Camper Killed in Tent, Fears Grow of a Killer on the Loose

(DailyChive.com) – A killer is still on the loose after the shocking murder of 35-year-old Dustin Mitchell Kjersem, an outdoorsman and father. Kjersem’s body was discovered 12 days ago near Big Sky, Montana, where he had been camping alone.

Kjersem’s friend, who went looking for him, found his body on Oct. 12, two and a half miles up Moose Creek Road. At first, the friend thought Kjersem had been attacked by a bear, but authorities quickly ruled that out—it was homicide.

“Everybody needs to stop and pay attention,” said Kjersem’s sister, Jillian Price, during an emotional interview. “This isn’t a huge place, but so many people don’t even know this happened. I need them to keep talking about it, hoping someone remembers something and calls in a tip.”

Kjersem was last seen on Oct. 10, driving his Ford F-150 to go camping. He had plans to meet a friend the next day but never showed up. Concerned, the friend went searching and found him dead at his campsite.

“It’s unimaginable,” Price said. “You wake up every day with it running through your head.” She described how she learned about her brother’s death when a coroner showed up at her door. “He asked if I was Dustin’s sister, and I knew right away it was bad. But I had no idea how bad.”

An autopsy revealed Kjersem died from ‘multiple chop wounds,’ and police confirmed it was a brutal killing. The Gallatin County Sheriff, Dan Springer, said in a press conference, “We don’t know if there’s a threat to the community, but someone killed a man in a very heinous way.”

Initially, investigators brought in a wildlife expert to look for bear signs, but none were found. That’s when the case shifted to a homicide investigation.

Jillian Price said her brother was familiar with the area and loved the outdoors. “He grew up in Montana and spent his life outside—fishing, snowboarding, camping. He knew what he was doing.”

Price recalled how Dustin had helped her through tough times. “We didn’t have a great childhood, and I took care of him when he was a teenager. He was the sweetest. He’d even have tea parties with my daughter for hours.”

Kjersem leaves behind a daughter and a stepson. His sister started a fundraiser to support his children, describing him as “a loving and devoted father.”

“We need help to find who did this,” Springer said. “He was brutally killed, and we are working day and night to solve this case.” Anyone with information is urged to contact the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office.

“This is terrifying,” Price said. “I don’t want to live in fear. I don’t want my daughter to live in fear.”

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