S2E7: Finding Justice for Dustin Kjersem

Summary

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Blood Trails – S2E7: Finding Justice for Dustin Kjersem

Host: Jordan Sillers | Date: May 28, 2026

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Episode Overview

This gripping episode of "Blood Trails," hosted by journalist Jordan Sillers, investigates the brutal murder of Dustin Kjersem, an outdoorsman from Bozeman, Montana. Through expert interviews, first-hand accounts from Dustin's loved ones, law enforcement insights, and trial testimony, the episode uncovers how a hunting weekend turned deadly, leading to a high-stakes homicide investigation in the Montana wilderness. The story layers themes of trust, vulnerability in remote places, trauma, and the search for justice.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Discovery (02:24 – 10:12)

• Initial Incident:
  Dustin is found dead in his canvas tent at a remote campsite near Moose Creek. His girlfriend, Natalie Holloway, recalls their plans and the growing anxiety when Dustin goes missing.

  • "The last time I had heard from him was Thursday night before he left...I went into panic mode. And I knew not hearing from him was not normal." (Natalie Holloway, 06:00)

• Crime Scene Details:
  Law enforcement initially suspects a bear attack, given the severity of Dustin's injuries, but find odd clues: untouched food, an empty axe sheath, and two tequila glasses.

  • "The tent was fairly put together...there were drinks and food that hadn't been touched sitting on top of totes. They were all undisturbed." (Detective Ryan Duma, 11:46)
  • Blood spatter analysis reveals Dustin was attacked while lying on the ground, suggesting deliberate human violence.

• Natalie's Day:
  Natalie describes the moment she discovered Dustin and her fear that the killer could still be at large:

  • "Anything to me would have been possible at that point." (Natalie Holloway, 10:12)

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The Victim: Dustin Kjersem (15:48 – 22:55)

• Dustin’s Character:
  Interviews with Natalie and friends Chris Anderson and Jake Noble highlight Dustin’s kind, reliable, and steady personality.

  • "He was just so genuinely himself, and no one I ever had to worry about...just listened and you can't ask for more than that when stuff is shitty." (Natalie Holloway, 03:58)
  • "He was my most trusted friend...I would give him the codes to my house." (Chris Anderson, 19:15)

• Community Involvement:
  Dustin was active as a youth mentor and devoted father.

  • "He thrived on leaving something better than he found it, including me." (Natalie Holloway, 19:02)

• Shock and Grief:
  Friends and family struggle with both grief and confusion, as Dustin had no known enemies or debts.

  • "It’s soul crushing." (Jake Noble, 21:54)

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The Investigation (26:17 – 35:14)

• Pressure to Find the Killer:
  Gallatin County detectives, led by Ryan Duma and Sandy Schroeder, quickly realize this is not a wildlife attack.

  • "You don't know if the community's in danger currently at that point." (Detective Ryan Duma, 26:30)

• Key Breaks:

  • Discovery of a loofah and motel conditioner at a nearby creek, later tested to have blood traces—suggesting the killer washed evidence.
    • "All of a sudden, right where that loofah was, you start to see this glow...we've got something here." (Investigator Derek Malam, 28:28)
  • The miraculous recovery of Dustin's two cellphones by a friend who claimed to have a "dream" directing him where to look.
    • "This guy has a dream and he finds these two cell phones." (Derek Malam, 29:13)

• Digital Forensics:
  Dustin's phone reveals a timeline and chilling detail: it began moving again 24 hours after the murder—the killer had returned to the scene to collect evidence.

  • “The deceased person's cell phone moved 24 hours after the time of death. The suspect came back to the scene.” (Derek Malam, 33:55)

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The Suspect: Darren Abbey (35:28 – 47:26)

• DNA Breakthrough (35:28 – 36:48):
  DNA from a beer can at the scene matches twins: Dustin Abbey and Darren Abbey. Darren’s twin was incarcerated; attention focuses on Darren.

  • "We got really lucky because Darren's brother was incarcerated at the time." (Derek Malam, 36:37)

• Suspect’s Profile:
  Darren Abbey—a violent felon, open white supremacist, and self-described skinhead—was reportedly seen harassing guests near the area at the time of the murder.

  • "He has a large Nazi tattoo on his chest." (Jordan Sillers, 37:35)

• The Confession Attempt & Contradictions:
  In a long interview, Abbey claims self-defense but his story doesn’t fit physical evidence.

  • “Darren basically said, yeah, you know, Dustin went crazy on me. I thumped him with a block of wood, and then I hit him with the ax, and that was it.” (Derek Malam, 40:15)
  • Detectives note several inconsistencies with the crime scene, holster placement, and Darren's evolving story.
    • "That's just one of a couple of examples that it couldn't have happened the way he said it did..." (Derek Malam, 44:25)

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The Trial: Self-Defense or Homicide? (51:08 – 66:18)

• Defense Strategy:
  Attorneys argue Darren acted out of fear when faced with an armed stranger; that both men had been drinking and a scuffle escalated unexpectedly.

  • "A fight for his life in that tent." (Sarah Kotke, 51:25)

• Prosecution Response:
  The state disputes Abbey’s version, citing evidence that Dustin was attacked while down, Abbey's theft of Dustin's belongings post-murder, and his apparent lack of remorse.

  • “If someone were truly in a situation where they had to defend themselves, they're not going to celebrate with the person's items immediately after that event.” (John Nesbitt, 56:41)

• Damning Evidence:
  Photo and video evidence surfaces of Abbey posing and dancing with Dustin’s possessions days after the killing.

  • “Darren had gone back to a job site and during a lunch break, he took the items out of his truck and posed with them for photos. There's even a video of him dancing, holding Dustin's guns in each hand.” (55:56)

• Witness Testimony:
  A jail informant claims Darren stole Dustin's pistol, was confronted, and then attacked Dustin—suggesting theft was the motive rather than self-defense.

• Character Testimony:
  Natalie's and friends' unwavering descriptions reinforce Dustin's non-confrontational nature.

  • "Dustin was the least confrontational person I have ever met." (Natalie Holloway, 60:41)
  • "He was the one who was avoiding conflict." (Jake Noble, 62:56)

• Jury Verdict (64:09):
  After a week-long trial and three hours of deliberation, Darren Abbey is found guilty of deliberate homicide and tampering with evidence.

  • "Count one, to the charge of deliberate homicide of Dustin Jerson, guilty." (Natalie Holloway/Detective Schroeder, 64:18–64:26)
  • Jurors cite the post-murder photos and the use of multiple weapons as decisive evidence.
    • “When does self defense end? You know, was it after hitting him with the block? Was it after hitting him with the axe? Was it after stabbing him in the neck with a screwdriver?” (Detective Sandy Schroeder, 65:10)

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Sentencing & Legacy (66:18 – end)

• Sentencing:
  At the hearing, Darren Abbey apologizes but the judge imposes 100 years, 80 without parole.

  • “Unless Darren lives to be 120, the grave will be his only chance to escape the confines of those bars.” (Jordan Sillers, 69:58)

• Victim Impact Statements:
  Dustin’s loved ones testify to his kindness and the depth of their loss, particularly his sister Jillian and girlfriend Natalie.

  • “I would have given everything I have to send him off with as much love as I received him with.” (Jillian Price, 68:27)
  • "He took my brother's life...next level disregard for human life." (Jillian Price, 69:01)

• Abbey’s Reaction:
  After sentencing, Abbey recants his remorseful posture, declaring he'll appeal—yet he remains imprisoned.

• Dustin’s Legacy:
  The episode closes with moving reflections on Dustin’s love of the outdoors and his enduring impact on those around him.

