The 2013 Jason Ellis murder in Bardstown, Kentucky remains unsolved. Ellis, a Bardstown Police officer and K-9 handler, was ambushed on his drive home from a shift in the early morning of May 25, 2013, when a shooter used freshly cut tree branches to force him to stop on an exit ramp of the Bluegrass Parkway and then killed him with a 12-gauge shotgun. As of May 2026, thirteen years later, no suspect has been publicly identified, arrested, or charged.1WAVE 3 News. Monday Marks 13 Years Since Unsolved Death of Bardstown Police Officer Jason Ellis
What Happened at Exit 34
Ellis signed off duty at 1:59 a.m. and drove home along the Bluegrass Parkway. Around 2:30 a.m., at Exit 34 near Bardstown, he came upon tree limbs laid across the roadway. Investigators later determined the branches had been freshly cut and did not come from the immediate area. They had been placed there to force a vehicle to stop.2WDRB. Officer Ellis Murder Investigation Turns to Trimmed Trees
Ellis was in uniform and driving a marked cruiser. When he stepped out to clear the debris, a shooter positioned on a nearby embankment fired at least three blasts from a 12-gauge shotgun loaded with the type of pellets used for hunting small animals or clay pigeon shooting. The first blast struck his Kevlar vest. Later shots hit his right arm and shattered his elbow. A final volley struck his scalp, forehead, temple, and jaw. Ellis never unlatched his holster. His body was found on the pavement with the branches lying across his legs.3WCPO. Exit 34: The Last Watch of Officer Jason Ellis
A local farmer, Chad Monroe, discovered the scene shortly afterward, finding the cruiser idling near the debris and Ellis unresponsive on the ground. An intoxicated woman who had wandered to the scene used the cruiser’s radio to report the incident at approximately 2:40 a.m.3WCPO. Exit 34: The Last Watch of Officer Jason Ellis
The setup told investigators the killing was premeditated. The branches functioned as a lure, and the shooter had chosen higher ground with a clear line of fire. Then-Chief Rick McCubbin called the limbs the most significant piece of evidence but said other evidence existed that authorities were not disclosing publicly.2WDRB. Officer Ellis Murder Investigation Turns to Trimmed Trees
Who Jason Ellis Was
Jason Scott Ellis was born on September 22, 1979, in Batavia, Ohio. He was a college baseball standout who spent time as a minor league player in the Cincinnati Reds organization before going into law enforcement. He joined the Bardstown Police Department in 2006 and served for seven years.4City of Bardstown. In Memory of Jason Ellis
Inside a small department, he stood out quickly. He received Governor’s Awards for Impaired Driving Enforcement in 2007 and 2008, was named Officer of the Year in 2008, and that same year became the department’s only canine officer, partnering with a German Shepherd named Figo for narcotics work.5Kentucky Law Enforcement Memorial. Police Officer Jason S. Ellis He coached youth baseball. He was survived by his wife, Amy, and their two sons, Hunter and Parker.3WCPO. Exit 34: The Last Watch of Officer Jason Ellis Hundreds lined the procession route at his funeral on May 30, 2013.
Where the Investigation Stands
The Kentucky State Police leads the investigation, with the FBI’s Louisville Field Office involved. In January 2023, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron appointed Hardin County Commonwealth Attorney Shane Young as special prosecutor to oversee the Ellis case along with the Crystal Rogers and Tommy Ballard cases, with the stated aim of clarifying “lines of authority” and streamlining the effort.6LEX 18. Special Prosecutor Investigating Jason Ellis, Crystal Rogers and Tommy Ballard’s Deaths
One early thread involved Joseph William Hamilton, whom Ellis had arrested for disorderly conduct roughly two hours before the shooting. While being restrained at Flaget Memorial Hospital, Hamilton had threatened to “haunt” and “kill” the officer. No public reporting indicates Hamilton was ever charged in connection with the murder.3WCPO. Exit 34: The Last Watch of Officer Jason Ellis
McCubbin has said the passage of time weighs on the case. “There’s always a little bit of that fear factor that each year that’s added on, we get further away from the resolution,” he told reporters in 2022.7WLKY. Jason Ellis 9 Years Bardstown
The reward for information remains substantial. As of May 2023, the Bardstown Police Department announced a total reward of $217,000,8Fox 56. A Decade of No Answers: Who Killed Bardstown Officer Jason Ellis and the FBI separately maintains a standing offer of up to $50,000.9FBI. Jason Ellis – Seeking Information Anyone with information can call 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip at tips.fbi.gov.1WAVE 3 News. Monday Marks 13 Years Since Unsolved Death of Bardstown Police Officer Jason Ellis
Is the Ellis Murder Linked to Bardstown’s Other Cases
The Ellis killing was the first in a string of violent, unsolved crimes that drew national attention to Bardstown. Crystal Rogers, a young mother, disappeared on July 3, 2015; her car was found the next day on the Bluegrass Parkway. Her father, Tommy Ballard, was shot and killed on November 19, 2016, while preparing for a hunting trip on family property near the parkway.10FBI. Tommy Ballard – Seeking Information
Nelson County Sheriff Ramon Pineiroa has publicly said there are “a lot of similarities” between the Ellis, Rogers, and Ballard cases but acknowledged they are not “officially linked.” Special prosecutor Young rebuked the sheriff over those statements, saying Pineiroa had not been involved in the investigations since January 2023, was not included in case meetings, and “has no idea what he is talking about.”11WLKY. Crystal Rogers, Jason Ellis, Houck, Ballard – Bardstown, Kentucky
The clearest investigative link so far is between the Rogers and Ballard cases: Young has alleged that the rifle used to kill Ballard was purchased from former Bardstown officer Nick Houck under a fake name and matched the caliber believed used in the shooting.12Fox 56. Could the Crystal Rogers Breakthrough Spark Momentum in These Bardstown Cold Cases Brooks Houck, Rogers’ boyfriend, was convicted of her murder in July 2025 and sentenced to life in prison. Two other men, Steven and Joseph Lawson, were convicted in connection with her death and sentenced to 17 and 25 years.13WDRB. Nick Houck Charged With Perjury
The link to the Ellis murder is thinner. During the Rogers trial, prosecutors hinted that evidence tied to the Ellis investigation could be introduced but never presented it. After the Rogers convictions, a member of the Ellis family said they prayed the “dominoes continue to fall.”12Fox 56. Could the Crystal Rogers Breakthrough Spark Momentum in These Bardstown Cold Cases A separate 2014 double homicide in nearby Botland, in which Kathy and Samantha Netherland were killed inside their home, has often been discussed alongside the Bardstown cases, but the Netherland family has said it has no reason to believe those killings are connected to the others.14WAVE 3 News. Decade After Gruesome Bardstown Deaths, Family Gives New Details in Netherland Case
Amy Ellis Brown Keeps Pushing
Ellis’s widow, Amy Ellis Brown, has been the most persistent public voice for answers, marking anniversaries with interviews about who her husband was rather than only how he died. On the tenth anniversary in 2023, she said, “I lost everything. My future, my hopes, my dreams — everything we had planned.” She added, “I have not given up hope. I fully believe in God’s timing, and for whatever reason, I don’t know why, we haven’t been given that closure yet.”15WLKY. Officer Death Jason Ellis 10-Year Anniversary Widow
Bardstown Police Chief Kim Kraeszig has said of Ellis, “Jason is Bardstown police. He will always be Bardstown police.”15WLKY. Officer Death Jason Ellis 10-Year Anniversary Widow The case file remains open with the Kentucky State Police and the FBI.