BOZEMAN, Mont. — A man who identifies as a white supremacist has entered a plea of not guilty to charges of deliberate homicide following the death of an individual in a tent in southwestern Montana. He asserts that he acted in self-defense, but investigators have pointed out discrepancies in his statements.

During a court session on Tuesday, 41-year-old Daren Christopher Abbey clearly stated to District Court Judge Peter Ohman, “I definitely plead not guilty. Dustin Kjersem tried to kill me,” according to local reports. Abbey also pleaded not guilty to charges of tampering with evidence.

The death of 35-year-old Kjersem was initially speculated to be the result of a bear attack when his girlfriend discovered his body on October 12, in a tent located south of Bozeman near Big Sky.

Upon investigation, authorities found evidence, such as shot glasses and empty beer cans in the tent, which indicated that Kjersem had company on October 10. DNA analysis of a beer can linked the samples to both Abbey and another individual believed to be his twin brother; however, the sibling was excluded from suspicion due to being incarcerated at the time.

Abbey claimed during the investigation that Kjersem threatened him and his dog with a firearm, which prompted him to retaliate. According to his account, he initially struck Kjersem with a block of wood before stabbing him in the neck with a screwdriver. Reports suggest that Abbey neglected to mention his use of an axe during the altercation in his initial statements to investigators. He also provided conflicting details about where he found the axe, stating it was located both inside and outside the tent. Abbey explained that he washed the axe and screwdriver in a nearby creek before leaving.

Feeling the pressure of his felony record, Abbey admitted that he did not report the confrontation. He acknowledged taking a cooler filled with beer and firearms from the scene and even returned the following day to search for a beanie he thought he had misplaced. Furthermore, he confessed to taking two cell phones and several items out of Kjersem’s vehicle, according to charging documents.

A recently released inmate information record from Gallatin County revealed that Abbey has ties to white supremacist organizations, and state Department of Corrections files indicate that his tattoos include an iron cross embellished with a swastika.

Currently, Abbey is being held in jail, with bail set at $1.5 million.