(Updated 4:23 p.m. MDT, 10/31/24)
BOZEMAN — Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer said at a press conference on Thursday that Daren Christopher Abbey is the suspect in the death of Dustin Kjersem, who was found brutally killed in his tent in the Moose Creek area on Oct. 12, 2024.
According to Sheriff Springer, Abbey, 41, 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 located in the Butte area on Oct. 26 and was arrested leaving a local establishment.
Abbey was interviewed on Oct. 29 and confessed to the murder, according to Sheriff Springer.
WATCH PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Suspect identified in the murder of Dustin Kjersem
Sheriff Springer said investigators learned that Dustin arrived in the Moose Creek area 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 Dustin deceased.
Sheriff Springer said the homicide appears to be a chance encounter with no prior connection between Abbey and Kjersem.
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Abbey reportedly said in his confession that he had planned to camp on Thursday, Oct. 10 at the site where he encountered Dustin, already set up.
According to Sheriff Springer, Abbey said in his confession that Dustin 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 early in the investigation showed that Kjersem was killed from "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 press conference after his murder that Dustin was "a hard-working, skilled tradesman," and "a loving, helpful, and adoring father who in no way deserved this."
