Suspect arrested for murder, initially thought to be from a bear

A suspect in the murder of a man whose death occurred in Montana It was initially thought to have been caused by a bear is in custody, the Gallatin County sheriff said Wednesday.

The suspect in the death of Dustin Kjersem, whose body was found in a remote area on October 12, was not immediately released.

“The suspect is currently in custody on unrelated charges,” Sheriff Dan Springer said in a statement. “The suspect is cooperating with our investigators and led us to the evidence we identified in previous press releases.”

The suspect acted alone and there is no threat to the community, Springer said.

The body of Kjersem, 35, of Belgrade, Montana, was found in his tent about 2.5 miles away on Moose Creek Road, and the person who found the remains reported it may have been done by a bear, officials said.

The attack was described as “brutal” and Kjersem died after suffering “multiple lacerations,” according to his autopsy, Gallatin County sheriff’s Capt. Nathan Kamerman said earlier this month.

Kjersem was last seen on October 10, two days before his body was found.

Kjersem was in an area that is not an official campground, but a “standard forest area where people make their own campsites,” and where many hunters, outfitters and people in the area live, the sheriff said.

The homicide remains under investigation, the sheriff said.

During the investigation, officials said last week that items were missing from the campsite and identified them, including a shotgun, revolver, cooler and axe, and asked the public to keep an eye out for them.

“Our thoughts and prayers continue for the family of Dustin Kjersem,” Springer said Wednesday. “We hope that in some small way our efforts can bring them some peace during this horrific time. Our entire community mourns with you.”