Montana man's death was initially thought to be a grizzly...

The violent death of a Montana man at a remote campsite was likely the work of another human being and not a grizzly bear as first reported, authorities say.

Dustin Kjersem, 35, a resident of Belgrade-Bozeman, Montana, was last seen alive on the afternoon of October 10, while on his way to camp at a remote location near Big Sky, Montana.

He was apparently killed sometime between late Oct. 10 and early Saturday, according to the Gallatin County, Montana, sheriff’s office.

Found dead in his tent

A friend of Kjersem’s who had planned to meet him at the campsite discovered his body around 10 a.m. Saturday in Kjersem’s tent, according to the sheriff’s office.

The campsite was about 2.5 miles down the Moose Creek Trail. The friend called 911 and reported Kjersem’s death as a fatal bear attack, the sheriff’s office said.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) officers investigated the scene but found no new evidence of bear activity.

Sheriff Dan Springer said Wednesday the case is now being investigated as a suspected murder and said Kjersem was “brutally killed at his campsite.”

An autopsy report said Kjersem suffered “multiple cut wounds.”

Authorities are seeking information from anyone who may have seen Kjersem’s pickup truck at the time of his alleged murder. It’s a black 2013 Ford F-150, with a black roof and a silver aluminum ladder rack.

A request for additional comment to the sheriff’s office was not returned.

Lots of grizzly bears in the area

Montana’s Big Sky region is prime bear habitat and home to a robust grizzly bear population, regional FWP spokesperson Morgan Jacobsen told Cowboy State Daily.

However, there were apparently no bears at the Kjersem campsite during the period in question.

“We had staff out there on Saturday,” he said. “We found no evidence of recent bear activity at this site. No marks, no excrement, no hair.

FWP was involved in the initial investigation, but the sheriff’s office has since taken the lead, Jacobsen said.

“At this point, it’s unlikely that this was a bear attack,” he said. “We can’t say with $100 certainty that it wasn’t a bear attack, but it’s very unlikely.”

Dustin Kjersem, 35, right, was found dead in his tent around 10 a.m. Saturday at a remote campsite near Big Sky, Montana. He was initially thought to have been fatally mauled by a grizzly bear, but authorities now suspect he was murdered. (GoFundMe)
Dustin Kjersem, 35, was found dead in his tent around 10 a.m. Saturday at a remote campsite near Big Sky, Montana. He was initially thought to have been fatally mauled by a grizzly bear, but authorities now suspect he was murdered. (Courtesy of Gallatin County, Montana, Sheriff’s Office)
This black 2013 Ford F-150, with a black roof and silver aluminum ladder rack, belonged to Dustin Kjersem, 35, a Montana resident. He was found dead Saturday in his tent near Big Sky, Montana, and authorities are asking for information from anyone who may have seen the truck between the afternoon of Oct. 10 and Saturday morning. (Courtesy of Gallatin County, Montana, Sheriff’s Office)