GALLATIN CANYON, Montana — The campsite at Moose Creek, nestled in the Custer Gallatin National Forest near Big Sky, Montana, should have been a peaceful retreat.

Dustin Kjersem, a 35-year-old from Belgrade, Montana, had set up an elaborate camp there on Oct. 10, 2024, something the Gallatin County Sheriff would later describe as "a wall tent, complete with a woodstove, beds, lamps and multiple other items."

He planned to return the next day to bring his girlfriend to share in the outdoor experience.

Instead, the campsite became the scene of a brutal murder so savage that those who discovered Kjersem's body two days later believed he had been mauled by a bear.

On Monday, after a six-day trial and more than three hours of deliberation, a Gallatin County jury found Daren Christopher

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