Suspect arrested in murder of Kjersem

The Gallatin County Sheriff's Office has made an arrest in the murder of former Three Forks resident Dustin Kjersem.

At a press conference on October 31, Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer announced that 41-year-old Daren Christopher Abbey had confessed and was arrested for the killing that took place in October in the Moose Creek area near Big Sky.

Abbey, who is in custody at the Gallatin County Detention Center in Bozeman, has been charged with one count of deliberate homicide and two counts of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence with a bond set at $1.5 million.

"During the investigation, detectives collected DNA from a beer can inside Kjersem's tent and sent it to the Montana State Crime Lab. The Montana State Crime Lab worked diligently to get us a match, and on October 25, they informed us they had a Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS, confirmation. The investigators worked all day to locate this individual, and on October 26, they learned he was in the Butte area. With the assistance of the Butte-Silver Bow Sheriff's Office and the Montana Department of Corrections and Probation Office, he was arrested leaving a local establishment," said Springer. "This individual was interviewed by our detectives and Montana Department of Justice DCI Agent on October 29. This individual confessed to the murder of Dustin Kjersem."

Springer said by all accounts, the homicide appears to be a chance encounter.

"There does not appear to be any connection between our victim and our suspect. During the confession, we learned our suspect was looking for a place to camp on Thursday night and had planned on this particular site. As he approached the site, he realized someone was staying there. He (Abbey) stated Dustin welcomed him to the campsite and offered him a beer. 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 axe," Springer said.

During the press conference, Springer shared the background of what was learned over the course of the investigation.

"Dustin (Kjersem) arrived in the Moose Creek area on October 10 and set up camp. This camp included a wall tent, complete with a wood stove, beds, lamps, and multiple other items. His girlfriend had to work on Friday (October 11), so his plan was to travel back to the valley Friday evening and pick her up so they could spend the weekend together. On Friday night, Dustin did not show up to pick up his girlfriend, and she became worried. On Saturday morning, she and a friend drove to the campsite and found Dustin deceased in the tent," Springer said.

While an arrest has been made, Springer said a motive for the attack is still unknown.

"The investigators will continue to piece together everything they can to build a better picture of the events that evening. We have a story. We just don't know if it's accurate," said Springer. "This appears to be a heinous crime committed by an individual who had no regard for the life of Dustin Kjersem. This individual removed items from the campsite he believed had evidence that could tie him to the crime. He removed the times he had touched to include the cooler, the firearms, and the axe, and he returned to the crime the following night to remove further items. This is the behavior of a guilty subject who thought they could get away with murder."

The charging documents state Abbey admitted to killing Kjersem, claiming self-defense, and also admitted to taking multiple items from the crime scene and washing an axe and screw-driver in a creek. The documents also state he stole items, including a headlamp and binoculars, from Kjersem's truck and also disposed of two cell phones.

Captain Nathan Kamerman said the GCSO is thankful to the community for the information they provided, and with the assistance of multiple agencies, labs, and volunteers, their team gathered enough evidence to charge Abbey.

"I'm thankful for my team and everyone helping them for their commitment to finding answers and building this case. The community and Sheriff's Office can be proud of the work they've done," he said.

Springer said the general public may not know the number of hours it takes to work one of these cases and put the pieces together.

"Although a suspect has been arrested and charged, there is still months of work to be done. These cases consume the entire division, and each of them knows there are more cases coming in each day of less priority that will need their attention shortly. I want to thank the family members of these investigators, who have graciously gone without their spouse, father, and or mother for the past three weeks," said Springer. "To the family and friends of Dustin Kjersem, you're all in our thoughts and prayers; no one deserves to have this happen to them. I hope this can bring a little bit of peace to all of you, and I'm sorry you're having to go through this."

During his closing remarks, Springer sent a clear message to would-be criminals in Gallatin County.

"To the other criminals out there, the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office and its partners will not stand for this type of behavior. You will not get away with it in our community. If you have some need to commit these types of crimes, let it be known we will hunt you down, and we will make sure you never see the light of day again. We know it is our responsibility to stand between evil and good in this world. We will protect the good people of this community with every resource we have," Springer said.