Daren Abbey admitted to killing Dustin Kjersema: Sheriff

A tourist allegedly confessed to killing a stranger who was initially believed to have been beaten to death by a bear, according to authorities.

Daren Christopher Abbey, 41, admitted to brutally stabbing to death Dustin Mitchell Kjersem, a 35-year-old stranger who welcomed him to his Montana campsite and even offered him a beer, Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer said at a news conference Thursday.

Abbey allegedly hit Kjersem in the head with a piece of wood, stabbed him in the neck with a screwdriver and hacked him to death with an axe, the sheriff said.

“He was brutally murdered in his camp,” Springer said. “This appears to be a terrible crime committed by a man who had no regard for the life of Dustin Kjersema.”

When Kjersem’s girlfriend found his bloody body at a makeshift campground in a remote area near Big Sky on Oct. 12, she told emergency dispatchers it appeared to be a fatal bear attack.

However, officials were unable to find any bears in the area, and Kjersem’s death was eventually ruled a homicide after an autopsy.

Abby, who was in custody on unrelated charges, became a suspect thanks to DNA testing on a beer can found at the campsite and allegedly confessed during questioning.

However, the motive appears to be unknown.

“It appears that this murder was a random encounter.

There appears to be no connection between our victim and the suspect,” Springer said.

The suspect allegedly removed possible evidence from the camp, including an axe, shotgun, revolver and refrigerator, and even returned later to remove other items, Springer said.

“Investigators will continue to piece together everything they can to piece together a more complete picture of the events that occurred that evening,” the sheriff said.