BOZEMAN — Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer said at a news conference Thursday that Daren Christopher Abbey is the suspect in the murder of Dustin Kjersem, who was found brutally killed in his tent in the Moose Creek area on Oct. 12.
According to the sheriff, Abbey had been living in the Basin area and working in Big Sky.
Springer said detectives were led to Abbey from a DNA match with a sample taken from a beer can in Kjersem's tent.
Abbey was found in the Butte area on Oct. 26 and was arrested leaving a local establishment.
Abbey, 41, was interviewed on Oct. 29 and confessed to the murder, according to Springer.
Springer said investigators learned that Kjersem arrived in the Moose Creek area on Oct. 10 and set up camp, planning to return to town on Friday night and pick up his girlfriend. His girlfriend became concerned when he didn’t return on Friday.
On Saturday, she and a friend drove to the campsite where they found Kjersem deceased.
Springer said the homicide appears to be a chance encounter, and there is no known connection between Abbey and Kjersem.
Abbey reportedly said in his confession that he had planned to camp on Thursday, Oct. 10 at the site where he encountered Kjersem, whose camp was already set up.
According to Springer, Abbey said in his confession that Kjersem welcomed him to the campsite and offered him a beer.
“At some point, this individual struck Dustin Kjersem with a piece of solid wood, stabbed him in the neck with a screwdriver, and ultimately hit him with the axe,” Springer said.
Springer said the motive for the attack is still unknown.
Abbey reportedly removed several items he had touched from the campsite on Thursday night and returned again on Friday to remove more items.
“This is the behavior of a guilty subject who thought they could get away with murder,” Springer said.
An autopsy showed that Kjersem died due to "multiple chop wounds."
His death was initially thought to be from a bear attack until an FWP bear expert ruled out the possibility.
Kjersem's sister Jillian Price said at a news conference after his murder that Kjersem was "a loving, helpful, and adoring father who in no way deserved this."
A fundraiser in support of Kjersem’s children describes him as “a loving, helpful, and adoring father, an avid outdoorsman, and a skilled tradesman who could have been the one who framed your house, poured your foundation, or installed your countertop.”
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