Man Convicted for Murder First Reported as Bear Attack Has White Supremacy Ties, Swastika Tattoo: Docs

A jury took three hours to return a guilty verdict after 41-year-old Daren Christopher Abbey's (above left) defense team tried to argue self defense over his six-day trial, according to Cowboy State Daily. Abbey opted not to take the stand.

After Kjersem's body was discovered, his death was initially thought to have been the result of a bear attack. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, however, found no signs of bear activity in the area and a homicide investigation began, as detailed in court documents reviewed by Fox News at the time.

According to Springer, Kjersem had planned on picking up his girlfriend on Friday, October 11, the day after his death. When he didn't show up, he said Kjersem's girlfriend "became worried" -- and, on Saturday morning, she drove to the campsite with a friend and found Kjersem's remains.

A can of beer would turn the tide of the investigation, with DNA connecting Abbey to the gruesome scene. When questioned, Abbey told authorities he'd arrived at the site to camp only to find Kjersem already set up there. He told detectives in a statement that "Dustin welcomed him to the campsite and offered him a beer," per Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer.

According to charging documents, Abbey claimed his dog, at one point, jumped onto Kjersem's air mattress and left muddy paw prints all over it -- something he says set Kjersem off, leading him to pull a gun on him. "Kjersem stated he was going to shoot his dog and then was going to kill him," claimed Abbey, who said Kjersem came at him, before the pair "tangled."

During the fight, Abbey said he hit Kjersem three times with a block of wood. While he reportedly didn't mention the axe at first, when police said his story didn't match up with the injuries, which included "multiple chop wounds," including to his skull, per prosecutors quoted by CBS News, he allegedly then admitted to hitting him with an axe.

Abbey allegedly said that he also then stabbed Kjersem with a screwdriver he picked up from the ground, claiming the victim was still moving. That's when the fight ended, he said. He reportedly told police he was acting in "self-defense," though authorities pointed out a lack of defensive wounds on the suspect.

In court, the prosecution reported said, per Cowboy State Daily, "He actually said in his interview he was aiming for his head, that his aim was accurate and it was hard and it was powerful."

Abbey allegedly also told police he washed the screwdriver and axe in a creek nearby, before taking Kjersem's phones and axe with him when he left the site. He also allegedly admitted later to taking Kjersem's guns, cooler, cell phones, and other belongings that might have his fingerprints on them in an attempt to conceal evidence. Prosecutors shared photos of Abbey posing with guns allegedly stolen from Kjersem in court.

The docs claim he also told police he returned to the campsite a day later, believing he left a beanie behind and didn't want to leave any "loose ends."

When questioned, Abbey told authorities that he did not report the fatal altercation because he had a felony record, per CBS News. The outlet also reports that according to an inmate information document from Gallatin County last year, Abbey listed that he he had white supremacist affiliations. The documents also detail a swastika and iron cross tattoo.

Despite being found guilty of a deliberate homicide in Monday, which is a capital offense, prosecutors are reportedly not seeking the death penalty, according to Jack Veil with the Gallatin County Attorney's Office, as reported by Fox 4 News, citing the Associated Press.

"We asserted self defense in this matter, arguing that Daren was scared for his life when a gun was pointed at him by the decedent," defense attorney Sarah Kottke said after the verdict. "If the jury would have believed there was self defense they would have acquitted." She said an appeal decision will be made after sentencing.

"This verdict reflects our community’s expectation that violent acts resulting in the loss of life will be met with accountability," said GCAO attorney Audrey Cromwell in a statement to NBC News.

He faces up to life in prison for the murder conviction, and 10 years each after he was also convicted on two counts of tampering with evidence, according to Kottke. Abbey's sentencing is scheduled for December 30.