A man has been arrested and charged in the alleged killing of a camper in Montana, America, after the incident was initially reported as a bear attack.

Dustin Kjersem, 35, was found dead at a campsite northeast of Big Sky, Montana, on October 12 by his girlfriend and a friend, who at first thought he had been attacked by a bear.

When no bear was found in the area, the case turned into a murder investigation.

The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office has now confirmed that Daren Abbey, 41, has been arrested and charged in connection with Mr Kjersem’s death.

Mr. Kjersem had set up camp in the Moose Creek area and was to pick up his girlfriend later to join him.

Mr Abbey, 41, had planned to camp in the same area but when he arrived he found Mr Kjersem already there.

Mr. Kjersem welcomed him to the site and offered him a beer, Sheriff Dan Springer said.

“At some point, this individual hit Dustin Kjersem with a piece of solid wood, stabbed him in the neck with a screwdriver, and finally hit him with the hatchet,” Sheriff Springer said at a press conference .

“The reasons for this attack are still unknown.”

Sheriff Springer described it as a “heinous crime” and alleged that Mr. Allen removed items from the campsite that he believed could be used as evidence against him.

“By all accounts, this homicide appears to be a chance encounter,” he said.

“There does not appear to be any connection between our victim and our suspect.”

Sheriff Springer said detectives collected DNA from a beer can left at the campsite and it was a match to Mr Abbey.

He was tracked down this week and arrested in Butte, Montana, Sheriff Springer said.

Mr. Abbey is being held on $2.2 million bail, according to sheriff’s department records.