  • "He died doing what he was fucking born to do...waiting for the most important people in his life." (Chris Anderson, 72:26)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (w/ Timestamps)

• "The last time I had heard from him was Thursday night before he left...I went into panic mode."
  — Natalie Holloway (06:00)

• "All the stressors just ceased to exist..."
  — Natalie Holloway (03:58)

• "The tent was fairly put together...there were drinks and food that hadn't been touched..."
  — Detective Ryan Duma (11:46)

• "This guy has a dream and he finds these two cell phones."
  — Investigator Derek Malam (29:13)

• "The deceased person's cell phone moved 24 hours after the time of death. The suspect came back to the scene."
  — Investigator Derek Malam (33:55)

• "He has a large Nazi tattoo on his chest."
  — Jordan Sillers (37:35)

• "He was my most trusted friend...I would give him the codes to my house."
  — Chris Anderson (19:15)

• "If someone were truly in a situation where they had to defend themselves, they're not going to celebrate with the person's items immediately after that event."
  — John Nesbitt (56:41)

• "Dustin was the least confrontational person I have ever met."
  — Natalie Holloway (60:41)

• "He died doing what he was fucking born to do..."
  — Chris Anderson (72:26)

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Key Segment Timestamps

• [02:24] — Crime scene discovery & Natalie's account
• [10:23] — Introduction of investigators
• [15:48] — Victimology & Dustin’s life
• [26:17] — Forensic analysis & divine intervention (cellphones)
• [32:47] — Digital forensics, timeline construction
• [35:28] — DNA break & identification of Darren Abbey
• [38:57] — Abbey’s interview & confession
• [51:08] — The trial: defense and prosecution strategies
• [56:05] — Evidence: photos and videos of Abbey with stolen goods
• [64:09] — The verdict
• [66:18] — Sentencing and impact statements
• [72:26] — Reflections and Dustin’s legacy

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Tone:
The episode blends investigative rigor with empathy and grief, honest about the brutality of the crime yet deeply personal in giving Dustin's community space to honor his memory.

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This summary covers the full narrative arc, extracting critical facts, emotional stakes, and the complex human threads that run through the investigation and its aftermath—making it accessible and meaningful even to those who haven't listened.

Transcript

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[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

When detectives stepped into Dustin German's canvas tent, they thought the man lying on the ground had been attacked by a bear. But the evidence inside untouched food. An empty axe sheath and two tequila glasses pointed to someone else. Someone who had brutally murdered the father, friend and brother and then fled into the darkness. That's next on blood trails. Dustin Jersem was the kind of guy you could count on when things went sideways. And it didn't matter whether he'd known you for 20 years or two weeks.

[Natalie Holloway (Dustin's Girlfriend)]

He met me on my doorstep with dinner. He had made steak, and he just showed up.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Natalie Holloway had met Dustin on a dating app. But shortly after they began texting, her son was admitted to the hospital. She spent the next two weeks in that hospital room stressing over her son's health and being in close proximity to her ex husband, Even though she and Dustin hadn't even met in person yet. She told me he was the one bright spot in those weeks of darkness.

[Natalie Holloway (Dustin's Girlfriend)]

Just the sweetest person on the planet. You know, he had never met me. He listened to me through all of it for the two weeks in the hospital, not knowing what was going on with my son, having to deal with my ex, and nothing changed from texting to being in person. I mean, he was better in person.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

That first date at Natalie's house turned into regular weekends, and the mother of two says Dustin was a steady presence in her sometimes unsteady life.

[Natalie Holloway (Dustin's Girlfriend)]

He was just so genuinely himself, and no one I ever had to worry about, he just, he was there for me, for everything. I could be having a complete and total meltdown about whatever was going on in my life. And he was rock steady, you know, never any judgment, never any, well, you should do this, you should do that. Just listened and you can't ask for more than that when stuff is shitty. All the stressors just ceased to exist.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Like most residents of Bozeman, Montana, Dustin loved hunting, fishing, and being outside, and he loved sharing those passions with Natalie.

[Natalie Holloway (Dustin's Girlfriend)]

I mean, he used to tell me all of his hunting stories with Matt and the fishing stories and, you know, everything that they had ever done and the camping and how he got the wall tent that we were going to go out in and, you know, everything that he enjoyed, he came to life when he talked about it.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

In August of 2024, he and Natalie were excited to go camping at a spot Dustin knew along moose Creek, about 30 miles south of Bozeman. The couple had patched that wall tent themselves, and Dustin had prepared the gear they'd need to spend a weekend in the Montana wilderness.

[Natalie Holloway (Dustin's Girlfriend)]

He was planning everything. Basically. I had to show up is what he told me. Like I was stoked. I didn't have to worry about anything. And this was his thing, and I was going with it.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

The trip was delayed several times Due to sickness and hot weather. But they eventually settled on the second weekend of October, And Dustin drove up that Thursday to set up camp.

[Natalie Holloway (Dustin's Girlfriend)]

You know, he got antsy. He was like, well, I might go set up a tent and just hold our spot. And then he was like, well, I'm not working tomorrow, so let me just go up. And I was like, that's fine.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Natalie had to work until Friday, October 11, so the pair decided that Dustin would drive back up to bozeman, pick her up, and then the two would spend the weekend camping, hiking, and enjoying the glorious fall weather. But when Friday afternoon rolled around, she still hadn't heard from her normally reliable boyfriend.

[Natalie Holloway (Dustin's Girlfriend)]

The last time I had heard from him was Thursday night before he left. You know, he said, I'm going up. And I said, okay, be safe. Love you. And he said, okay, love you, too. And that was it. Friday, when I didn't hear from him, I went into panic mode. And I knew not hearing from him was not normal. Something in me immediately knew something was wrong.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

She knew there was no cell phone reception at the campground, but she also knew that there was a call box he could have used if he'd gotten his truck stuck in the mountains. Even if nothing was seriously wrong and he was just trying to sleep off the effects of a few beers, he wasn't the kind of guy to leave his girlfriend hanging. Natalie spent a sleepless Friday night With images of terrible scenarios flashing through her mind.

[Natalie Holloway (Dustin's Girlfriend)]

I tend to be a worrier anyway, so for him to not call, it was just instant worry. But knowing that there was a hunter that was treed by a bear in that area two weeks prior, that was the first place.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

The truth, as it turned out, exceeded her worst fears. Natalie called her friend the next morning, and the pair drove into the mountains to look for dustin.

[Natalie Holloway (Dustin's Girlfriend)]

And I didn't really have a clue where he was staying exactly.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

She knew it was the moose creek area, but there are dozens of camping spots.

[Natalie Holloway (Dustin's Girlfriend)]

So we checked the campground first. No sign of a struck there. And then we started to drive up the forest service road, and, I mean, we went probably four miles in and didn't see anything. So on our way back down, there was a couple cutoff roads, and it was the first cutoff road that we turned onto where I found his truck. I was out of Amanda's vehicle before she ever put it in park because there was no smoke coming from the camp stove, and it had been in the 30s the night before, so there was no doubt in my mind something was off, and I just booked it straight for the tent as soon as I got out of the car. And when I got out of the car and I went for the tent, that was not what I expected.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Dustin was lying on the floor of the canvas tent, not breathing or responsive. The injuries to his face and head were so bad that the only thing Natalie could imagine was that he'd been attacked by a bear.

[Natalie Holloway (Dustin's Girlfriend)]

When I found him, I had no idea what happened, so. And my first instinct was something attacked him. Right. I couldn't think of anything else that had happened at that point based on what I saw.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Natalie and her friend drove down to ask other campers for help, and they called 91 1. The sheriff's deputies arrived, and everything became

[Natalie Holloway (Dustin's Girlfriend)]

a blur, and everything felt like it was taking forever. Time didn't feel like it was passing. Everything kept looping, you know, and once law enforcement got there, it just. I felt like I spent days on that mountain.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Detectives let Natalie go home 12 hours later, but not before letting slip that Dustin's attacker had not been a grizzly.

[Natalie Holloway (Dustin's Girlfriend)]

And it wasn't until very, very late in the day that they let on that this was not an animal and that somebody had done this.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Somebody had done this, but who? That question burned through the minds of Dustin's family, the detectives with the Gallatin county sheriff's office.

[Natalie Holloway (Dustin's Girlfriend)]

And Natalie and I had no idea what happened. I had no idea what to do. And, you know, there's this little tiny voice in the back of your head that's like, well, whoever did this, do they know about me? Do they know where I live? Because Dustin spent every weekend at my house.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

No one knew why Dustin had been killed, but as investigators began processing the scene, they knew his death had been brutal, and the person who killed him was still out there. The trail to find that killer led through a missing axe, claims of white supremacy, a questionable confession, and a pair of cell phones found by someone who said he saw them in a dream. Natalie couldn't help but wonder if her boyfriend's murderer would strike again.

