White supremacist guilty of killing so brutal that it was first reported as a bear attack
Dustin Kjersem was killed in his tent in a campsite near Big Sky, Montana
A white supremacist has been found guilty of murder in a brutal killing at a southwestern Montana campsite last year, a crime initially reported as a possible bear attack.
Prosecutors stated that Daren Christopher Abbey attacked Dustin Kjersem with a block of wood, an axe, and a screwdriver after they met at Mr Kjersem's campsite near Big Sky in October last year. Abbey later admitted to stealing Mr Kjersem's guns, cooler, mobile phones, and other belongings, and concealing evidence.
His DNA, found on a beer can inside the tent, linked him to the murder scene. An inmate information document from Gallatin County last year noted Abbey's affiliation with white supremacists, while State Department of Corrections records showed his tattoos included an iron cross with a swastika.
Investigators found shot glasses and beer cans in the tent that suggested someone else had been with Kjersem on Oct. 10. DNA tests on a beer can matched two people in the state's criminal database, Daren Abbey and someone believed to be Abbey's twin brother, court records say. The brother was ruled out because he was serving a prison sentence.
Abbey claimed the killing was in self-defense after Kjersem threatened him. Authorities said there were inconsistencies in his story, and pointed to multiple chop wounds in the attack.
The victim’s girlfriend and another friend found his body and reported it as a possible bear attack. It turned into a homicide investigation after wildlife agents found no sign of a bear in the area.
Kjersem had two children and worked as a self-employed contractor, building homes and learning other trades, according to his sister. Abbey told authorities that he arrived at the campsite intending to stay the night and was welcomed by Kjersem, who didn't know him, according to Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer.
Following a six-day trial the jury found Abbey guilty on Monday of deliberate homicide and tampering with evidence, court records show.
Abbey faces a Dec. 30 sentencing before state District Judge Peter Ohman.
Deliberate homicide is a capital offense in Montana but prosecutors will not seek the death penalty in the case, said Jack Veil with the Gallatin County Attorney’s Office.