EBS STAFF
Darren Christopher Abbey has been convicted in the killing of 35-year-old Dustin Kjersem, a Belgrade resident and father, who was discovered dead in his tent at a campsite near Big Sky in October 2024.
A Gallatin County jury found Abbey guilty of deliberate homicide and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, following a weeklong District Court trial before Judge Peter Ohman.
“This verdict reflects our community’s expectation that violent acts resulting in the loss of life will be met with accountability,” Gallatin County Attorney Audrey Cromwell stated in a Nov. 12 press release. “We are grateful to the jury for their thoughtful consideration of the evidence and to the law enforcement officers whose thorough investigation made this conviction possible. My heart goes out to the victim’s family, who have shown strength and dignity throughout this process.”
After two diligent weeks of investigation in October 2024, law enforcement discovered DNA evidence and probable cause to arrest Abbey for the crime that Sheriff Dan Springer called “heinous.”
“Abbey met Kjersem while camping in October 2024,” the Nov. 12 release summarized. “The two reportedly shared drinks in Kjersem’s wall tent before Abbey violently attacked him, striking Kjersem multiple times with a block of wood, an axe, and stabbing him with a screwdriver. Abbey later admitted to taking Kjersem’s firearms, cooler, cell phones, and other belongings before fleeing the scene and returning the following day to conceal evidence.”
Sentencing is scheduled on Dec. 30 at 1:30 p.m. before Judge Ohman. Abbey remains in custody pending that hearing.
The Gallatin County Attorney’s Office thanked the State Prosecution Services Bureau, Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, Montana State Crime Lab, “and the victim advocates who worked tirelessly on this case and supported the victim’s loved ones throughout the trial.”
