Kemper confesses to killing a stranger who was initially thought to be a bear: the sheriff

According to authorities, the camper allegedly confessed to killing a stranger who was initially believed to have been mauled to death by a bear.

Daren Christopher Abbey, 41, has confessed to killing Dustin Mitchell Kiersem, a 35-year-old stranger who welcomed him into his campsite and even offered him beer, Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer said. said at a press conference on Thursday.

According to the sheriff, Abby allegedly hit Kjersem in the head with a piece of wood, hit him in the neck with a screwdriver and chopped him with an ax.

“He was brutally murdered in his campsite,” Springer said. “This appears to be a horrific crime committed by an individual who had no respect for the life of Dustin Kiersem.”

When Kiersem’s girlfriend found his bloodied body in a makeshift campsite in a remote area near Big Sky on Oct. 12, she told 911 dispatchers it was a fatal bear attack.

However, officials were unable to find any bears in the area — and after an autopsy, Kjersem’s death was eventually ruled a homicide.

Abby, who was in custody on unrelated charges, became a suspect through DNA tests on a beer can found at the campsite — and allegedly confessed during questioning.

However, the motives seem to be unknown.

“By all accounts, this murder appears to be a random encounter. “There does not appear to be any connection between our victim and our suspect,” Springer said.

The suspect allegedly removed possible evidence from the campsite — including an axe, a shotgun, a revolver and a cooler — and even returned later to retrieve other items, Springer said.

“Investigators will continue to gather everything they can to build a better picture of the events of that evening,” the sheriff said.