BOZEMAN, Mont. — Authorities have charged a 41-year-old man with murder following a gruesome incident at a secluded campsite, which was initially thought to be the result of a bear attack based on the condition of the victim’s remains.

The suspect reportedly arrived at the campsite located northeast of Big Sky, Montana, on October 10, where he discovered 35-year-old Dustin Kjersem was already camped there. Despite not knowing each other, Kjersem greeted the man and reportedly offered him a beer, as stated by Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer.

However, the atmosphere drastically changed when, for reasons that remain unclear, the suspect violently assaulted Kjersem, striking him with a piece of wood, stabbing him in the neck with a screwdriver, and finally attacking him with an axe, according to the sheriff.

On October 12, Kjersem’s girlfriend and a friend discovered his body and initially assumed it to be the result of a bear attack. The case was reclassified as a homicide investigation after wildlife officials found no indicators of bear activity in the vicinity.

Law enforcement officials were able to connect the suspect to the crime scene after DNA evidence discovered on a beer can was matched to him. This led to his capture this week in Butte, Montana.

He is currently being held in custody with a bail set at $1.5 million, as confirmed by the sheriff’s department records.