The Gallatin County Sheriff's Office hosted a news conference on Wednesday to give an update on its homicide investigation into the death of 35-year-old Dustin Kjersem of Belgrade.
Kjersem's body was found in a tent approximately 2.5 miles up Moose Creek Road on Saturday, October 12, 2024.
Captain Nathan Kamerman said that Kjersem was last seen on Thursday afternoon, October 10.
Kjersem was driving a black 2013 Ford F-150 with a black topper and a silver aluminum ladder rack; the truck was recovered by investigators at the scene.
Kamerman said the autopsy showed Kjersem sustained "multiple chop wounds" that led to his death.
He said the Sheriff's Office is asking for help from the community and wants to hear from anyone who:
- Was in the Moose Creek area, anytime from Thursday evening through Saturday morning
- Anyone with trail or game cameras in the Moose Creek area, even if it seems irrelevant
- Anyone with in-car cameras traveling in the Moose Creek area during this time frame
- Anyone who saw Kjersem's truck in the area
- Anyone who saw anything out of place or out of the ordinary in the areas surrounding Moose Creek.
"Think of the whole canyon," Cpt. Kamerman said. "If you saw something weird in the canyon area, or in town with his truck, please reach out to us."
Kjersem's sister Jillian Price also spoke during the press conference, saying, "Dustin was a great kid. he was born here in Bozeman, and he worked all over the valley. He was a hard-working, skilled tradesman. He was a loving, helpful, and adoring father who in no way deserved this."
The Sheriff's Office said in a follow-up post on Facebook, "Even the smallest detail could be crucial to the investigation."
Anyone seeking to share information during business hours is asked to call 406-582-2121 and leave a message. For after-hours or urgent tips, call 406-582-2100 and select option 1 to reach a dispatcher.
