In a tragic twist of fate, Dustin Kjersem’s friendly gesture to a stranger may have led to his death. The 35-year-old Montana man was found slain in his tent near Big Sky after he reportedly invited an unknown man, later identified as Daren Christopher Abbey, to his campsite and offered him a beer. Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer disclosed that Abbey, now charged with deliberate homicide, confessed to the killing.
According to Sheriff Springer, the encounter on October 10 was a “chance meeting.” Abbey, 41, planned to camp at the site, but when he arrived, he found Kjersem already set up with a wall tent, beds, and a stove. Abbey admitted to detectives that “Dustin welcomed him to the campsite and offered him a beer.”
However, what began as a friendly exchange turned deadly. “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 an ax,” Springer reported. The sheriff added that authorities are still working to determine Abbey’s motive for the attack, which left Kjersem’s girlfriend and friends devastated.
Kjersem had set up his campsite in anticipation of a weekend getaway with his girlfriend, planning to pick her up the following day. When he didn’t arrive as scheduled, his girlfriend and a friend went to the site on October 12, where they discovered his body. Initially, they suspected Kjersem might have been attacked by a bear due to the extent of his injuries. However, an autopsy confirmed homicide.
In his efforts to avoid detection, Abbey allegedly returned to the scene the next night to remove items he might have touched, including a Yeti cooler and the ax used in the attack. Investigators later linked Abbey to the crime through DNA found on a beer can left at the scene.
Abbey was arrested on October 14 in Butte, approximately 80 miles from Big Sky, after authorities tracked him down following his confession. He was held without bond and, at the time of reporting, remained in custody. Abbey was on conditional release following a previous sentence for a 2020 DUI charge, according to the State Corrections Department.
Sheriff Springer indicated that the investigation could take several more months, as authorities continue to piece together details and potentially uncover Abbey’s motive. “We have a bit of his story, but we don’t really know what the true story is,” Springer stated, emphasizing the complexities of this tragic case.