A Montana man accused of brutally killing a camper earlier this month was apprehended because of DNA on a can of beer linked him to the scene.
The suspect, 41-year-old Daren Christopher Abbey, was arrested and charged with deliberate homicide in the death of Dustin Kjersem, 35, whose body was found in a tent on Oct. 12.
Abbey confessed to the Oct. 10 murder, telling detectives he encountered Kjersem by chance at his campsite. Kjersem, who intended to camp there, had set up a wall tent, beds and stove. "Dustin welcomed him to the campsite and offered a beer," Springer said according to NBC's report.
The hospitable meeting would soon take a brutal turn. "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 the ax," Springer said. "The motives of this attack are still unknown."
The Gallatin County Sheriff's Office initially suspected a bear attack when Kjersem's body was discovered. His injuries were severe enough to prompt the person who found him to believe he had been mauled. However, an autopsy quickly indicated foul play, revealing that Kjersem had died from "multiple chop wounds." A Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks expert confirmed there was no sign of bear activity in the area.
Abbey, who was recently residing in Basin, Montana, was arrested in Butte after the crime lab matched his DNA to the beer can. Investigators say he returned to the campsite the night after Kjersem's death to remove incriminating items, including a Yeti cooler, axe, shotgun, and revolver.
"We have a bit of his story, but we don't really know what the true story is," Sheriff Springer said.
Abbey is currently held without bond on charges of deliberate homicide. The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities working to determine Abbey's motives.
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