By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-10-17 17:21:22 | Updated at 2024-10-17 19:22:35
2 hours ago
A Montana father who was camping near Big Sky was found so brutally murdered, his friend thought he had been attacked by a bear.
Dustin Kjersem, 35, of Bozeman, was found around 10 am on October 12 inside his tent at a remote campsite near Big Sky by a friend he was scheduled to meet.
The unidentified companion called 911, believing Kjersem had been mauled to death by a bear, but the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office has ruled it otherwise.
'This is a homicide,' Sheriff Dan Springer said at a press conference on Wednesday. 'We are working all hours of the day and night to find his killer.'
Bear attacks are not uncommon in the area, but when a Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks agent visited the campsite, they found no signs of the animal's activity in the area.
Police said, however, Kjersem had been 'viciously attacked' and was found with 'multiple chop wounds,' including on his head.
Dustin Kjersem, 35, of Bozeman, (pictured) was found around 10am on October 12 inside his tent at a remote campsite near Big Sky by a friend he was scheduled to meet up with
The unidentified companion called 911, believing Kjersem had been mauled to death by a bear near Big Sky (pictured), but the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office has ruled it a homicide
'He was brutally killed at his campsite, and we need your help,' Springer said.
Police do not currently know what weapon was used to kill Kjersem, but the object was 'hard enough to cause significant damage to the skull, as well as, the flesh areas of the body,' Springer said.
The area he was found in, located 2.5 miles up Moose Creek Road, has limited to no cell service, and the last time his family had heard from him was on Thursday, police said. He was supposed to meet his friend on Friday.
Police found his supplies and his truck near the makeshift campsite. It is in an area with hunters, authorities said, and although it was 'fairly remote' it has a 'lot of activity,' according to Springer.
Law enforcement has no answers for nervous residents who fear a vicious killer is among their ranks, as they 'don't have enough information at this time,' the sheriff said.
Kjersem had been 'viciously attacked' and was found with 'multiple chop wounds,' including on his head, police said
Police found his supplies and his truck near the makeshift campsite. It is in an area with hunters, authorities said, and although it was 'fairly remote' it has a 'lot of activity'
Kjersem's sister, Jillian Price, (pictured) joined the press conference, where she called the father a skilled tradesman and a loving father
'We do know that someone was out there who killed someone in a very heinous way, so if you're out in the woods you need to be paying attention, you need to remain vigilant,' he said.
No arrests have been made as of Thursday morning.
Kjersem's sister, Jillian Price, joined the press conference, where she called the father a skilled tradesman and a loving father.
'This weekend, we lost our brother, our son, our uncle, our best friend, and our dad in the most unimaginable way,' she said. 'He was a loving, helpful and adoring father who in no way deserved this.'
She begged locals to contact police with any information if they had been in the Moose Creek Road area from Thursday to Saturday.
DailyMail.com has reached out to Price for comment.
