A gruesome death that was initially reported to be a bear attack is now being investigated by Montana authorities as a vicious homicide.

Investigators are asking for help solving a "vicious" murder that was so brutal a 911 caller had reported it as a possible bear attack, according to the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office. A friend found 35-year-old Dustin Kjersem dead in a tent on Saturday morning about 2.

The victim, identified as Dustin Mitchell Kjersem, was found dead in a tent, about 2.5 miles up Moose Creek Road, north of Big Sky.

When investigators responded, a Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks agent with expertise in bear attacks didn't find any signs of bear activity at the scene. That's when investigators began treating it as a homicide, which was further confirmed by an autopsy.

The friend found Kjersem’s body Saturday morning and reported it as a possible bear mauling. But a state wildlife agent found no evidence of a bear. An autopsy later determined the man, from the Montana community of Belgrade,

Dustin Kjersem, 35, was found dead from a "vicious" attack while camping near Big Sky, Montana, last Saturday. No suspect is in custody. (Credit: Gallatin County Sheriff's Office)

There have been previous grizzly bear attacks in the forests of southwestern Montana, but investigators found no evidence of any bears at Kjersem’s campsite. They’re now investigating 35-year-old Kjersem’s death as a homicide,

A Montana camper believed to be mauled by a bear turned out to be a victim of a brutal homicide, authorities said Wednesday. Dustin Kjersem, 35, of Belgrade, about an hour-and-half drive southeast of Helena,

Police initially thought it was a bear attack. Now an autopsy reveals it was murder.