West
Suspect in camping trip murder identified after dad found butchered in tent
Almost three weeks after Montana father and avid outdoorsman Dustin Kjersem was found dead on a camping trip, police have identified a suspect in his “heinous” murder.
The 35-year-old was found dead in his tent about two and a half miles up Moose Creek Road, near Big Sky on Saturday, Oct. 12. His friend who found him and called 911 initially believed he had suffered from a bear attack, but authorities quickly determined it was a homicide.
While authorities have not yet released the name of the identified individual, the suspect is currently in custody on unrelated charges, Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer said in a media release.
“It is believed the suspect acted alone and there is no longer a threat to the community,” Springer added. “Further details and charges are forthcoming, but it is important for this community to know they are safe to resume their outdoor activities.”
CRIME SCENE CLUE COULD HELP SOLVE YOUNG DAD’S CAMPING TRIP MURDER AS KILLER REMAINS ON THE LOOSE
Dustin Kjersem and his daughter. Kjersem was brutally killed while camping near Big Sky, Montana. (GoFundMe)
The suspect is cooperating with detectives and has led authorities to evidence they had previously identified, Springer said in the release.
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Some of the evidence listed in a prior press release that police said may have been taken from the crime scene include an Estwing camp ax, blue and silver, likely with a 26-inch handle; a Remington Model 11-87 12-gauge shotgun, wood stock; a Ruger Blackhawk .44 Magnum revolver, blued 4 5/8-inch barrel, wood grips; and an orange YETI Tundra 45 cooler.
An autopsy showed that Kjersem sustained “multiple chop wounds, which led to his death,” police said.
OUTDOOR-LOVING FAMILY OF MAN KILLED IN TENT AFRAID TO CAMP WITH KILLER ON THE LOOSE
In a prior press release, authorities asked for the public to help locate a blue and silver Estwing camp ax, which they believed was taken from the crime scene. (Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office)
“I want to thank the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office Detectives for their unrelenting pursuit of justice on this case. They have worked day and night for nearly three weeks with limited sleep, limited time with their families and limited time to themselves,” Springer said in the release.
“They have prioritized the safety of this community and the need to locate Dustin Kjersem’s killer above all else. It is this type of dedication that makes the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office and all law enforcement officers special. This community should be proud of the men and women who have chosen a life of service to keep you, your families, and your friends safe.”
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Springer also thanked other agencies for helping with the case, including, the Montana Department of Criminal Investigation (DCI); 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.
MONTANA MAN CAMPING NEAR BIG SKY FOUND DEAD IN TENT AFTER ‘VICIOUS ATTACK,’ POLICE SAY
The Lone Peak and Moonlight Basin Ski Resorts near Big Sky, Montana. (TMI / Alamy Stock Photo)
Kjersem’s sister, Jillian Price, previously pleaded for the public to help find the person responsible for her brother’s murder in an emotional interview with Fox News Digital.
“Everybody stop and look and help find who did this,” Price begged. “I am asking anybody for help. Anybody.”
Price shared that Kjersem has a daughter and a stepson. When asked what she hopes others will remember about her brother, she said, “I wish they could have heard his laugh, but I just hope they know just how caring he was.”
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Dustin Kjersem was found dead in his tent while camping in Montana. Police described it as a “vicious attack.” (Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office)
Kjersem was last seen on Oct. 10 in the afternoon, leaving in his Ford F-150 to go camping. He had plans to meet up with a friend the next day but never made that meeting. The friend went looking for Kjersem and eventually found his body, authorities said.
“Our thoughts and prayers continue for the family of Dustin Kjersem,” Springer said. “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.”
Authorities say the investigation into Kjersem’s homicide continues, and the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office will have no further comment until charges are filed.
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KALISPELL, Mont. — Two app development teams from Code Girls United won the Congressional App Challenge in both Montana districts.
A team with Lily Kirkaldie, Charlie Kotthoff, and Danica Sabo from Great Falls won with their app ‘Cursive Create’.
The app helps teach cursive writing, which the team said is important since cursive is no longer taught in schools.
Three senior students from Browning High School, Aiyahna Green, Kalani Sun Rhodes, and Keesha Guerrero-Gobert, won with their app ‘Sspomo’.
This app provides awareness and resources for people facing mental health challenges, and was inspired by the Blackfeet tribe.
“They were really thoughtful about their community and what was affecting the people that they knew on the reservation, and what they could actually do to help them,” said Code Girls United CEO Marianne Smith.
“What they were seeing in the community was depression and other mental health issues, so they specifically wanted to create an app that would be able to help people that were in that same situation,” said Smith.
Both teams will travel to Washington D.C. for the National Science Fair’s ‘House of Code’, where they will showcase their apps in the U.S. Capitol.
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The event is scheduled for April 21 and 22.
Nevada’s population growth slowed dramatically last year, according to new statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau.
New figures from the government agency showed Nevada grew 0.9 percent, which put it in the top 10 states for percentage growth (9th) from July 2024 to July 2025. However, this is down from July 2023 to July 2024 when the state grew by 1.7 percent.
In July 2024, Nevada had 3,253,543 residents, and in July of last year it had 3,282,188. From July 2023 to July 2024, Nevada was the sixth fastest-growing state in the country, which meant it dropped three spots for the time period of July 2024 to July 2025.
Nevada expanded from 3,214,363 residents in July 2023 to 3,267,467 in July 2024, which turned out to be the fastest year-over-year growth rate, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, since before the pandemic in 2019. However, all of these growth rates are below the time frame of 2015 to 2018 when the state saw unprecedented population growth.
Overall, U.S. population growth slowed “significantly” from July 2024 to July of last year with an increase of only 1.8 million people, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau. This was the lowest population growth for the country since the early days of the pandemic when the population grew only 0.2 percent in 2021 year-over-year.
This population slowdown across the country follows a “sizeable” uptick in the growth rate in 2024 when the U.S. added 3.2 million people and grew 1 percent, the fastest annual population growth rate since all the way back in 2006.
“The slowdown in U.S. population growth is largely due to a historic decline in net international migration, which dropped from 2.7 million to 1.3 million in the period from July 2024 through June 2025,” said Christine Hartley, the assistant division chief for Estimates and Projections at the U.S. Census Bureau. “With births and deaths remaining relatively stable compared to the prior year, the sharp decline in net international migration is the main reason for the slower growth rate we see today.”
The population growth drop was felt across the country as all four census regions (West, Midwest, Northeast and the South) and every state except Montana and West Virginia saw growth slow or a decline in acceleration.
Five U.S. states experienced population decline from July 2024 to July 2025: California, Hawaii, New Mexico, Vermont and West Virginia.
Contact Patrick Blennerhassett at pblennerhassett@reviewjournal.com.
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