Montana man found guilty of murder initially reported as bear attack

A Montana man with links to White supremacists has been found guilty of murdering a man at a Montana campsite in a brutal killing that was initially reported as a bear attack. 

A jury found Daren Christopher Abbey guilty of fatally attacking Dustin Kjersem with an axe, a block of wood and a screwdriver after the pair met at Kjersem’s campsite in nearby Big Sky, Montana, in October 2024, according to The Associated Press. 

Investigators ultimately linked Abbey to the crime scene after his DNA was found on a beer can inside the man’s tent, with Abbey initially claiming the killing was done in self-defense after Kjersem allegedly attacked him. 

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However, authorities pointed out numerous inconsistencies in Abbey’s story, while pointing to the multiple chop wounds sustained by Kjersem in the attack.

Kjersem’s girlfriend and a friend later discovered Kjersem’s body and initially reported it to authorities as a possible bear attack, but authorities later ruled out their theory after wildlife agents found no signs of an animal in the area. 

Abbey later admitted to stealing Kjersem’s cooler, guns and cellphones, while also concealing evidence after the murder. 

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The six-day trial ended in Abbey being convicted of deliberate homicide and tampering with evidence, with the defendant choosing not to take the stand in his defense. While the charges constitute a capital offense within Montana, prosecutors will not seek the death penalty in the case, Jack Veil with the Gallatin County Attorney’s Office told the AP.

Abbey’s defense attorney, Sarah Kottke, said her client will choose whether to appeal the conviction once he is sentenced on Dec. 30.

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“This was a tough case and asserting an affirmative defense comes with multiple hurdles, especially when it happens in such a remote area with no witnesses to the events that took place,” Kottke reportedly said. 

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Abbey was previously tied to a white supremacist organization, according to an inmate information document from Gallatin County. Additionally, State Department of Corrections records revealed Abbey had tattoos of a swastika and an iron cross, according to the AP. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.