[Natalie Holloway (Dustin's Girlfriend)]

You're constantly looking over your shoulder. You're looking in rearview mirrors. Every weird van that went by, I'm like, well, what the hell is that? Anything to me would have been possible at that point.

[Detective Sandy Schroeder]

Jordan.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

I'm Jordan Sillers, and this is Blood trails Finding justice for Dustin Gersum Part 1 the tent the Gallatin county sheriff's office responded to the scene, but they were soon joined by an Alphabet soup of state and federal agencies.

[Detective Ryan Duma]

Fishing game, forest service, mhp. Everybody was there because we're Thinking it's a bear attack.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

That's detective Ryan Duma with Gallatin county. Ryan was one of the first detectives on the scene, and he was assigned to be the lead investigator on the case.

[Detective Ryan Duma]

So, yeah, we worked our way inside the tent where Dustin was found, and the first thing that stood out to me was the injuries on him. I've investigated a handful of homicides and been to several deceased individuals, and his stuck out as being more brutal.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Ryan couldn't initially see all the injuries Dustin had sustained, but later examination showed the 35 year old had been attacked with multiple weapons. He had three large lacerations on his head, apparently from some kind of sharp object. But he also had an indentation on his skull from something blunt and a puncture wound in his neck. It's no wonder the incident was initially reported as a bear attack. But Ryan quickly noticed that the scene didn't match what you'd normally expect in that situation.

[Detective Ryan Duma]

The tent was fairly put together, aside from the blood evidence. I mean, there was some knocked over stuff, but there were drinks and food that hadn't been touched sitting on top of totes. They were all undisturbed.

[Investigator Derek Malam]

So it just didn't seem like a

[Detective Ryan Duma]

bear entered the tent. You know, it was a chaotic scene, but stuff wasn't thrown everywhere.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

What's more, there was other evidence to suggest that someone else had been in the tent with Dustin.

[Detective Ryan Duma]

The thing that stuck out to me was two shot glasses. They had lime in them. They smelled like tequila. So it's, you know, if it's just you, you're taking one shot glass. There was two, so it seemed like somebody else had been there.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

They canvassed the area to ask nearby campers if they'd seen or heard anything suspicious. And they collected as much evidence as they could from the campsite that included beer cans, ammunition, shell casings, and Dustin's camping gear. They also took a closer look at the blood inside the tent and, and what they found made this attack, if possible, even more disturbing.

[Detective Ryan Duma]

There was no blood high on the canvas in the tent, and so this stood out to us as odds. So we worked with a blood expert on that, and he ended up determining that Dustin was no more than 7 inches off the ground when he was getting hit. The first hit, he could have been higher, but after you start bleeding and you continue to impact blood, which makes those spatter patterns, those all happened below 7 inches.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Ryan also noticed that there wasn't any blood on the bottom of Dustin's boots, Even though there were pools of the substance elsewhere in the Tent. This reinforced the blood spatter analysis and told the detective that Dustin had been attacked while lying on the ground. But it was unclear exactly what he'd been attacked with. Detectives found the sheath of an ax, but the axe itself was missing. There was blood on the wood blocks Dustin had been using to fuel his stove, but they didn't know for sure whether any of them had been used in the assault. And they had no idea what could have made the puncture wound in Dustin's neck. They did confirm, thanks to Natalie, that some of Dustin's gear had been stolen. Dustin had sent his girlfriend a photo of his truck before he left, which clearly showed an orange yeti cooler in the back. But that cooler was no longer at the campsite. They later learned that one of Dustin's friends had loaned him a.44 magnum revolver for bear defense. But that pistol also wasn't recovered. The missing gear suggested a possible motive for Dustin's killing, But there were still several valuable items in the tent and the truck. Those tequila glasses were also hard to square with a violent homicide. Did Dustin share drinks with his killer? If so, the detectives thought they might find that person by looking into Dustin's friends and associates.

[Detective Sandy Schroeder]

But we're also starting to dig into the victim, what we would call victimology.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

That's detective Sandy Schroeder with the Gallatin county sheriff's office. Sandy was one of the key investigators on this case, and she told me the odds of Dustin being attacked by

[Detective Sandy Schroeder]

a stranger were low because statistically, I think it is, only 9% of homicides are committed by strangers.

[Detective Ryan Duma]

We were doing search warrants for all of Dustin's social medias. Anything he was chatting on. We had guys chasing down, like, following his path into the mountains from where he grocery shopped to where he filled up with gas. Just trying to see if anybody was following him or if who he told that he was going camping at that location.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Detectives Duma and Schroeder also spoke with as many of Dustin's family and friends as they could.

[Detective Sandy Schroeder]

We're asking that question, like, does he have beef with anybody? Is he, you know, behind on his bills? Does he, you know, is he sleeping with somebody else's girl? Right. Like, we're, we're asking open ended questions to family and friends, trying to solicit anything, any leads that'll, you know, point to somebody else?

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

The problem was the answer to all those questions was no. No matter how many people they interviewed, they. They couldn't find a single person who didn't like Dustin Gersum. Part two, Dustin. Dustin was born in Bozeman in 1988. His parents and three older sisters moved to Three Forks, Montana when he was young, and Dustin stayed there until he was a teenager.

[Chris Anderson (Friend of Dustin)]

We kind of just started skateboarding at a young age and hanging out.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

That's Chris Anderson. Chris was about five years older than Dustin, but he got to know the younger boy because he was friends with Dustin's older sister. He told me Dustin was cool and funny and he was always happy when they got to hang out despite their age gap.

[Chris Anderson (Friend of Dustin)]

He was always into fishing, and we kind of had. I had a group of friends, we would go on a catfishing trip every year. And I think that first year we drove in his jeep. I rode with him because he's my good buddy and, you know, long road trips like that, he always had a bunch of coffee and, you know, talk about everything, what he wants to do. Oh, I was thinking about getting this gun, thinking about doing this. I'm gonna go shoot some antelope.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Chris says they caught lots of catfish on that trip, and Dustin was interested in everything, including how to set up a good campsite.

[Chris Anderson (Friend of Dustin)]

That trip maybe inspired him. I don't know if he had that wall tent at that point, but when we were up there, my group of friends had a wall tent and then we would all kind of clamor in there. But I could just imagine Dustin going into one of those, you know, and saying, well, this is badass. That's like. Because that's totally what he'd say. Look at this. Oh, you got a stove over there. You got all your coolers, you got your chair. You then that. That's him. That's like exactly him. Walking into the campsite and telling you everything looks good. Crack a joke, you know, make fun of me a little bit, dig into his ribs a little bit back and hahaha.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Dustin got his own wall tent sometime later, and by the time he was planning his trip with Natalie, he had all the gear he needed for an enviable setup. He'd purchased a new air mattress. He had a stove to keep the tent warm, and he'd stacked wood neatly beside it. He also had a tarp on the floor with an air blower to clean up whatever dirt was tracked inside. Dustin was a carpenter, so he'd set up big industrial lights outside the tent to illuminate the site when the sun went down. Even in the aftermath of his murder, investigators could tell from the way Dustin had arranged his camp that he was detail oriented, meticulous, and was trying to create the perfect weekend for himself and Natalie.

[Jake Noble (Friend of Dustin)]

When he did something, it was a hundred percent. There was no half assing.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

That's Jake Noble, another of Dustin's longtime friends. He told me that Dustin's thoughtful, all in personality extended to everyone he loved and not just when he was planning a romantic weekend. Dustin was a mentee with the big sky youth empowerment program. And when he got older, he became a mentor with the same organization. He was always happy to lend a helping hand whenever it was needed. And this aspect of Dustin's personality became a theme in my conversations with Dustin's family and friends.

[Natalie Holloway (Dustin's Girlfriend)]

From the first time he set foot in my house, all he wanted to do was help with something. What do you need help with? What needs to be done? What haven't you been able to do? He thrived on leaving something better than he found it, including me.

