Beer can used to track suspect in dad’s camping trip murder: police

A brew tin near astatine a execution country helped officials hunt down a antheral accused of bludgeoning a Montana begetter and avid outdoorsman to decease successful his camping tent, constabulary said.

Gallatin County detectives were capable to place Daren Christopher Abbey based connected a DNA illustration collected from a brew tin wrong the structure wherever Dustin Kjersem was recovered dead. The tin was sent to the Montana State Crime Lab. 

Abbey, 41, allegedly killed Kjersem, 35, aft a "chance encounter" portion camping adjacent Big Sky, Montana, successful October.

Abbey is successful custody successful Butte, Montana, wherever helium was picked up connected an unrelated probation violation. He is expected to beryllium transferred to Gallatin County to look charges of deliberate homicide and 2 counts of tampering with evidence.

SUSPECT IN CAMPING TRIP MURDER IDENTIFIED AFTER DAD FOUND BUTCHERED IN TENT

Daren Christopher Abbey has been charged with the execution of Montana dada Dustin Kjersem (Montana Department of Corrections)

"This appears to beryllium a heinous transgression committed by an idiosyncratic who had nary respect for the beingness of Dustin Kjersem," Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer said successful a property conference Thursday. 

Abbey confessed to the execution connected Tuesday aft being interviewed by detectives, Springer added. 

The fishy has tattoos each implicit his body, including an "iron transverse w/ swastika" and different "swastika, SS lightning bolts," symbols utilized by Germany’s Nazi Party, according to his illustration connected the Montana Department of Correction website. 

"This idiosyncratic removed items from the campsite helium believed had grounds that could necktie him to the crime. He removed the items helium had touched, to see the cooler, the firearms and the ax, and to instrumentality to the transgression the pursuing night, and removed further items," Springer added. "This is the behaviour of a blameworthy taxable who thought they could get distant with murder."

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Springer said Kjersem arrived successful the Moose Creek country connected Thursday Oct. 10 and acceptable up camp, including "a partition structure implicit with wood stove, beds, lamps and aggregate different items." During Abbey's confession, constabulary learned that the fishy was looking for a spot to campy that Thursday nighttime and had planned connected this peculiar site. 

"As helium approached the site, helium realized idiosyncratic was staying there, [Abbey] stated, Dustin welcomed him to the campsite and offered him a beer," Springer added. "At immoderate point, this idiosyncratic struck Dustin Kjersem with a portion of coagulated wood, stabbed him successful the cervix with a screwdriver and yet hit him with the ax."

CRIME SCENE CLUE COULD HELP SOLVE YOUNG DAD'S CAMPING TRIP MURDER AS KILLER REMAINS ON THE LOOSE

In a anterior property release, authorities asked for the nationalist to assistance find a bluish and metallic Estwing campy ax, which they believed was taken from the transgression scene. (Gallatin County Sheriff's Office)

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Kjersem had planned to permission the campsite and prime up his woman connected Friday evening, Oct. 11 truthful they could walk the play together, but erstwhile helium did not amusement up arsenic planned, his woman became worried.

On Saturday morning, Oct. 12, she and a person drove to the campsite, wherever they recovered Kjersem deceased successful the tent.

It was initially believed that Kjersem had suffered from a carnivore attack, until authorities determined it was a homicide. 

"By each accounts, this homicide appears to beryllium a accidental encounter," Springer said. "There does not look to beryllium immoderate transportation betwixt our unfortunate and our suspect."

OUTDOOR-LOVING FAMILY OF MAN KILLED IN TENT AFRAID TO CAMP WITH KILLER ON THE LOOSE

Dustin Kjersem and his daughter. Kjersem was brutally killed portion camping adjacent Big Sky, Montana. (GoFundMe)

The fishy was surviving successful Basin, Montana, and moving successful the Big Sky area, Springer noted, adding that helium was successful the operation business. "He was surviving benignant of, I won't accidental transient, but was benignant of successful aggregate antithetic areas." 

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"To the household and friends of Dustin Kjersem, you are each successful our thoughts and prayers. No 1 deserves to person this hap to them," Springer said. "I anticipation this tin bring a small spot of bid to each of you, and I'm atrocious you're having to spell done this."

Kjersem's sister, Jillian Price, antecedently told Fox News Digital that Kjersem has a girl and a stepson. 

When asked what she hopes others volition retrieve astir her brother, she said, "I privation they could person heard his laugh, but I conscionable anticipation they cognize conscionable however caring helium was."

MONTANA MAN CAMPING NEAR BIG SKY FOUND DEAD IN TENT AFTER ‘VICIOUS ATTACK,’ POLICE SAY

Dustin Kjersem was recovered dormant successful his structure portion camping successful Montana. Police described it arsenic a "vicious attack." (Gallatin County Sheriff's Office)

"To the different criminals retired there, the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office and its partners volition not basal for this benignant of behavior. You volition not get distant with it successful our community," Springer said. "If you person immoderate request to perpetrate these types of crimes, fto it beryllium known, we volition hunt you down, and we volition marque definite that you ne'er spot the airy of time again."

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"Although a fishy has been arrested and charged, determination is inactive months of enactment to beryllium done," helium added. "The motives of this onslaught are inactive unknown, and the investigators volition proceed to portion unneurotic everything they tin to physique a amended representation of the events that evening."