‘There is no longer a threat to the community,’ says Gallatin County Sheriff
EBS STAFF
A suspect is in custody with possible connections to the early October murder of 35-year-old Belgrade resident Dustin Kjersem, who was camping near Big Sky.
According to an Oct. 30 press release from the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, “The suspect is currently in custody on unrelated charges. The suspect is cooperating with our detectives and has led us to the evidence we have identified in prior press releases.” On Oct. 24, GCSO identified a camp axe, shotgun, revolver and YETI cooler missing from the scene of the crime, and asked for assistance from the public.
The investigation is ongoing, but authorities believe the suspect acted alone “and there is no longer a threat to the community,” according to the release. The Sheriff’s Office will not provide further details until charges are filed.
“Further details and charges are forthcoming, but it is important for this community to know they are safe to resume their outdoor activities,” Wednesday’s release stated, signed by Sheriff Dan Springer. “… Our thoughts and prayer continue for the family of Dustin Kjersem. We hope, by some small measure, our efforts can bring them a bit of peace during this horrific time. Our entire community mourns with you.”
Sheriff Springer praised his detectives for their “unrelenting pursuit of justice” while investigating this case, now nearly three weeks since Kjersem was found “brutally killed at his campsite” near Big Sky, as Springer described in an Oct. 16 press conference. Kjersem’s sister also spoke at the conference, reflecting on her brother, a Bozeman-born father and a “hard working, skilled tradesman.”
With a suspect now in custody, Springer stated that detectives “have worked day and night for nearly three weeks with limited sleep, limited time with their families and limited time to themselves. They have prioritized the safety of this community and the need to locate Dustin Kjersem’s killer above all else.”
Springer also thanked partner agencies: The Montana Department of Criminal Investigation; the Montana State Crime lab; the Montana Department of Corrections, Probation and Parole; the Medical Examiner’s office; the Montana Highway Patrol; the Missouri River Drug Task Force; Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office; Butte-Silver Bow Law Enforcement; Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks; the U.S. Forest Service and Gallatin County Search and Rescue.
