BOZEMAN, Mont. — A 35-year-old man camping in a remote Montana forest was found killed in his tent following a vicious attack initially suspected of being a bear mauling, authorities said.
Victim Dustin Kjersem went camping northeast of Big Sky, Montana, on Oct. 10 with plans to meet a friend the next day, Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer said.
The friend found Kjersem's body Saturday morning and reported it as a possible bear mauling. But a state wildlife agent found no evidence of a bear.
An autopsy later determined the man, from the Montana community of Belgrade, died of “multiple chop wounds” from an unknown weapon, Springer said at a news conference Wednesday.
Kjersem suffered wounds to his skull and body. Kjersem’s campsite was not in an established campground, and it was not known exactly when he died.
No arrests had been made, and it was unknown if there was a continuing threat to the community.
“If you're out there in the woods, we need you to be paying attention; we need you to remain vigilant,” Springer said.
The remote location of the killing complicates the investigation, the sheriff added. There is no cell service in that area, meaning no record of calls investigators could use.
The victim's sister said he worked as a homebuilder in the Gallatin Valley, which includes the city of Bozeman. Jillian Price described her brother as a skilled tradesman and adoring father.
“I ask our community to please help us find out who did this,” Price said. "There is someone in our valley who is capable of truly heinous things.”
The sheriff’s office asked that anyone who had a trail camera or game camera in the Moose Creek area, where Kjersem’s body was found, reach out to authorities.