The Gallatin County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday identified a man found dead in his tent while camping near Big Sky on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024.
According to a press release from the Sheriff's Office, at 10:07 a.m. on Saturday, a caller reported finding 35-year-old Dustin Mitchell Kjersem of Belgrade dead in a tent approximately 2.5 miles up Moose Creek Road.
WATCH PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Man found dead camping near Big Sky, investigated as possible homicide
Initially reported as a bear attack, a Montana FWP agent with expertise in bear attacks responded and did not find any signs of bear activity at the scene, according to the release.
Investigators shifted to treating the death as a homicide, and the release says further evidence from an autopsy indicates Kjersem's death was a homicide.
The Sheriff's Office continued in the press release:
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.
In our first report on Kjersem's death Monday, Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer told MTN News, "We are going to need the public's help on this one. It's likely going to take someone who saw someone, heard something, or saw two individuals up at this campsite."
"Our hearts go out to the family members; we are so sorry this occurred. We have a lot of resources on it and believe we will conclude this," Springer added.
Units from the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, U.S. Forest Service, Montana Highway Patrol, and Big Sky Fire Department responded to the incident.
