Arrest Made - Dustin Kjersem, 35, killed while camping, 911 caller thought bear attack, sheriff says murder, Oct. 12, 2024

[Cryptic]

I am using "targeted" as someone who KNEW Dustin, knew he would be there, and sought out to go harm him.

I think your definition is short and very too the point.

There could, however, be another component to your definition: or, saw him there.

@mickey2942 has related that the road is a popular camping area for local (well, by Montana standards) tradesmen who work on ultra high end homes in the general vicinity. These tradesmen then return home on the weekends. He goes on to relate that camping is required for tradesmen because though there is plenty of work, there is simply no affordable housing where the work is.

As the victim was a tradesmen as well, perhaps there is a work related motive and an impulsive attack upon seeing the victim in the camping area?

 

[Knox]

HUNT :: Hunting Seasons | Montana FWP

Information on hunting season dates in Montana.

fwp.mt.gov

Now. The bow hunt has been open since September. But it has been so unseasonably warm, no one has hardly gone out.

He may have just been camping to enjoy being outside.

Thinking about who may have been around the area, not that he would have been hunting. Thanks for the info!

 

[georgiajean]

No one would have known what site DK was going to ahead of time, though, because the sites are first-come, first-served.

The campsites are spread out along the road, and DK's vehicle is a distinct truck with shell and lumber rack. I imagine it would have been easy to drive along and find the truck. IMO. It may have taken the friend a bit of investigating (an maybe annoying some other campers) but I am guessing it would have been possible.

 

[Knox]

No one would have known what site DK was going to ahead of time, though, because the sites are first-come, first-served.

Lol, but locals know the area - all he’d have to say id he was going to camp for a few days at Moose Creek. Campground or dispersed spots not that big of an area if someone really wanted to find you. JMO.

 

[RedHaus]

If this murder was not random, I am starting to wonder if someone was with DK in his tent when he was killed Th night or Fr. day or night.

Perhaps it was someone who was not the intended victim, but is alive, now terrified to come forward. IOW, what if DK's death was a crime of passion by a 3rd party who found a mutual love interest with DK in his tent?

Or was the killer a person DK trusted and that person enterered an acute, deranged state? IOW, what if DK invited his murdererr to his tent, and they had a psychotic episode - from drugs, a powerful trauma trigger, or other mental illness?

IMO.

ET: clarify last paragraph.

 

[Knox]

Kjersem went camping northeast of Big Sky, Mont., on Oct. 10 with plans to meet a friend the next day, Springer said.

The friend found the body Oct. 12, the sheriff said. Another person identified only as an "associate" called 911 and reported it as a possible bear mauling, said Capt. Nate Kamerman with the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office.

Officials: Camper's death was homicide, not bear attack

When Dustin Kjersem was found dead inside his tent at a remote Montana campsite, the victim had injuries so brutal that it was initially reported as a possible bear mauling.

bonnercountydailybee.com

 

[Knox]

https://dcportal.pubcourts.mt.gov
Go to Gallatin County to search, site is a bit funky but there are three cases.

 

[LadyL]

This is really a makeshift area for people who do construction projects in Big Sky, there is tons of work, zero affordable housing. Too far to commute from Bozeman, Belgrade, or even Four Corners. I mean, people do it, but it costs time, the canyon is narrow, lots of animals...easier to find a place to hang out for the week, most people go home over the weekend.

Even getting mail in Big Sky is crazy, almost everyone gets "General Delivery", the list to get a PO Box is about three years long.

oh that's interesting
so there could possibly be others camping there that he knew from the construction industry

 

[LadyL]

https://dcportal.pubcourts.mt.gov
Go to Gallatin County to search, site is a bit funky but there are three cases.

link doesn't work

 

[Muddy K]

This is a horrifying case, IMO.

I really want to know what condition his walled tent was left in, as - with apologies in advance for the graphic content - I am struggling to imagine how the assailant had room enough to rain down a sequence of tremendously forceful "chops" onto the victim in the confines of a tent. Frankly, I'd like to know if LE believes Dustin was murdered inside the tent, or was killed elsewhere and dumped there after.

I do need to hope that he never woke up.

 

[Knox]

DBM

 

[Razz]

I'm imagining him being in his sleeping bag inside the tent when he was chopped. But it doesn't say. Were there screams, did he fight back? Could be the perp has some wounds, too. Perhaps they should check local hospitals near and around or in Bozeman for someone who came in over the weekend to have "wounds" attended to.

 

[Angelcat13]

I finally found the complete Gallatin County Sheriff press conference from Thur/Fri. This is worth listening to, it clears up some confusions.

How refreshing to listen to LE publicly and repeatedly acknowledge how important the public is and to actually ask them to help them solve this horrible murder.

 

[Kemug]

I guess the weapon wasn't left at the scene then.

If an ax, hatchet, etc. was used, is there a nearby creek where it could have been rinsed off? Would there be any trail cams looking at creeks nearby?

I should think it likely that his sisters and/or friends would know if he normally took an axe or hatchet with him when camping. So if he did, and it's missing, it was most likely the weapon used.

 

[Kemug]

Remember Kam McLeod and Bryer Shmegelsky's killing spree? Scary. Hoping this isn't similar.

 

[Betty P]

How refreshing to listen to LE publicly and repeatedly acknowledge how important the public is and to actually ask them to help them solve this horrible murder.

I wonder if LE thinks there may have been other campers along the road that night who saw something. Perhaps they saw the killer’s vehicle, saw their camp, maybe a camper who was behaving oddly, threatening, etc.

 

[Boots38]

I am not suspecting the friend, but I am still really confused about that part of the timeline. The friend was supposed to meet him somewhere, but we do not know where. Somehow, though, the friend knew where to go look for Dustin.

Just to satisfy my own curiosity, I would be curious why the friend did not go look for Dustin on Friday night at the camp when Dustin did not show up to wherever they were supposed to meet. What made the friend go look on Saturday instead of Friday?

Along those same lines, when Dustin does not show up, what made the friend try to find Dustin on Saturdays? For example, why did the friend not just go back home and wonder what was wrong with Dustin?

They were supposed to camp together for the weekend. It's 2.5 miles and finding it was have been harder Fri night. I'm sure the friend knew where they were going to be camping at for the weekend. MOO

 

[Boots38]

No one would have known what site DK was going to ahead of time, though, because the sites are first-come, first-served.

Maybe they camped there regularly? I camp alot and know that I have the spot I'll always pick first and if it's taken I have a couple more options dating worse place for last. Dustin may have went Thursday in order to have a head start on getting his usual and favorite spot. All my opinion of course..

 

[georgiajean]

Maybe they camped there regularly? I camp alot and know that I have the spot I'll always pick first and if it's taken I have a couple more options dating worse place for last. Dustin may have went Thursday in order to have a head start on getting his usual and favorite spot. All my opinion of course..

Maybe that is why DK went up on Thursday afternoon to set up camp. Maybe he or they had a favorite site and they wanted to get it before the weekend crowd came up. MOO.

 

[RickshawFan]

I'm listening to the sheriff. He says DK had a wall tent, maybe 8'-10' square.
That is HUGE! It's actually about the size of my living room. And it would have high walls. Canvas. These are WWI (yes, one) style army tents. Often floorless. You can see them at boys and girls camps on platforms. If you ever went to Girl Scout camp, that's what I'm talking about. Remember how you could put several beds in each (4 was common), as well as some shelves?

Hunters buy special pot belly stoves for these tents.

These are sometimes called cabin tents.

I'm posting an example. I don't know what the bride and groom are doing in here, but you get the idea. I wanted to use a photo in the public domain. This one is probably 10' wide.