‘Vicious Attack’ — Sheriff: Montana Man Reported Killed by Bear Actually Died by Homicide

A man thought to have been killed in a bear attack in the Big Sky area of Montana is now believed to be the victim of a homicide.

The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office said a friend discovered the body of 35-year-old Dustin Kjersem in his tent on Saturday, October 12, along Moose Creek Road, KSDK reported on October 18.

An image shows the victim:

The victim was last seen on October 10 when he left to go camping for a few days. He was supposed to meet a friend on Friday, but Kjersem never arrived at their meeting spot. The friend eventually went to look for the victim and came upon his body.

 “An autopsy found Kjersem suffered ‘multiple chop wounds,’ including to his skull, that led to his death, according to investigators,” the report said.

East Idaho News reported on Friday that Kjersem left to go camping at the remote site in his black Ford F-150.

In a social media post on Tuesday, the sheriff’s office detailed the case and said authorities are investigating:

A Montana FWP agent with expertise in bear attacks responded and did not find any signs of bear activity at the scene. This prompted investigators to treat the case as a homicide. Evidence gathered through an autopsy further indicated that this was a homicide.

This incident was a vicious attack, and detectives are working hard to develop and track down leads. A suspect has not been arrested at this time. If you or someone you know was in the area within the past week, and made any observations, please contact the Sheriff’s Office. Also, anyone with game or trail cameras in the area is asked to contact the GCSO Detectives Division at 406-582-2121 or by email at detectives@gallatin.mt.gov.

The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a homicide that occurred along Moose Creek Road, near the…

Posted by Gallatin County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday, October 15, 2024

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