Montana man reported to be killed in bear attack died by homicide in 'a vicious attack'

A man was found dead in a tent in Montana in a case of apparent homicide and not a bear attack as initially reported.

Shortly after 10 a.m. Saturday, a caller reported "discovering a deceased male in a tent" approximately 2.5 miles up Moose Creek Road, north of Big Sky about 150 miles west of Billings, the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Tuesday.

"The caller indicated that the death may have been caused by a bear attack," the news release said.

Multiple agencies, including the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and U.S. Forest Service responded to the incident. However, an FWP officer with expertise in bear attacks "did not find any signs of bear activity at the scene," the news release said, prompting investigators to "treat the case as a homicide."

The victim was identified as Dustin Mitchell Kjersem, 35, of Belgrade, Montana.

Further evidence, including an autopsy indicated the incident to be a homicide, authorities said. Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer, at a news conference Wednesday, said the autopsy showed the victim sustained "multiple chop wounds," including to his skull. While authorities do not have an exact idea of the weapon used, Springer said it was "hard enough to cause significant damage to the "skull as well as some flesh areas."

"This incident was a vicious attack, and detectives are working hard to develop and track down leads," the news release said.

Victim last seen two days before

Kjersem was found dead by his friend in a tent at a makeshift campsite, after he went searching for Kjersem when he didn't show up as per their plan on Friday, Springer said at the news conference. The friend was the one who called and alerted 911, telling responders the death appeared to have been caused by a bear attack, Springer said.

Kjersem was last seen in the afternoon on Oct. 10, authorities said, and was driving a black 2013 Ford F-150 with a black topper and a silver aluminum ladder rack. Detective Nate Kamerman said Kjersem was in contact with people Thursday afternoon as he drove up to the campsite, where service is limited, adding he was missing between Thursday afternoon and Saturday morning.

Kamerman said Kjersem's tent was well-kept and had "lots of equipment" in it, indicating he had planned to spend the weekend with his friend there and had set it all up.

'A skilled tradesman and a loving father'

Speaking at the press conference, Kjersem's sister Jillian Price requested the community to step forward and help determine her brother's killer. Price said Kjersem, who was born in Bozeman and worked all over the Gallatin Valley, was a skilled tradesman and a loving father.

"I asked our community to please find out who did this," Price said. "There is someone in our valley who is capable of truly heinous things."

Authorities seek public assistance

No suspects have been identified or arrested and Springer said the remote location of the crime scene made the investigation more challenging than most cases.

Authorities have requested anyone with information on the case or with game or trail cameras in the area to "please come forward" and contact the sheriff's office at 406-582-2121 or via email at detectives@gallatin.mt.gov.

"Even the smallest detail could be crucial to the investigation," the sheriff's office said Wednesday. "Your assistance is invaluable, and all information is greatly appreciated."

The sheriff's office also warned residents and visitors to remain vigilant in they are out in the woods and alert authorities immediately if they observe any suspicious activity.

"People have asked me if there's a threat to this community and the answer is we don't know," he said. "We don't have enough information to know at this time, but we do know that someone was out there who killed someone in a very heinous way."

"No information is too small," Springer said. "If there's something, please call us."

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.