Kindness Turned Fatal- Dustin Kjersem

When 35-year-old Dustin Kjersem set out for a peaceful solo camping trip in the forests near Big Sky, Montana, it was supposed to be routine. A fire, a tent, and a plan to meet up with his girlfriend the next day. But when he missed that scheduled time, what followed was a discovery so violent it was first mistaken for a bear attack.

As investigators begin to peel back the layers of the scene, they uncover not a wild animal—but a man with a violent past, a chilling confession, and a plan to erase every trace of what he had done. This is a story of kindness turned fatal, of justice pursued deep in the woods, and of the small detail that cracked the case wide open.

In this week’s episode of Siblings in Crime, we retrace the final hours of Dustin’s life, the disturbing background of his killer, and the investigation that brought a predator to justice.

Sources:

1. KBZK – Suspect identified in the Moose Creek murder
2. KRTV – Arrest in brutal killing of Dustin Kjersem
3. Fox News – Suspect claimed dog led to tent killing
4. Bozeman Daily Chronicle – Court records detail timeline
5. Montana Right Now – Abbey pleads not guilty
6. Dahl Funeral Home Obituary – Dustin Kjersem
7. https://youtu.be/aBX2CErfk3M?si=QvxYUxHq9HGbOyzx