Montana man camping near Big Sky found dead in tent after ‘vicious attack,’ police say

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A man was found dead last weekend while camping near Big Sky, Montana, and investigators are calling the case a homicide. 

The victim has been identified as 35-year-old Dustin Mitchell Kjersem of Belgrade, Montana.

“This incident was a vicious attack, and detectives are working hard to develop and track down leads,” the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release. 

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Condos and housing in the mountains around the Big Sky Ski Resort in south central Montana. (Don & Melinda Crawford/Education Images/Universal Images Group)

Shortly after 10 a.m. on Saturday, a caller reported discovering a deceased man in a tent along Moose Creek Road, north of Big Sky. The caller initially indicated that the death may have been caused by a bear attack, according to the release. 

Multiple agencies responded to the scene, including the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office; Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks; U.S. Forest Service; Montana Highway Patrol; and Big Sky Fire Department.

A Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks agent with expertise in bear attacks responded and did not find any signs of bear activity, which led investigators to treat the case as a homicide. 

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The Lone Peak and Moonlight Basin Ski Resorts in Big Sky, Montana. (TMI / Alamy Stock Photo)

An autopsy further confirmed the death to be a homicide. 

Authorities are working to track down leads, though no suspect has been arrested yet.  

Panoramic view of Big Sky, Montana. (iStock)

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“If you or someone you know was in the area within the past week, and made any observations, please contact the Sheriff’s Office,” police wrote in the release.

“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.”

Mollie Markowitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Email tips to mollie.markowitz@fox.com. She joined Fox in 2019 and made her way from producing live news coverage to true-crime documentaries at Fox Nation. She has interviewed Ted Bundy survivors, the children of notorious serial killers, survivor Lisa McVey, members of law enforcement and families impacted by traumatic crime.Currently, she covers national crime stories for Fox News Digital. You can follow Mollie on LinkedIn.