5 days ago
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A assemblage has recovered a antheral with links to achromatic supremacists blameworthy of execution successful a brutal sidesplitting astatine a southwestern Montana campsite past twelvemonth that was initially reported arsenic a imaginable carnivore attack.
Daren Christopher Abbey attacked Dustin Kjersem with a artifact of wood, an axe and a screwdriver aft they met astatine Kjersem's campsite adjacent Big Sky, Montana, successful October 2024, according to prosecutors. An autopsy showed Kjersem sustained "multiple chop wounds," including to his skull.
The suspect aboriginal admitted to taking Kjersem's guns, cooler, cellphones and different belongings and concealing evidence.
Dustin Kjersem
Gallatin County Sheriff's Office
Abbey was linked to the execution country by DNA recovered connected a brew tin wrong the tent. He claimed the sidesplitting was successful self-defense aft Kjersem threatened him. Abbey besides said helium did not study the combat due to the fact that helium had a felony record, but acknowledged helium took a cooler of brew and guns from the transgression country and past returned the adjacent time to look for a beanie helium believed helium mightiness person near there. He told investigators helium besides took 2 cellphones and items retired of Kjersem's truck, charging documents said.
Authorities said determination were inconsistencies successful his story, and pointed to aggregate chop wounds successful the attack.
The victim's woman and different person recovered his assemblage and reported it arsenic a imaginable carnivore attack. It turned into a homicide probe aft wildlife agents recovered nary motion of a carnivore successful the area.
Kjersem had 2 children and worked arsenic a self-employed contractor, gathering homes and learning different trades, according to his sister, Jillian Price. She said her member was a skilled tradesman and a doting father.
Abbey told authorities that helium arrived astatine the campsite intending to enactment the nighttime and was welcomed by Kjersem, who didn't cognize him, according to Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer.
Following a six-day proceedings the assemblage recovered Abbey blameworthy connected Monday of deliberate homicide and tampering with evidence, tribunal records show. He did not attest during the trial.
Abbey's defence attorney, Sarah Kottke, said Wednesday that helium volition determine whether to entreaty aft he's sentenced connected Dec. 30 earlier authorities District Judge Peter Ohman.
"This was a pugnacious lawsuit and asserting an affirmative defence comes with aggregate hurdles, particularly erstwhile it happens successful specified a distant country with nary witnesses to the events that took place," Kottke said successful an email.
An inmate accusation papers from Gallatin County past twelvemonth said the suspect listed an organizational affiliation with achromatic supremacists. State Department of Corrections records said his tattoos included an robust transverse with a swastika.
Deliberate homicide is simply a superior discourtesy successful Montana but prosecutors volition not question the decease punishment successful the case, said Jack Veil with the Gallatin County Attorney's Office.
Stephen Smith contributed to this report.
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