren Abbey. They arrested him on Oct. 26.
Detectives also highlighted a report taken a couple days before Daren Abbey’s arrest from employees at Big Sky Resort and The Rocks Tasting Room. The employees described Abbey as a “skinhead dude” who had made them uncomfortable by spewing white supremacist comments. His profile on the Montana Department of Corrections page shows that he has swastika tattoos.
As Law&Crime previously reported, Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer said there was no prior connection between Abbey and Kjersem.
“By all accounts this homicide appears to be a chance encounter,” said Springer.
The initial 911 call suggested that Kjersem may have been a victim of a bear attack. But when a Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks agent investigated, he saw no bear activity around the scene. Detectives determined Kjersem died of “chop wounds” and was the victim of a homicide, Springer told reporters. While the area is remote, it is popular with hikers and campers, authorities said.
As investigators searched for a suspect, deputies released photos of the victim’s truck, along with a Yeti cooler and an ax. After the arrest, the suspect led cops to the evidence “identified in prior press releases.”
The homicide put the community on edge.
“The investigation into this homicide continues. It is believed the suspect acted alone and there is no longer a threat to the community. Further details and charges are forthcoming, but it is important for this community to know they are safe to resume their outdoor activities,” deputies wrote Wednesday.
Kjersem’s sister Jillian Price said at the press conference that her brother was a hardworking and skilled tradesman who built and remodeled houses.
“We lost our brother, our son, our uncle, our best friend in the most unimaginable way,” she said. “He was a loving, helpful and adorning father who in no way deserved this.”
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