White supremacist with Nazi tattoos charged with ‘truly heinous’ ax murder

A man identified as an official member of a white supremacist group has now been charged with the brutal murder of a camper last month in Montana.

CBS News recently reported that 41-year-old Daren Christopher Abbey has pleaded not guilty to the first-degree murder of 35-year-old Dustin Kjersem in October. Abbey pleads self-defense, claiming Abbey tried to kill him while the two were in his tent. Abbey led police to the crime scene and his DNA was found on a beer can in Kjersem’s tent.

It was initially believed that Kjersem was the victim of a bear attack after his mutilated body was found at a campsite in Big Sky, Montana. However, investigators soon discovered that Kjersem’s head had suffered multiple blows from an ax with a 26-inch handle and that he had also been stabbed in the neck with a screwdriver. Both the ax and the screwdriver had been washed away in the stream.

READ MORE: ‘White Supremacist Manifesto’: Report Exposes ‘History of Racist Writings’ by Project 2025 Architects

During the official autopsy last month, medical examiners noted that Kjersem’s skull had “multiple lacerations,” ruling out the theory of a bear attack. Before Abbey was charged, law enforcement warned area residents to be careful if they ventured into the woods. Kjersem’s sister, Jillian Price, called on the community to identify her brother’s killer and bring that person to justice.

“There is someone in our valley who is capable of truly despicable things,” she said.

The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported that Abbey is originally from California, lists his religion as “Odinism,” belongs to an unnamed white supremacist group and has several tattoos, including an iron cross, a swastika and “SS lightning bolts.” His bail was set at $1.5 million and he faces up to 100 years in prison if convicted.

“I want to assure our community that our office is fully committed to pursuing justice in this devastating case,” said Gallatin County Prosecutor Audrey Cromwell. “Daren Abbey has been charged with murder and tampering with evidence and we will work diligently to present all available evidence and facts to the court.”

READ MORE: Extremists wave Nazi flags before the screening of “The Diary of Anne Frank” in Michigan

Click here to read the full report from CBS. And click here to read the full Daily Chronicle article.