On 10th October 2024, 35-year-old Dustin Kjersem set up camp in the Montana wilderness to spend the weekend with his girlfriend. He pitched his tent, gathered firewood, and prepared for a peaceful night under the stars.
A stranger arrived at the campsite. Dustin, known for his generosity and kindness, welcomed him. Offered him a beer. Invited him to sit by the fire.
Within hours, Dustin was dead—beaten with a block of wood, stabbed in the neck with a screwdriver, and struck repeatedly with his own axe.
When Dustin's girlfriend arrived the next day, she found his body in the tent. Police initially thought a bear had killed him. But forensic examination revealed something far worse: a brutal, prolonged murder.
The killer was Daren Abbey, a 41-year-old stranger with a violent criminal history. He murdered Dustin because he wanted his campsite.
Tonight on Crime at Bedtime, we examine this shocking case.
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