[Chris Anderson (Friend of Dustin)]

He was my most trusted friend. He was so trusted by me and my family that I would give him the codes to my house. I would let him borrow any tool. I would let him come over anytime.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

In 2014, Dustin had a daughter with a woman he'd been dating. While their relationship didn't last, Jake told me he was a present devoted dad from day one. A job he took to like a fish to water.

[Jake Noble (Friend of Dustin)]

People have said how great he was with her. And I have seen him throughout the years. Like I have all these pictures from his niece's fourth birthday party. And he's like 16 or 17 years old and he wouldn't even sit at the adult table. He is with all of these kids, you know, and he's sucking down helium from a balloon to talk in high voices to the kids. And he's just playing with him. You could just tell how great he was with children in general.

[Natalie Holloway (Dustin's Girlfriend)]

He was a big goofball, you know, everything was fun for him. We used to go and play bingo in Manhattan. And I have never seen a grown man have so much fun playing bingo in a room full of old people. And damn if he didn't have the best luck.

[Jake Noble (Friend of Dustin)]

I wish that I could convey just how he could light up a room. You know, like just being around him brought everybody up a notch. You know, he made everybody happier just, just by being around.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Investigators heard all this and more when they spoke to the people who knew Dustin best. It was a testimony to the 35 year old's character and integrity. But it didn't really help move the case forward, at least not at first. All they knew was that no one had any reason to hurt Dustin and they couldn't find anything about his life that may have led to his death. Meanwhile, the people who loved him were left picking up the pieces and walking down the long, dark road of grief.

[Jake Noble (Friend of Dustin)]

The day I found out I have his fly rod from Big Sky Youth Empowerment, he needed some gas money and he sold it to me. And I went downstairs the day I found out and pulled that, pulled the knob off of the reel and put it on that bracelet. It's been on there ever since. I'd say there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about him. And you know, just the, the tragedy of it, you know, he's got,

[Podcast Host / Narrator]

he's

[Jake Noble (Friend of Dustin)]

got a daughter who's growing up without him and I've got a seven year old daughter myself, you know, and I don't feel like I'm as good of a father as what Dustin was. And the, that thought, you know, that she's going to miss that is just, it's soul crushing.

[Chris Anderson (Friend of Dustin)]

Dustin was a true ride or die friend. I mean, I never had any issues with him. We never butted heads. We. I always would have wanted to do right by him and do every, everything I could for him. And I wish that I would have had him more of a chance. You know, you don't get a chance ever really to tell your friends sometimes that you love them and I don't know and we'd never say that, but we, we were so close. I remember that I got a chance on my wedding to give him a real good hug and I hope that I told him that I love him.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Losing a ride or die friend was difficult enough, but that grief was compounded by the terrible nature of Dustin's death and the apparent lack of progress in the investigation. But detectives were working around the clock to find Dustin's killer and they ended up getting some help, though not from a source they expected. That's next on blood trails.

[Podcast Host / Narrator]

Support for the show comes from public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index. With AI, it all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year. You can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc. SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com disclosures O'Reilly

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[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Part 3 Divine intervention from the moment that first 911 call came in, detectives with the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office felt an intense pressure to find the person responsible for this atrocity.

[Detective Ryan Duma]

But you're trying to idea suspect quickly. You don't know, you know, if the community's in danger currently at that point. You know, obviously in this case there was we didn't have anybody detained or any ideas of who it could have been at that time.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Deputies and detectives had Followed up on a few leads about other campers in the area, but none had panned out. And even though detectives duma and Schroeder are experienced investigators, they knew they needed all the help they could get. So Gallatin county sheriff Dan Springer asked for additional resources from the Montana division of criminal investigation, or dci. On Wednesday, four days after Dustin was found, DCI sent an investigator named Derek malam down to Bozeman.

[Investigator Derek Malam]

So the fact that the Gallatin county sheriff's office had been running for, you know, three quarters of Friday, all day Saturday, all day Sunday, Monday, and then into Tuesday, was unreal, given the circumstances. So when sheriff Springer called, it was more of a he kind of needs some rehab on some troops and maybe a fresh set of eyes on it, which is common.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Derek got up to speed on the case. Once he arrived in town. He was introduced, Intrigued by the empty shot glasses. But he was also struck by the presence of a loofah found near the bank of a nearby creek. A loofah, for those unfamiliar, is one of those exfoliating sponges you might find in someone's shower.

[Investigator Derek Malam]

One of those was sitting next to the creek, and a short distance from that was a bottle of conditioner or hand start, like the little bottles you get from the motel. It didn't make sense. His initial plan was to go. To go out, establish camp, and then go back into Bozeman and pick up his girlfriend. Why would you go out and wash something up and it wasn't. That's not something that I would typically use to wash my dishes.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Something had obviously been washed at the creek, and Derek was keen to figure out what. He drove up to the campsite with one of his colleagues with a chemical that makes traces of blood glow in the dark.

[Investigator Derek Malam]

If you've ever seen, like, a lightning bug, it's very similar to that. When you apply the chemical, it bioluminesces. And we're sitting down there next to the creek, and Brad is applying the chemicals, and all of a sudden, right where that rufa was, you, start to see this glow. And Brad and I. I mean, it was almost a movie moment. You look up, and we both look at each other and go, okay, we've got something here.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Someone had sat next to the creek and cleaned blood off of something. Derek didn't know if it was that person, Person's hands, a weapon, or both. But it was clear that not only had Dustin's killer fled the scene, he'd also made attempts to hide his crime. How far that person had gone to throw Investigators off the trail wasn't clear until a few days later when detectives got a call they never could have expected.

[Investigator Derek Malam]

I'm a religious person. Things happen for a reason that you don't. Sometimes it's better that you don't ask questions of why it happened. Right as I was sitting at the gallon, county sheriff's office, we were doing some work on it. One of the deputies walks in and says, hey, we just responded to a complaint on moose creek. So we got a call from a citizen that said he was a friend of Dustin's and that he had a dream the night before about water. And that he and his girlfriend drove from outside of the barsman area to moose creek. And they drove up the road and they got out of the vehicle versus right next to the creek and walked out and found two cell phones. One of them, I think, was hanging in a tree. I can't tell you the number of law enforcement that went up and down that road. And this guy has a dream and he finds these two cell phones.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Derek says, this man had a dream. And Sandy and Ryan say the word he used was premonition. Either way, the gallatin county detectives were extremely interested in talking to this man and his girlfriend. The couple came into the station willingly, and the story they told. Belie's explanation, they're walking this crick, and

[Detective Ryan Duma]

a beer can out in the forest caught their eye. And while going out to see what that was, they found two phones. You know, we get that. We're like, well, we got new suspects. Right? Like these people randomly found phones in the mountains. They were interviewed separately. Sandy interviewed one, I interviewed one. And there was nothing that indicated that they were involved in any way.

[Detective Sandy Schroeder]

Yeah. And once you get them in front of you and you're able to. They had dogs. And the first place that they got out was a natural pullout. Once they went up moose creek and, you know, they saw something that stood out, the beer can. And the lady involved, she had done some investigative work for a defense attorney that was kind of her side hustle or profession and in a different county. And so she had, you know, went out and looked for evidence before so it wasn't something new. And as she walked through it and, you know, she even said to me was like, I know it sounds crazy that we found these things. And it's unbelievable. And I'm sure you suspect us. Like, it's just dumb luck. This is unbelievable luck. And Dustin's phone was. Had some stickers on it. And so we were quickly able to identify it. As his based on his daughter was able to describe that phone to us because she had put the stickers on the phone. So we knew right away that they were the his phones.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Dustin's campsite was almost four miles up the forest service road. We made the hike a few weeks ago, and as we walked back down, we looked for the pullout Sandy mentioned. We think we found it. There's a small day use campsite there, but it's close to the trailhead, Miles from where Dustin was camping. I understood why investigators missed those phones, but if you had a dream about water, it makes sense to stop there. Moose creek runs underneath the road through a culvert, and the sound of falling water echoes loudly through the small canyon. You can decide for yourself what to think of the phone finder's claims, but whether you believe in divine intervention, dumb luck, or something else, Detectives were glad to have those devices in their possession. Dustin used one of the phones as a phone, but the other he used as a music player. Investigators sent both devices to the lab to recover data, and one photo in particular helped them construct a timeline of what happened that Thursday night and into Friday morning.

