Police in Montana received a report on Oct. 12 that a camper was mauled to death by a bear, but investigators now say the man was murdered.
On Oct. 10, 35-year-old Dustin Kjersem drove off in his Ford F-150 to spend the weekend camping up Moose Creek, a remote area about an hour south of Gallatin County.
Kjersem had planned to meet with a friend the next day but never showed up. Worried, the friend set out to search for him.
At around 10 a.m. on Oct. 12, the friend found Kjersem lying in a pool of blood in his tent at a makeshift campsite near Big Sky. The friend called 911, believing a bear had killed Kjersem.
But this was not how Kjersem died. An agent with the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks agency who visited the scene found no signs of bear activity, which prompted police to investigate this as a homicide.
The autopsy determined that Kjersen had sustained “multiple chop-wounds, which lead to his death.”
“This is a homicide,” Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer said during a press conference on Oct. 16. “We are working all hours of day and night.”
Capt. Nathan Kamerman asked people with trail or game cameras in the Moose Creek area to come forward, “even if the footage seems irrelevant.”
The same request was made to anyone with in-car cameras who traveled the area between Oct. 10 and 11.
Though no suspects have been identified so far, police said they’ve been given multiple leads. “We are working to close those leads and find what direction they take us,” Kamerman said.
Springer said that the absence of cellular connection near the crime scene complicated the investigation.
“People have asked me if there’s a threat to this community and the answer is: we don’t know. We don’t have enough information to know at this time,” Springer said. “But we do know that someone was out there who killed someone in a very heinous way.”
The sheriff urged those who go out in the woods to remain vigilant and call police if they see something suspicious.
“There’s a lot of hunters up in that area, there are some outfitters, there are people that are just living up there, camping, so, there’s a lot of activity, even though it’s fairly remote,” Springer said.
At the press conference, Kjersem’s sister, Jillian Price, described him as a hardworking tradesman who serviced many homes in the area.
“He was a loving, helpful, and adorning father who in no way deserved this,” she said.
“I ask our community to please help us find out who did this. There is someone in our valley who is capable of truly heinous things,” she added.
People who wish to share information relevant to the case can call 406-582-2121 during business hours or leave a message. For urgent tips after hours, call 406-582-2100 and select option 1 to reach a dispatcher.
“Your assistance is invaluable, and all information is greatly appreciated,” police said on Facebook.