BIG SKY KILLER

Montana Campsite Killing Was So Vicious the 911 Caller Thought It Was a Bear Attack

Sheriff's deputies are still searching for the unidentified killer of Dustin Kjersem, 35, who was supposed to meet a friend to go camping but never showed up.

Sheriff’s deputies in Montana are searching for an unidentified killer whose crime was so vicious the original 911 caller thought the victim had been mauled by a bear. Dustin Kjersem, 35, was supposed to spend the weekend camping near Big Sky with a friend, but after he didn’t show up on Friday, the friend went out looking for him, the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office said during a press conference on Wednesday. The next morning, the friend found Kjersem’s body inside a tent at a campsite and called 911 to report what he thought was a fatal bear attack. But an official with the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks service didn’t see any signs of bear activity, and an autopsy confirmed Kjersem had died of “multiple chop wounds” to the skull and other parts of his body, the sheriff’s office said. Deputies are following multiple leads but haven’t made any arrests, and the department has asked anyone with vehicle, trail or game camera footage to contact the authorities. “People have asked me if there is a threat to this community, and the answer is we don’t know,” Sheriff Dan Springer said, as first reported by the Washington Post. The victim’s sister, Jillian Price, said Kjersem was “a hardworking, skilled tradesman” who framed houses, poured concrete and installed countertops. “He was a loving, helpful and adoring father who in no way deserved this,” she said.