[Investigator Derek Malam]

And he says, by the way, I have a picture that we found of what appears to be what Dustin took, a picture of his camp stove and has timestamped it like 11 o' clock, roughly.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Dustin was still alive at that point on Thursday night. He was wearing different shoes than those he was found in, which suggested that maybe he'd gone out at some point to use the restroom. The stove itself was red hot, which

[Investigator Derek Malam]

is kind of an indicator, right, that he's. He's clearly relaxing for the night. He's going to be in his tent for a while.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

When detectives zoomed in on the ground, they saw a 28 inch axe lying next to the stove. That confirmed the axe had been taken and combined with the lacerations on Dustin's face and the blood next to the stream, began to paint a picture of how the young father had been attacked. But those phones contained even more troubling information about Dustin's killer. One of his phones had a health app installed which tracked movement and elevation, even if the phone was turned off. Derek's colleagues discovered that Dustin's phone had remained still all day Friday, but had started moving again later that night, nearly 24 hours after Dustin was killed.

[Investigator Derek Malam]

We got his piece of butcher paper out. We made a timeline on it that we have this movement, we have this movement, we have this movement. I remember looking at everybody. They're kind of looking at me. Like, we don't see the value of it. And finally I just had to tell him, I says, guys, the deceased person's cell phone moved 24 hours after the time of death. The suspect came back to the scene. At this point, you know, it still makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. You're dealing with somebody a little bit different, right? You know that we were confident, we knew that the date or date and time roughly or at least an hour window when Dustin died. And now you go back up to the scene to clearly take the cell phones. It just, it kind of just made an eerie sense of the type of person that, that could go do that.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Whoever had taken those phones was almost certainly the same person who had killed Dustin. A different phone thief presumably would have called law enforcement upon seeing Dustin's body. But this person had gone back to the campsite, walked inside the tent, robbed their victim, and walked away. Investigators had learned a lot about Dustin's death and the person responsible. They still couldn't put a face and a name to the crime. As the weeks dragged on, Dustin's family and friends were left with far more questions than answers.

[Natalie Holloway (Dustin's Girlfriend)]

Like, who is this person? You know, And I think the whole thing has just been question after question after question. And that was the hardest part.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Part four. Darren Abbey. If Dustin had been killed 30, even 20 years ago, this story might end here. But DNA analysis gives modern day investigators a powerful tool for solving crimes even deep in the backcountry. And those techniques provided the turning point in this case.

[Investigator Derek Malam]

I got a phone call from the sheriff's offices. Hey, we got a DNA hit. I again almost dropped my phone going, finally something. We got a break. Like we can, we can work with it.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

The Montana crime lab fast tracked Dustin's case. And a short two weeks after he was killed, lab technicians were able to match the DNA to, from one of the beer cans at the scene to someone already in Montana's criminal justice database. Or more accurately, two people.

[Investigator Derek Malam]

On that same token, the next sentence out of the mouth was, yeah, there's. It's a DNA sample for twins. And I read you gotta be kidding me, right?

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

The DNA was a partial match to two men. Dustin Abby and his twin brother, Darren Abby. Both men had been convicted of crimes in the past, which turned out to be another blessing in this investigation.

[Investigator Derek Malam]

We got really lucky because Darren's brother was incarcerated at the time at the Montana State Prison and had been for several years. So I'm not gonna lie, it was a big cyber leaf.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

The beer can with the DNA on it was found inside Dustin's tent. So investigators had reason to believe that it wasn't left there by another camper from a previous visit. What's more, as they dug into Darren Abbey's past, they discovered he had a long history of violent convictions, including malicious harassment in Idaho, an assault on an officer in Arizona, and a battery on a police officer in Nevada. They also realized that even before the DNA results came back, they'd received a tip about a man matching Abby's description harassing guests at a nearby resort.

[Detective Ryan Duma]

And Abby was apparently making statements about how he'd done prison time. And he was making other white supremacist comments. I mean, during the interview, even he. He identified as a. As a skinhead. So that was something he wasn't afraid of hiding.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Ryan isn't exaggerating. I was told by a corrections officer in Gallatin county that Abby has a large Nazi tattoo on his chest. But more importantly to the investigation, Abby also told the resort patron that he'd been camping in the Moose Creek area around the time Dustin was killed. Darren was on probation and wasn't allowed to drink alcohol. So when officers with the Butte police department saw him coming out of a bar, they had a good reason to arrest him. Derek and Ryan let him stew in jail while they looked into his background and then sat down for an interview on October 26th.

[Investigator Derek Malam]

In my mind, I'm picturing this six foot two, six foot three dude. You know, that's ripped. I. You know, that's what I'm picturing in my mind. Darren's not. He's about five' five, five' six. He's pretty well put together, but he's not this giant mountain of a dude that I thought he was going to be. So when we sit down with him, he was very flat affect. He was animated in some of his conversations, was never confrontational, was never aggressive.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Darren had a long goatee and as you might have guessed, a shaved head. But if you didn't know the meaning of his tattoos, you'd think he was a normal blue collar guy. I've spoken with other inmates who knew him and played poker with him in jail, and he struck them as pretty, even keeled. Ryan used that outwardly relaxed demeanor to build rapport with the man they believed killed Dustin.

[Detective Ryan Duma]

I think the time that we spent in rapport and just asking him questions without challenging on anything difficult during the interview, I think he was really relaxed with us, and he thought that we believed him.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

At the time, Darren was working on a construction Crew in Big Sky, Montana. So they chatted about his work for nearly an hour before diving into the real reason the three of them were sitting in that room.

[Investigator Derek Malam]

So at one point in the interview, I looked at Darren and said, well, Darren, here's the deal. We're investigating assault in Bozeman or down. Sorry, down in Big Sky. You know, we think you're involved in it, and we're just here to get your side of the story. That's all it took. And then Darren, you know, told us his version of. Darren said what actually happened. He really pointed the finger at Dustin

[Chris Anderson (Friend of Dustin)]

being the one that.

[Investigator Derek Malam]

That precipitated the attack.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Darren told the detectives that he'd driven up to Dustin's camp, and the two had struck up a conversation about their mutual experience as construction workers. They had a couple beers, cut some firewood, and went into the tent to sit by the stove. The men shared a few drinks, and their interaction was friendly until, according to Darren, his dog had gotten muddy paw prints on Dustin's air mattress. This caused Dustin to become irate, and Darren claimed the other man had threatened to shoot his dog and. And then shoot him.

[Investigator Derek Malam]

Darren basically said, yeah, you know, Dustin went crazy on me. I. I thumped him with a block of wood, and then I hit him with the ax, and that was it.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Darren claimed that Dustin raised his pistol to shoot him. So he charged the younger man and wrestled him to the ground. As Dustin continued to reach for his pistol, Darren hit him three times with a block of wood, But Dustin, quote, kept coming. So Darren grabbed a screwdriver sitting next to the stove and. And stabbed Dustin in the neck. The detectives listened to the story with neutral expressions, but both of them told me the interview was not progressing how they expected.

[Detective Ryan Duma]

And that was a surprise, I think, certainly for me and to Agent Mellon. There was a few times where he got up or got down on the floor and acted out the event, which is always helpful to see.

[Investigator Derek Malam]

So he did get a little high

[Detective Ryan Duma]

strung during those where he's acting things out, but for the most part, because he thought we were believing us or that we believed him. I think he thought he was being helpful.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

It had been over two weeks since Dustin had been killed. Darren said he didn't come forward immediately because of his history with law enforcement and the fear that his story wouldn't be believed. Ryan and Derek both think he decided to tell the story in that interview because the pressure had been getting to him.

[Detective Ryan Duma]

He was watching the news, and when something would pop up, he. He admitted to feeling like he was Caught like, they're gonna get me.

