Suspect Identified in Heinous Murder of Camper in Montana

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A 35-year-old man named Dustin Kjersem, a father to a young child, was murdered in his camping tent earlier this month near Big Sky, Montana. At first, authorities thought a bear attacked Kjersem based on reports from the person who found the body. An investigation revealed a different cause of death—homicide—and now, authorities say they have apprehended a suspect in this heinous crime.

The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office has kept the public updated on the ongoing investigation with multiple Facebook posts, including the latest news announcing they have a suspect. The posts also identify the victim as Dustin Kjersem of Belgrade, Montana.

“At 10:07 a.m. on Saturday, October 12, 2024, a caller reported discovering a deceased male in a tent approximately 2.5 miles up Moose Creek Road,” the Sheriff’s Office reported on October 15. “The caller indicated that the death may have been caused by 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. This prompted investigators to treat the case as a homicide. Evidence gathered through an autopsy further indicated that this was a homicide.”

In fact, evidence suggests the murderer may have used Kjersem’s ax to kill him, and the autopsy reportedly showed that Kjersem sustained “multiple chop wounds, which led to his death.”

See some of the latest updates the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office has shared about Dustin Kjersem’s murder here: