BOZEMAN (Scripps News Butte-Bozeman)— The man accused of murdering Dustin Kjersem of Belgrade at his campsite near Big Sky in October appeared in Gallatin County Justice Court on Nov. 1, 2024.
Daren Christopher Abbey (Montana Department of Corrections vis Scripps News Bozeman)
Daren Christopher Abbey, 41, was formally charged with one count of deliberate homicide and two counts of tampering with or fabricating evidence.
Kjersem was found dead at his campsite along Moose Creek Road by his girlfriend and another friend the morning of Saturday, Oct. 12. His death was initially thought to be the result of a bear attack; investigators began a homicide investigation after an FWP specialist ruled out bear activity.
According to Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer, a DNA sample taken from a beer can at the campsite returned a match with Abbey. Charging documents say he was located in Butte by the Butte Police Department the morning of Saturday, Oct. 26 and taken into custody on a probation violation.
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A Gallatin County sheriff’s deputy, along with an agent with the Division of Criminal Investigation, reportedly interviewed Abbey on Oct. 29. According to charging documents, Abbey confessed to killing Kjersem on Thursday, Oct. 10, claiming self-defense.
Abbey allegedly said he struck Kjersem on the head with a piece of firewood, stabbed him in the neck with a screwdriver, and hit him on the face with the blunt side of an axe.
Charging documents also say Abbey admitted to taking multiple items that had his fingerprints on them, including two coolers, a .44 magnum pistol and holster, a shotgun, and a shotgun ammunition sleeve. He reportedly admitted to washing the axe and screwdriver in the creek.
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Abbey allegedly said he returned to the campsite the next day because he forgot his hat. According to charging documents, he said he also stole binoculars and a headlamp from Kjersem’s truck, as well as disposing of two phones he took from Kjersem’s tent. The phones were reportedly found on Oct. 17.
Charging documents say Abbey admitted to washing the clothes he was wearing at the time and burning the shoes he was wearing in a wood stove.
Abbey was placed under arrest and was held at the Butte Detention Center until his transfer to Gallatin County.
In court on Friday, Abbey’s bail was set at $1.5 million. His next hearing is scheduled for Nov. 15, 2024.
This story was originally published by Scripps News Butte-Bozeman, an E.W. Scripps Company.