[Investigator Derek Malam]

He talked about being in one of the bars and one of the bartenders having that article or that video up about the news release. He recalls a conversation with one of the bartenders that looked at him, says, yeah, I got you. We got you. Totally unrelated. And I, I still think it's Dustin from another place tapping him on the shoulder and says, you're not going to get away with this. I really do.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Whatever his reason for doing so, he admitted to killing Dustin and then taking some of his stuff. He told detectives that he took Dustin's handgun, a shotgun, the yeti cooler, the ax, some binoculars, a headlamp, and several other items he thought might become evidence in the case against him. The next night, he realized he'd left his beanie at the camp. So he returned to collect it while along with some beer cans, those phones, and other pieces of trash he thought might have his DNA on them. When asked where he stashed all of Dustin's stuff, Darren offered to show the detectives where he dumped it many miles off the interstate.

[Detective Sandy Schroeder]

We took him out and we went on, like, show and tell, like, do you remember where you left this stuff? Because without your help, it's going to take us a long time to be successful. And he led us to the corner cooler, to the binos, to the headlamp. There were some shotgun shells that he had discarded. We had a hard time finding the guns because he had hid them in a different manner to conceal them. And he willingly got out of the police car and walked over, you know, over the knoll to show us, like, they're down there.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Darren seemed like he was trying to be helpful. His self defense story was plausible, if a little strange. And he directed investigators to Dustin's stolen possessions. But even in that first interview, Ryan and Derek had reason to question Darren's story.

[Investigator Derek Malam]

He had an injury on his head that he told us that he fell through a deck and as he smocked his head.

[Chris Anderson (Friend of Dustin)]

Right.

[Investigator Derek Malam]

But the dates and times evolved as

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

he told us that his story evolved once again when he claimed that actually he'd sustained that injury during his fight with Dustin. But that wasn't the only thing he said that didn't match up with the evidence at the scene.

[Investigator Derek Malam]

Darren specifically said that Dustin had this revolver, this.44 caliber revolver on his hip.

[Joe Zavatsky (Defense Attorney)]

Right.

[Investigator Derek Malam]

He motioned during the interview was down towards his right hip. Well, Darren didn't know at the time that that holster, the gun and the holster were actually given to Dustin by

[Detective Ryan Duma]

a friend of his.

[Investigator Derek Malam]

And that that holster had been. The belt clip on it, like an Uncle Mike style holster, had been inverted and then screwed under the dash of his vehicle. So he could basically have a gun in his pickup. If that sequence of events happened like Darren said it did, that holster would have been upside down. Maybe the gun may not have fallen out, but as soon as you get into a tussle, very likely it's going to fall out.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Right?

[Investigator Derek Malam]

That's just one of a couple of examples that it couldn't have happened the way he said it did based on the physical evidence that was there.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Dustin also wasn't wearing a belt. So even if he had, for some reason clipped on the holstered gun upside down, his pants would have sagged and the gun wouldn't have stayed on. The truth of that assumption became crystal clear the next day when Detective Sandy Schroeder found the holster.

[Detective Sandy Schroeder]

I think we'd been out there four or five hours. I'm kind of hoping that this is going to end sometime soon and we're all giving up hope. And sure enough, one of the teams located the holster. And man, what a breakthrough that was, Especially when you start to dig into the details of what that holster looked like.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

That holster confirmed that Dustin couldn't have had the gun on his hip, which cast doubt on every other part of Darren's story.

[Investigator Derek Malam]

So again, he continued to minimize all of his involvement. It was a. I, you know, I, I hit him once, I maybe hit him twice. Kind of that methodology of trying to make himself look really good in the light of the crime, given the circumstances.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

In Darren's first account of what happened, he didn't to want mention the axe. When Ryan and Derek pointed out that Dustin's injuries didn't match Darren's description, he confessed to hitting Dustin with the axe prior to stabbing him with a screwdriver. But he claimed he only hit Dustin once or twice with a blunt side in an attempt to knock him out. That axe was later found with the rest of Dustin's things. And the screwdriver was located in Darren's truck. His description of that fight also didn't align with what investigators knew. That Dustin had been hit mostly while he was lying on the ground. Darren tried to characterize the fight as a fair one, even though he'd sustained very few injuries, especially as compared to Dustin.

[Detective Sandy Schroeder]

Just an untruthful person. And you start to add all those little pieces together, right? Maybe it's not one thing, but it's each of those little chunks. And we're working as a team to verify Everything. It's our job to prove facts. If he's telling the truth, we want to verify that as well.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Prosecutors with Gallatin county determined that Darren was likely not telling the truth, at least not enough to justify self defense. On November 14, 2024, a little over two months after Darren was killed, an affidavit was filed with a district court charging Darren with one count of deliberate homicide and two counts of tampering with evidence. I asked Natalie what she was thinking and feeling when she heard someone had been arrested for murdering her boyfriend.

[Natalie Holloway (Dustin's Girlfriend)]

It was really easy to find that he had a previous history with law enforcement. So then the questions of how is he still able to walk around? This guy has been in front of a judge how many times? How many times? And then this happens. Like, why does it take something like this to make sure people like that don't, don't hurt somebody? And then why Dustin? Like what happened? Yes, it was great to have a person to put to this, but I don't think that made it any easier at any point.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

As for Darren's claim of self defense, Natalie wasn't buying.

[Natalie Holloway (Dustin's Girlfriend)]

Made me physically sick to my stomach. And I was like, there is no realm on any planet that that would have been self defense. No way possible. The most that I could have seen is Dustin telling him to leave because at this point he's already extended, you know, this courtesy and this friendliness and kindness because that's just who he is. And it's like, what, what was the turning point? And you know, we'll, we'll never know. You know, Darren's side of everything is just a load of.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

None of Dustin's friends and family believe he would have attacked Darren. But that's not enough to get someone convicted in the state of Montana. There, as in many states, prosecutors need to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Darren didn't act in self defense. As his attorneys pointed out time and again, Darren is the only person who knows what happened that night. Proving his story false would be a high bar, but prosecutors attempted to clear it when Darren Abbey's murder trial began 12 months later. That's next after the break.

[Podcast Host / Narrator]

Support for the show comes from public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index. With AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index, and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc. SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com disclosures O'Reilly

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[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Part 5 the trial Darren was represented by two experienced defense attorneys, Sarah Kotke and Joe Zavatsky. They told me that their case rested on Darren's fear for his life facing a stranger with a gun in the Montana wilderness.

[Sarah Kotke (Defense Attorney)]

There were only, you know, two men that were in that tent and knew what was going to happen. There was one individual with a gun and one individual that did not have a gun on his person at that time that if a gun was pointed at him, he wasn't going to run away from it because he could still have been shot. So it was a fight for his life in that tent on the other

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

side of the aisle. The prosecution consisted of three attorneys, Shannon Foley with Gallatin county, along with Dan Gazinski and John Nesbitt with the Montana Department of Justice. Dan acknowledged that despite the holes in Darren's story, the basic facts of the case still weighed in the defendant's favor.

[Dan Gazinski (Prosecutor)]

Self defense claim on its face may seem a little ridiculous, but at the end of the day when you actually take everything into like a, you know, you funnel it down, there's two people in that tent and, and Dustin was the one with the firearm. And so I think that becomes somewhat problematic.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Dan explained that a self defense case is really about the defendant's mental state. Does he reasonably believe he's in danger? Most people would agree that if someone points a gun at you, it's reasonable to fear for your life. Joe Darren's attorney tried to convince the jury that his client continued to feel that fear in even as he cycled from weapon to weapon.

[Joe Zavatsky (Defense Attorney)]

Darren said that when he raised the gun up, Darren was about 8ft away from hit Merceau and that he ran at Dustin kind of trying to grab the gun. He then wrestled with Dustin and that essentially he was trying to just reach for anything that was there. And so that's what Darren explained was that that this fight, you know, it happened in a matter of seconds within a tent, and that at no point did Darren feel like he could leave from that situation knowing that there was a gun.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Darren acted based on his fear of Dustin's firearm. But the defense also pointed out that their client likely had a firearm arms of his own in his truck. This, they argued, bolstered his claims.

