### Man Arrested in Brutal Killing of Camper Near Big Sky

BOZEMAN - In a shocking development, Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer announced on Thursday that Daren Christopher Abbey has been arrested for the murder of Dustin Kjersem. Kjersem was found dead in his tent in the remote Moose Creek area on October 12, 2024.

According to Sheriff Springer, Abbey, 41, was residing in the Basin area and working in Big Sky when the crime occurred. Investigators were able to identify Abbey as the suspect after matching DNA from a beer can found at Kjersem’s campsite. Abbey was apprehended in Butte on October 26 as he was leaving a local establishment.

During an interview on October 29, Abbey confessed to the murder. Detectives have determined that Kjersem arrived at the Moose Creek location on October 10, intending to camp out until Friday, when he planned to pick up his girlfriend. When Kjersem failed to return as scheduled, his concerned girlfriend visited the campsite with a friend and discovered his body.

Sheriff Springer stated that the encounter between Abbey and Kjersem appeared to be random, with no prior connection between the two men. In his confession, Abbey mentioned that he had intended to camp at the site on October 10 and was met by Kjersem, who offered him a beer.

Tragically, this goodwill gesture led to a horrific sequence of events, where Abbey struck Kjersem with a piece of solid wood, stabbed him in the neck with a screwdriver, and ultimately hit him with an axe. The motive for the attack remains unclear. After the murder, Abbey went to lengths to conceal his involvement by removing items from the campsite he had touched, returning on Friday to remove more evidence.

The nature of Kjersem’s injuries initially led investigators to suspect a bear attack. However, an expert from Fish, Wildlife & Parks ruled out this possibility. An autopsy later revealed that Kjersem died from multiple chop wounds.

At a press conference following Dustin Kjersem's murder, his sister Jillian Price described him as a "hard-working, skilled tradesman" and "a loving, helpful, and adoring father who in no way deserved this."