National
Montana camper offered his killer a beer — and it held suspect's DNA, sheriff says

November 1, 202411:06 AM ET
By Bill Chappell


Daren Abbey, 41, is being held on a charge of deliberate homicide in the killing of Dustin Kjersem earlier this month.
Montana Department of Corrections

When Dustin Kjersem’s girlfriend found his body at a campsite in the Montana woods, she suspected Kjersem had been killed by a bear, because of the severity his wounds. But police say a man did it — and that they’ve now arrested a suspect who has admitted to the crime.

The accused killer “removed items from the campsite he believed had evidence that could tie him to the crime,” including an axe used against Kjersem, Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer said in a news briefing on Thursday. ... But he missed a beer can, Springer said. Using DNA from the can, the Montana state crime lab was able to find a match: Daren Christopher Abbey. ...“This individual confessed to the murder of Dustin Kjersem,” the sheriff said of Abbey, who is 41.

Abbey is being held in Butte on a charge of deliberate homicide, as well as two counts of tampering with evidence. He has been denied bond, according to Gallatin County records. ... State correction department records show Abbey has four or more arrests for DUI, raising the offense to the felony level. He has multiple tattoos on his abdomen and arms, including swastikas and Viking symbols.

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As NPR reported earlier this week, the sheriff’s office initially said that when Kjersem’s death was reported, a bear attack might have been to blame. ... But wildlife officials found no signs of bear activity, and an autopsy supported the idea that the case was a homicide, setting off a search for Kjersem’s killer.