[Joe Zavatsky (Defense Attorney)]

If it was Darren's sole purpose here to go up and, and kill this guy that he found, he would have used one of the weapons in his

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truck

[Joe Zavatsky (Defense Attorney)]

and he, he didn't. Something happened, we don't know exactly what that was.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

If Darren's goal was to kill Dustin, his attorneys asked, why would he he use a block of wood, an axe and a screwdriver and not one of the guns in his truck? It was a reasonable question, but the prosecution had a response. First, we don't know definitively that Darren had any firearms on the night of the incident. And even if he did, the evidence shows that he likely didn't need to use them. Here's John Nesbitt, one of the prosecutors.

[John Nesbitt (Prosecutor)]

There's a kind of a blitz from Darren. With a series of weapons, he's able to take away Dustin's dynamic movement. He's flat on his back. Not really a lot of chance to defend himself.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

What's more, while the prosecution couldn't prove Darren's mental State in the moments he killed Dustin, they could prove that after the incident, he didn't act like a good hearted person forced to defend himself. He didn't render aid or call the police. And as you already heard, he took some of Dustin's things. He claimed that he did so to hide his involvement in what he says was a self defense incident. But if you've been listening carefully, you've already noticed that not all of the things he took were related to that incident. The cooler, headlamp and binoculars were in Dustin's truck. Stealing them looked more like looting the man he'd just killed than the misguided actions of a reformed felon. Even Darren's defense admitted that this behavior was almost impossible to explain.

[Sarah Kotke (Defense Attorney)]

We didn't have a good answer for why he took stuff was a really tough hurdle for us to overcome.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

But it got even worse for Darren. He owned a camper trailer that was parked at a friend's house. When Sandy went to search that trailer, that friend showed her something that ended up being a crucial piece of evidence in this case.

[Detective Sandy Schroeder]

It was kind of funny because the friend thought we were there, maybe for probation violation or some kind of drug thing. And then he saw the search warrant was for homicide, and he's like, I don't want anything to do with that. You guys said, she see this photo? And that's the first time we saw the photo. But then in the days after Abby had been his name went to the press. Other folks in his circle started calling and saying, hey, I also got these images.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

The photo showed Darren holding Dustin's stolen possessions, and they were taken just days after Dustin was killed. Darren had gone back to a job site and during a lunch break, he took the items out of his truck and posed with them for photos. There's even a video of him dancing, holding Dustin's guns in each hand while the dead man's binoculars hang from his neck. You can see one of these photos for yourself by going to themateer.com bloodtrails or by watching the video version of this podcast on YouTube. The jury saw this photo and many similar images, and it's safe to say the prosecution brought them back up every chance they got.

[John Nesbitt (Prosecutor)]

We found that to be militating directly against an argument of self defense. If someone were truly in a situation where they had to defend themselves, they're not going to celebrate with the person's items immediately after that event. You know, that's just not the emotional reaction of a person who acted to defend themselves and had no other choice but to kill someone.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

These photos and videos not only demonstrated a shocking callousness, they also gave John and Dan the evidence they needed to suggest a motive.

[Dan Gazinski (Prosecutor)]

And I think what was somewhat challenging for John and I is what was the motive for Darren Abbey to kill Dustin? What really was the motive? And I believe that it was. It was about taking Dustin's things. I mean, people have killed for a lot less. It wasn't a lot of items, but people have killed for tennis shoes. People have killed for a lot lot less.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

That contention was backed up by a man who. Who'd been in jail with Darren and claimed to know what really happened that night on the mountain.

[John Nesbitt (Prosecutor)]

The witness came forward to law enforcement after Darren was in the detention center. Basically what he said was that Darren didn't know Dustin. He was up there looking for a place to stay. He noticed that Dustin's campsite had a lot of construction type equipment and he had a very immaculate campsite. He engaged in conversation with Dustin. I think it started pretty friendly. They had some beers together. They tried to cut a tree down with a chainsaw. The chainsaw ran out of gas. The witness indicated that Dustin may have been ribbing Darren about his chainsaw running out of gas, which irked Darren. As the night went on, they continued to have beers together. And then at some point in the night, Darren stole a pistol that Dustin had borrowed from his roommate, put it in his truck, and returned to the tent. Dustin noticed that the pistol was missing and confronted Darren about that. And it's at that point that Darren attacks him.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

This testimony offered a reasonable explanation for why Darren might have murdered Dustin. And his history of violent felonies made this an easier pill for the jury to swallow. However, though Darren didn't testify at his trial, his attorneys denied this version of events. They pointed out that this witness had testified against other inmates. And I was told the jury didn't find him particularly credible. The defense also offered their own theory that explained why Dustin might have snapped over something as trivial as muddy paws on a mattress.

[Sarah Kotke (Defense Attorney)]

Dustin had, you know, a relatively new girlfriend. They'd been dating for about three or four months. This camp spot was a getaway for them for the weekend. So a lot of the equipment was new for them, like, the air mattress was new. And so we think that a lot of this was because he was trying to impress his new girlfriend. And so he wanted everything to be perfect. And so then having, like, a stranger's dog get muddy footprints all over it and then compounded, like, a lot of frustration.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Pointing a gun at Darren might still seem like an extreme reaction, but the defense also noted that both men had been drinking. We don't know exactly how much Dustin had consumed, but Sarah said his toxicology report showed his blood alcohol levels were well above the legal driving limit. That, combined with a growing frustration against a stranger ruining his campsite, may have led to a situation that spiraled out of control. Darren claimed that the cut on his forehead was actually from Dustin striking him with a pistol. That fight, Darren said, devolved from there. Pistol whipping someone could indeed justify a deadly use of force. But when I asked those who knew Dustin whether he could be aggressive or hot headed, their response was unanimous.

[Natalie Holloway (Dustin's Girlfriend)]

Dustin was the least confrontational person I have ever met. Like, you couldn't get him riled up. He didn't have road rage. Like, there was nothing that even elevated his blood pressure.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Chris Anderson agreed with Natalie's sentiment. He told me that Dustin liked to joke around and poke fun at people, but it was never in a mean or aggressive way.

[Chris Anderson (Friend of Dustin)]

Not giving him a hard time about running the chainsaw and stuff. He, Dustin probably did that. He probably said, oh, you're doing that. Don't, you know, don't do that. Don't bind that up. You know how to run one of those. Give you a hard time, you know what I mean? Because that's what he'd say.

[Natalie Holloway (Dustin's Girlfriend)]

Yeah.

[Chris Anderson (Friend of Dustin)]

And he'd say that to me if I was. If I got some chainsaw bound up in a tree, you know what you're doing with that thing. But to the wrong person. And that's what I think is that just, he's Justin trying to get close to this guy, you know, whatever, have a good time. And this guy the whole time is just like getting, oh, well, this guy's getting on my nerves, you know, and that's what I think. And Dustin probably just got a little too under his skin for him. And the guy had an opportunity.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Chris thinks that Dustin confronted Darren when he noticed his pistol was missing. But he was especially keen to get it back because it wasn't actually his pistol. It was his friends. And as we heard Chris say earlier, Dustin was someone you could trust to take care of your stuff.

[Chris Anderson (Friend of Dustin)]

If it's my stuff, I guess you can have it. But, you know, if that's my buddy's, don't take that. And I wish that in many ways he would have just let the guy walk.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Jake Noble offered a reason for Dustin's generally relaxed demeanor.

[Jake Noble (Friend of Dustin)]

He was the chillest with his family life previous to Gillian getting custody of him. You could Tell that he wanted to pacify a situation.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Dustin's parents had divorced when he was young. Jake described Dustin's father as mean and his household could be chaotic and unstable. So much so that when he was a teenager, he was emancipated from his parents and went to live with his older sister, jillian. Dustin and jillian lived with Jake and his wife for a year. And jake had a chance to observe Dustin's personality up close.

