Body of missing camper (35) found: friend thought it was bear attack, but police suspect murder

big sky - The body of a missing man, found in an isolated area near Big Sky in Montana, was so badly mutilated that the finder initially thought it was a bear attack. However, the police are investigating it as a murder case.

The 35-year-old Dustin Kjersem headed to a remote forest area near Big Sky in Montana last week for a camping weekend. According to the police, he last contacted his family on the afternoon of October 10. He was supposed to meet a friend the next day, but when Kjersem didn't show up, the friend went looking for him.

Bear attacks are not uncommon in the area. Just last July, a 72-year-old man shot dead a grizzly bear in a Montana forest after it attacked him while he was picking blueberries.

Emergency services arrived on the scene, along with an officer from the Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks Service, an expert in bear attacks. However, the officer found no signs of bear activity, leading the police to suspect murder. This theory was supported by the autopsy report, which indicated that Kjersem had died from multiple cutting wounds, as authorities revealed during a press conference on Wednesday.

"People have asked me if there is a threat to the community," said local sheriff Dan Springer. "The answer is: we don't know. We do not have enough information at this time to know the answer. All we know is that there is someone out there who brutally murdered another person. So, if you're in the forest, you need to be very vigilant. Meanwhile, we are working day and night to find the perpetrator."

The police are urging anyone who was in the area at the time to share footage from dashcams or wildlife cameras, as well as any possible information that could help identify the suspect. The area, although remote, is popular among hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts.