Man's death was believed to be a bear attack - but now police think it was 'vicious' murder

A grisly death first reported as being caused by a bear is now being investigated as a "vicious" homicide.

The body of Dustin Mitchell Kjersem, 35, of Belgrade, Montana, was discovered in a tent after Gallatin County deputies were alerted to reports of a deceased male close to Moose Creek Road at about 10am on October 12. A caller told officers that it appeared his death could have been the result of a bear attack.

Officers and officials from the Montana Highway Patrol, Big Sky Fire Department, Custer Gallatin National Forest and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) assisted in the investigation. An MFWP agent with expertise in bear attacks did not find any evidence to suggest one had been in the area.

The revelation resulted Gallatin officers to rule Dustin's death as a homicide. Evidence gathered during an autopsy further cemented Dustin's death was a homicide.

"This incident was a vicious attack, and the detectives are working hard to develop and track down leads," a Gallatin County Sheriff's Office spokesperson said. "A suspect has not been arrested at this time."

The has contacted the sheriff's office for comment.

Deputies are now asking for the public to help with their investigation. Dustin was last seen on Thursday, October 10 when he was driving a black 2013 Ford F-150 with a black topper and a silver aluminium ladder rack.

"If you were in the Moose Creek area, or anywhere in Gallatin Canyon, between Thursday afternoon and early Saturday morning and noticed anything unusual — whether you saw Dustin, Dustin’s truck, noticed suspicious activity, have footage from game cameras or in-vehicle cameras from the area or observed something out of place — please come forward. Even the smallest detail could be crucial to the investigation," a spokesperson for the sheriff's office said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the GCSO Detectives Division at 406-582-2121 or by email at detectives@gallatin.mt.gov.

According to the , Montana has one of the lower homicide rates in the US. In 2022 the state recorded 57 homicides with a death rate of 5.4 per every 100,000 people.