[Jake Noble (Friend of Dustin)]

Dustin was the one who was trying to smooth it out. Dustin was the one who was avoiding conflict, Making sure that nothing ever escalated. I mean, he was. I know that I saw him get angry, But I can't say that I ever saw him lash out in anger in any way, like not even throwing a controller for a video game, you know.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Natalie and jillian testified to Dustin's laid back nature at trial. And the implication of that testimony was. Was clear. Even if dustin was upset about Darren's dog, there's no way he would have threatened to kill Darren, even if he was intoxicated. We don't know exactly what those 12 Gallatin county residents thought of that testimony, but on December 10, 2025, they had their chance to weigh in. The trial had lasted a full week, and as the jury filed out to deliberate, Dan said he wasn't sure what to expect.

[Dan Gazinski (Prosecutor)]

Every minute that goes by, you're worried about why a verdict hasn't come. Because these jurors come from all walks of life. You don't get to really know them that well. And all it takes is one juror to say that, you know, we did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that it wasn't justifiable use of force. And then you have a hung jury, and you have to do the whole thing over again.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

But they only had to wait three hours when the jury filed back into the courtroom and handed down their verdict. Count one, to the charge of deliberate

[Natalie Holloway (Dustin's Girlfriend)]

homicide of Dustin Jerson, guilty.

[Detective Sandy Schroeder]

Count two to the charge of tampering

[Natalie Holloway (Dustin's Girlfriend)]

myth for fabricating physical evidence on or

[Detective Sandy Schroeder]

about October 10, 2024. Guilty.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

The identities of jurors are kept secret, so we don't normally know the reasons behind their decisions. But Joe and Sarah had a chance after the trial to talk to some of the jurors, and they explained how they reached the unanimous decision.

[Joe Zavatsky (Defense Attorney)]

The way that we saw it when the verdict came down was one of two things. Number one, one, they didn't believe him. Or number two, that they believed him, but believed that he went too far.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Sandy also got a chance to speak to some of the jurors they told her the photos and videos of Darren with Dustin's things were powerful evidence of his guilt. And they reiterated what you just heard Joe explain.

[Detective Sandy Schroeder]

And not only the videos and photos, but also the fact that he used so many different weapons. Like when does self defense end? You know, was it after hitting him with the block? It. Was it after hitting him with the axe? Was it after stabbing him in the neck with a screwdriver?

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

The jury believed that even if Dustin had threatened to shoot the man he'd invited into his camp, Darren quickly gained the upper hand. The blood spatter analysis proved Dustin was lying on the ground when much of the damage was done, unable to fight back and no longer a threat to Darren's life.

[Chris Anderson (Friend of Dustin)]

There is no self defense. At any moment, he could have stopped and let my friend live, but instead he just was like, oh, I gotta, like, put him down like an animal. What he did was a killing and a euthanization. It was not self defense. You don't go to those extremes to end someone's life in self defense, you know, you only do that if you don't want them to live, so they don't tell you what actually happened.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Part 6 the sentence Darren's sentencing hearing took place about six weeks after his trial. At the hearing, he apologized to Dustin's friends and family and asked the judge for leniency. I do not know Dustin when I first encountered him. He approached me when I drove up and was turning around. He seemed like a like me guy. I wish this never happened. I asked the family and friends of Dustin to understand what really happened. I never intended on any of this to happen, but I did. I'm sorry.

[Investigator Derek Malam]

Be real awesome.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Darren's defense attorneys also highlighted the ways their client's past had influenced the person he became.

[Sarah Kotke (Defense Attorney)]

You know, he came from a broken home. He had a twin brother and an older brother. His older brother was killed by police brutality. When his parents divorced, he basically lost most contact with his dad. So he was raised by a single mom. Just the amount that, that kind of shapes who you become, like having trauma at kind of those very early ages. And so we highlighted that for the judge.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Dustin's family and friends also testified at this hearing, including Chris and Jillian. I've spoken to Jillian several times and she connected me with Natalie, Chris and Jake. Even in our brief conversations, it was clear to me that her sense of loss is profound. She had raised Dustin, protected him his entire life, and she loved him from the moment he was born.

[Jake Noble (Friend of Dustin)]

She took him to school for show and tell in like the second grade or something. He was just a baby. And she took him to school for show and tell. If that gives you any idea how she felt about him.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Jillian told the judge at the sentencing hearing that imagining what happened to the man that baby had grown into was almost too much to bear.

[Jillian Price (Dustin's Sister)]

I have to picture him struggling to take his last breath. Alone in that tent with this monster. I would have given everything I have to send him off with as much love as I received him with.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

She asked the judge to make sure that Darren Abbey never had another chance to rob a family and community of someone so loved.

[Jillian Price (Dustin's Sister)]

He took my brother's life. He stole from him again. He stole from him again. The next note he was capable of returning.

[Detective Sandy Schroeder]

Spending time in the tent.

[Jillian Price (Dustin's Sister)]

Dustin's mutilated body taking more things. Next level disregard for human life. The sad body lay there alone. Loved by so many. And at the trial we all became witness to the lack of remorse is had by Abby. As we watched a minute and 30 second video of him dancing triumphantly buried my brother's possessions. Darren. Abby exuded more joy in that minute and three seconds than I have been able to muster since the coroner knocked on my door on October 12, 2000 before. This is not the first. Bogged down with sorrow from having taken a life. This looks like someone who is proud of what he has done. Someone who was given the opportunity would do it again.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

A few minutes later, Judge Peter Oman sided with Gillian. He sentenced Darren to 100 years behind bars. The first 80 of which without the chance for parole, unless Darren lives to be 120, the grave will be his only chance to escape the confines of those bars. After the judge finished reading the sentence, Darren lost the penitent attitude he'd adopted a few minutes before. We'll get you a copy of this

[Investigator Derek Malam]

and then that's where we're at.

[Detective Ryan Duma]

So.

[Investigator Derek Malam]

Well, I'll be appealing your crooked ass court system.

[Jake Noble (Friend of Dustin)]

All right.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Despite his bluster, Darren has not appealed his conviction as of this recording and he remains behind bars. Meanwhile, Dustin's family and friends have done their best to remember him for who he was and try to make sense of the senseless way they lost him

[Natalie Holloway (Dustin's Girlfriend)]

and how much he just loved life and his family and his friends and anybody who he thought was important, they knew it. There was no question in your mind if he cared for you. You felt it every moment. I hope people remember that. He was a Montana boy. Loved the outdoors, loved hunting. Loved to share that with people.

[Chris Anderson (Friend of Dustin)]

Dustin was a good guy. He was good natured. He was alone and he just. The wrong guy came across him. And I feel like there are so many things that could have changed that. But then this guy would be out there still capable of such bad things. And so maybe I wish that Dustin could be remembered for the guy that stopped that. That if this ended, it ended with Dustin.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Dustin and the man who killed him were in some ways living parallel lives. They both came from broken homes, they both experienced unstable childhoods, but they scraped together a living working with their hands. But while Darren chose a life of violence and hate, Dustin chose the opposite. I don't know why their paths ended up on such drastically different trajectories, but I do know that Dustin had people in his life who loved him, who looked out for him, and who never abandoned him. Those people wish more than anything that Dustin had never met Darren Abbey that night on the mountain. But they take at least some comfort in the fact that he died as he lived, friendly, caring and happy to invite a stranger into his tent to share a drink.

[Chris Anderson (Friend of Dustin)]

He died doing what he was fucking born to do. You know what I mean? Being out there in a camp with all this stuff, everything set up, waiting for the most important people in his life to be there and join him and. And he was built to do that. You.

[Jordan Sillers (Narrator of Blood Trails)]

Thanks for listening to this episode of Blood Trails. If you'd like to see images from this case, including of Dustin, Darren and the campsite, head on over to themateer.com bloodtrails we also publish a video version of every Blood Trail story which you can find at the Meat Eater podcast network on YouTube. I so appreciate everyone who spoke to me for this episode. Jillian Price, Chris Anderson, Jake Noble, Natalie Holloway, Ryan Duma, Sandy Schroeder, Dan Gazinski, John Nesbitt, Sarah Kotke, Joe Zavatsky, and Derek Malam. I couldn't have told Dustin's story without them. If you know of a story you think we should cover or you have any thoughts or questions about the episode so far, send me an email at Blood TrailsMeat Eater. You can also shoot me a message on Instagram. Blood Trails Pod. See you next time. Stay safe out there.

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