The man accused of killing a fellow camper after a chance encounter in the Montana wilderness claims he did so in self-defense.
Fox News and Bozeman CBS affiliate KBZK obtained additional arrest documents detailing the murder of Dustin Kjersem, 35. Daren Abbey, 41, is charged with deliberate homicide and two counts of tampering with evidence in the case.
On October 10, Kjersem set up camp in the Big Sky area, intending to pick up his girlfriend the next day for a weekend together. According to police, Abbey arrived in the same area that evening with the intent to camp.
Abbey would later tell homicide detectives that Kjersem invited him into his tent, where they drank a few beers.
According to charging documents, Abbey claimed that things went wrong after her dog jumped on Kjersem’s air mattress, leaving paw prints. Abbey allegedly took a T-shirt to a nearby stream and wet it to clean the air mattress.
When he returned, he claimed that Kjersem had threatened to shoot him and his dog. A physical altercation ensued, and Abbey “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,” according to the documents. Police said they did not believe his self-defense claims because the victim had no defensive wounds.
Detectives also cited a report from employees of Big Sky Resort and The Rocks Tasting Room made a few days before Daren Abbey’s arrest.
The employees described Abbey as a “skinhead dude” who made them uncomfortable by making racist remarks. His profile on the Montana Department of Corrections website shows that he has swastika tattoos.
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According to Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer, Abbey and Kjersem had no prior connection.
“By all accounts this homicide appears to be a chance encounter,” according to Springer.
Kjersem’s initial 911 call suggested that he had been attacked by a bear. However, when a Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks agent investigated, he discovered no bear activity at the scene.
Springer told reporters that detectives determined Kjersem died from “chop wounds” and was the victim of a homicide. Authorities stated that, despite its remoteness, the area is popular with hikers and campers.
As investigators looked for a suspect, deputies released photos of the victim’s truck, a Yeti cooler, and an ax. Following the arrest, the suspect directed officers to the evidence “identified in prior press releases.”
The homicide heightened community tensions.
“The investigation into this homicide continues. The suspect is believed to have acted alone, and the community is no longer under threat.
More information and charges are forthcoming, but it is critical for this community to know they are safe to resume their outdoor activities,” deputies wrote Wednesday.
Kjersem’s sister, Jillian Price, stated at the press conference that her brother was a hardworking and skilled tradesman who built and remodeled homes.
“We lost our brother, our son, our uncle, our best friend in the most unimaginable way,” she told me. “He was a loving, helpful and adorning father who in no way deserved this.”
