November 05, 2024
On October 16, 2024, The Gallatin County Sheriff's office released an appeal to the public online regarding a homicide. On October 12, the body of Dustin Kjersem, 35, was found in a tent along Moose Creek Road, north of Big Sky, Montana- a remote area with no cell phone signal.
Kjersem, a tradesman and father, was last seen alive on October 10, 2024, and was known to drive a black 2013 Ford F-150 with a black topper and a silver aluminium ladder rack.
The girlfriend of the missing man grew concerned when Kjersem failed to meet her on October 10 as they had earlier planned, and went out searching for him, only to find Kjersem’s mauled body at a campsite he had made.
Reports state that Kjersem planned to bring his girlfriend to the campsite the next day, after she clocked out of work, but failed to show up. He could not be reached by cell phone due to the isolated nature of the wilderness.
His girlfriend frantically called 911,initially believing it to be a bear attack, however, the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks agency analysed the scene and said there were no signs that bears had been in the area.
Initially, it was believed the man had died as the result of a bear attack, however, it was later confirmed to be the result of a brutal murder.
Missing from the camp site were the following items:
-An Estwing camp axe, blue and silver, likely with a 26” handle
-A Remington 11-87 12 gauge shotgun with a wood stock
-A Ruger Blackhawk .44mag revolver
-An Orange YETI brand cooler
Police saw what they believed to be a violent homicide and launched an investigation.
Autopsy revealed that Kjersem was covered with "chop wounds" from a sharp instrument, and had “significant damage to the skull.”
The Gallatin County Sheriff's office put out a public appeal for information, but no tips came in.
Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer warn the public of the killer at large "We do know that someone was out there who killed someone in a very heinous way so if you're out in the woods you need to be paying attention, you need to remain vigilant."
The Gallatin County Sheriff’s department confirmed the suspect had been taken into custody on unrelated charges on October 30, 2024. They added that the suspect had been cooperating with detectives and believed he had acted alone, although a motive for the slaying could not be given.
Last week, suspect Daren Christopher Abbey, 41, of Basin, Montana, was arrested and charged with the killing. A mugshot published across various online media outlets shows a bald, bearded Caucasian male, wearing a hunting camouflage t-shirt.
DNA collected from a beer can at Kjersem's campsite was linked back to Abbey, and he had been seen in the area around the time of Kjersem's murder.
Following the arrest, police talked to the media where they revealed they had managed to obtain parts of the story.
They said Abbey, who was in vicinity of the victim’s camp on the night of his murder, had been looking for somewhere to pitch his own tent that night when he found the victim occupying his desired spot.
Abbey was welcomed by Kjersem to sit at his camp and share a beer- and drank from the same beer can, leaving behind that would later be used to link him to the crime scene and identify him as the main suspect in the murder.
At some point during the night, investigators are unsure why, Abbey struck Kjersem with a large piece of wood, before stabbing him in the neck with a screwdriver, and hacking at him with an axe.
Abbey left the crime scene, but later returned to take the items police would later list as missing from the camp. Investigators believe the items were removed because the suspect believed he may have left fingerprints or DNA, however, Abbey neglected to dispose of the beer can.
At the time of writing, it is believed that the homicide was an opportunistic crime, and that the victim and suspect did not know of each other before their chance encounter on the night of the murder.
The suspect was approximately 80 miles from the scene of the crime at the time of arrest, and was apprehended on October 26, in Butte, Montana's fifth-largest city.
Although Abbey had moved around a few times, he was living in a small mountain community, and worked various jobs in the Big Sky area. Although he was arrested on a probation violation in Butte, he has been charged with deliberate homicide in connection with the murder of Dustin Kjersem.
The probation violation was in connection with multiple offenses of driving under the influence in 2020. He was on conditional release at the time of the murder.
Gallatin County Sheriff’s office said they will continue to investigate the case.
On a GoFundMe to raise money for Dustin Kjersem's children, he is described as:
"A dear friend, brother, son, uncle, and dad” who “was taken from us suddenly, tragically, and far too young.”
“Born and raised in the Gallatin Valley, Dustin was dearly loved by so many in this community. He was a loving, helpful, and adoring father, an avid outdoorsman, and a skilled tradesman who could have been the one who framed your house, poured your foundation, or installed your countertop."
The page has so far raised over $35,000.
October 29, 2024
