Montana authorities are investigating after a solo camper was found dead in his tent from “a vicious attack.”

Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer said Wednesday that Dustin Kjersem, 35, was last seen Thursday afternoon and that he was planning a weekend camping trip. He was to pick up a friend on Friday to bring to the campsite, about 2 1/2 miles up Moose Creek Road in Gallatin Canyon.

Kjersem didn’t make the meeting on Friday, Springer said, and the friend drove up to the campsite Saturday morning and found a bloody scene inside his tent. The friend called 911 shortly after 10 a.m. and reported that Kjersem may have been the victim of a bear attack, but Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks personnel found no evidence of bear activity in the area, and the sheriff’s office launched a homicide investigation.

An autopsy also provided evidence of a murder. Springer said investigators have not determined the type of weapon used but said it was “hard enough” to cause significant damage to Kjersem’s head and body.

Springer asked anyone who may have seen Kjersem or his black 2013 Ford F-150 with a black topper and a silver aluminum ladder rack between Thursday afternoon and Saturday morning to contact the sheriff’s office. The sheriff said no suspects have been identified so far and that investigators just don’t have enough information to say if there’s a danger to the public.

“We do know that someone was out there who killed someone in a very heinous way so if you’re out in the woods you need to be paying attention, you need to remain vigilant,” he said.

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[Featured image: Dustin Kjersem/Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office]