© 2024 Louisville Public Media

Public Files:
89.3 WFPL · 90.5 WUOL-FM · 91.9 WFPK

For assistance accessing our public files, please contact info@lpm.org or call 502-814-6500
89.3 WFPL News | 90.5 WUOL Classical 91.9 WFPK Music | KyCIR Investigations
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Stream: News Music Classical

Investigation Continues 1 Year After Murder of Bardstown Police Officer Jason Ellis

Sunday will mark the one-year anniversary of themurder of Bardstown Police officer Jason Ellis—a case that remains unsolved.In the early morning of May 25, 2013, Ellis’ body was found outside his police cruiser on a highway exit ramp in Nelson County.  He was in uniform and on his way home after finishing his shift.Ellis was a K-9 officer with the police department.Trooper Jeff Gregory, of Kentucky State Police, which is investigating the murder, said “by no means” is the case thought to be headed to the cold case files.“Cold case, to us, is when there is no more information coming in and we’ve exhausted all leads and avenues that there are to investigate, or to search through and we are a long way from that point right now and we feel pretty confident that it is not going to get to that stage,” he said.  “We are still in a holding pattern and we are still checking on different things.”KSP has a full time investigator assigned to the case, Gregory said, and the agency has had unprecedented support from other police departments and the community.He said support has flooded in from the municipal level all the way to the federal level, including the FBI and Secret Service.“It’s been a great team effort,” he said.Gregory said there are no new updates to the case to report, at this time, but he feels confident there will be a positive conclusion.The Bardstown Police Department, along with a private Louisville donor, are partnering to offer more than $200,000 as a reward for any informationEllis is a native of Cincinnati and was a baseball standout at the University of the Cumberlands in Willamsburg, Ky.  He played in the Cincinnati Reds minor-league system for three years before moving Bardstown with his wife.  He had two young sons.

Jacob Ryan is the managing editor of the Kentucky Center for Investigative reporting. He's an award-winning investigative reporter who joined LPM in 2014. Email Jacob at jryan@lpm.org.