A police officer is gunned down on the highway after his shift In the early morning hours of May 25, 2013, a sense of dread settled over the small town of Bardstown, Kentucky. Jason Ellis, a 33-year-old male police officer with the Bardstown Police Department, was on his way home after finishing his shift. As he took the exit 34 ramp off the Bluegrass Parkway, he encountered a deliberate and sinister trap. Tree branches had been carefully placed in the roadway, a seemingly innocuous obstacle that would prove to be fatal.
Being the dedicated officer he was, Ellis stopped his marked cruiser to clear the debris, a final act of public service that would cost him his life.
From a nearby hill, shrouded in the darkness, an assailant lay in wait. As Officer Ellis worked to clear the branches, he was ambushed and shot multiple times with a 12-gauge shotgun. The attack was swift and brutal, and he died at the scene. A passing motorist discovered the tragic scene and called for help, but it was too late. Investigators believe the shooting was a premeditated act, designed to lure a law enforcement officer into a vulnerable position.
Despite an intensive and ongoing investigation by Kentucky State Police and the FBI, the murder of Officer Jason Ellis remains unsolved. There have been no arrests, and no suspects have been publicly identified. The community of Bardstown was shaken to its core by the senseless killing of one of their own, a man described as a dedicated officer, husband, and father to two young sons. The case has left a lasting scar on the town, a painful reminder of a hero's life cut short and a killer who has yet to be brought to justice. A significant reward is being offered for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for his death.
