BOZEMAN, Mont. — When Dustin Kjersem was found dead in his tent at a remote campsite in Montana, the victim had such serious injuries that it was initially reported as a possible bear mauling.
There have been previous grizzly bear attacks in the forests of southwestern Montana, but researchers found no evidence of bears at the Kjersem campground. They are now investigating 35-year-old Kjersem’s death as a homicide after an autopsy revealed he was killed by multiple lacerations inflicted by an unknown weapon.
No arrests have been made and local authorities cannot say whether Kjersem’s killer posed an ongoing public threat.
“But we do know that there was someone who murdered someone in a very gruesome manner,” Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer said at a news conference Wednesday. “So when you’re in the woods, I want you to pay close attention. You have to stay vigilant.”
Kjersem went camping northeast of Big Sky, Montana, on Oct. 10, with plans to meet a friend the next day, Springer said.
The friend found the body Saturday, the sheriff said. Another person who identified himself only as an “associate” called 911 and reported it as a possible bear mauling, said Capt. Nate Kamerman of the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office.
Kjersem suffered injuries to his skull and body, and it is unknown when he died.
His campsite – in the Moose Creek area at the foot of the Gallatin Mountains – was not in an established campground.
The remote location of the killing complicates the investigation, the sheriff added. There is limited cell service in that area, meaning there is no record of calls for investigators to use.
The victim’s sister said Friday that Kjersem had two children and was self-employed, building homes and learning other trades in the Gallatin Valley, which includes the city of Bozeman.
Jillian Price described her brother as a loving father and an experienced tradesman who entered the construction industry after taking a construction class in high school. A fundraiser website was founded for donations to help support his children.
“Dustin had no known enemies,” Price said, adding that the family was looking for answers. “We know nothing.”
The sheriff’s office asked anyone with a trail camera or wildlife camera in the Moose Creek area to contact authorities.