BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — Dustin Kjersem was found dead inside his tent at a remote Montana campsite with extensive injuries to his skull and body. The death was initially reported as a possible bear mauling.
Although southwestern Montana forests have seen previous grizzly bear attacks, investigators found no evidence of bears at Kjersem’s campsite. An autopsy determined the 35-year-old was killed by multiple chop wounds from an unknown weapon, and authorities are now investigating the case as a homicide.
No arrests have been made. Local officials could not say whether Kjersem’s killer poses an ongoing public threat.
“But we do know that someone was out there who killed someone in a very heinous way,” Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer said at a news conference Wednesday. “So if you’re out in the woods, I need you to be paying attention. You need to remain vigilant.”
Kjersem went camping northeast of Big Sky on Oct. 10 and planned to meet a friend the next day, Springer said. The friend discovered the body on Saturday. An associate then called 911 and reported it as a possible bear mauling, according to Capt. Nate Kamerman of the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office.
The time of death remains unknown.