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Man accused of stabbing screwdriver pleads not guilty

Harry December 1, 2024

Additional: Dustin Kjersem (Gallatin Sheriff’s Office). Background: Daren Christopher Abbey, 41, appeared in District Court on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, in Bozeman, Mont. (Laurenz Busch/Bozeman Daily Chronicle via AP)

A man accused of killing a camper who invited him to his tent for a beer Montana the wilderness claimed self-defense.

Daren Christopher Abbey, 41, pleaded not guilty to intent this week murder He is charged with two counts of tampering with evidence in the death of 35-year-old Dustin Kjersem.

“I absolutely do not plead guilty. Abbey told the court that Dustin Kjersem tried to kill me. The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported.

As Law and Crime previously reportedAbbey admitted to detectives that he killed Kjersem, who was camping in the Moose Creek canyon area, on Oct. 10. Kjersem was planning to take his girlfriend to a weekend camping trip the next day. He set up a walled tent with beds, a wood stove, lamps and other supplies.

According to Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer, Abbey also arrived in the area on the evening of October 10 for the purpose of camping.

“As he approached the site, he noticed someone was staying there. He stated that Dustin greeted him at the campsite and offered him a beer,” Springer said. “At some point, this individual struck Dustin Kjersem with a solid piece of wood, stabbed him in the neck with a screwdriver, and finally struck him with an axe.”

Abbey then allegedly removed several items from the campsite that he thought he had touched, including a cooler, a rifle and an axe. Bozeman CBS affiliate KBZKAbbey washed the ax and screwdriver in a nearby stream, he said, citing court documents. He also reportedly returned to the scene the next day to retrieve his hat.

But Springer said there was one item Abbey didn’t remove: the can of beer he was drinking from. Detectives turned the box over to the Montana State Police Crime Lab. DNA results came back to the Abbey on October 25th. The next day, police took Abbey into custody in the Butte area.

“From every perspective, this murder appears to be a chance encounter,” Springer said. “There does not appear to be any connection between our victim and our suspect.”

Springer said there was no known motive for the crime, but the affidavit said Abbey told investigators it was self-defense, but the sheriff believes Abbey was just trying to get away with murder.

When Kjersem failed to pick up his girlfriend on the night of October 11, he and another friend went to look for her.

Them I found the dead man’s tent Shortly after 10 a.m. on Oct. 12, approximately 1.5 miles up Moose Creek Road. When they looked inside, they found the dismembered body, Springer said. The caller stated that Kjersem may have been the victim of a bear attack.

However, when a Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officer investigated, he did not see any bear activity at the scene. Detectives determined Kjersem died from “slash wounds” and was the victim of a homicide, Springer told reporters. Officials say the area, despite its remoteness, is popular with hikers and campers.

Deputies were released while investigators searched for the suspect photos A Yeti cooler and an ax along with the victim’s truck. After the arrest, the suspect led the police to evidence “identified in previous press statements.”

Kjersem’s sister, Jillian Price, said at a news conference that her brother was a hard-working and skilled tradesman who built and remodeled homes.

“We lost our brother, our son, our uncle, our best friend in an unimaginable way,” he said. “He was a loving, helpful and beautiful father who did not deserve this in any way.”

David Harris contributed to this report.

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Man accused of stabbing screwdriver pleads not guilty

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