A Montana man pleads not guilty and claims self-defense in the death of a man killed in a tent

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — A self-described white supremacist charged with killing a man in a tent in southwestern Montana has pleaded not guilty to deliberate homicide and claims self-defense, while investigators say there are inconsistencies in the defendant's story.

Daren Christopher Abbey, 41, told District Court Judge Peter Ohman on Tuesday: "I definitely plead not guilty. Dustin Kjersem tried to kill me," the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported. He also pleaded not guilty to tampering with evidence.

Kjersem's death in October was initially reported as a bear attack after his girlfriend found his body in a tent south of Bozeman near Big Sky on Oct. 12.