The Jason Ellis case: an officer stopped to clear branches, and it was a trap.
On May 25, 2013, Bardstown police K-9 officer Jason Ellis, driving home after his shift, stopped at Exit 34 of the Bluegrass Parkway to clear branches from the road. He was shot several times and died. No one has been charged.
Case file at a glance
The FBI describes it as a murder and offers a reward of up to $50,000. Reports say the branches were a trap and the shooter used a 12-gauge shotgun. Thirteen years later there is no named suspect and no stated motive.
- An ambush.He had signed off the radio and was driving home when he found branches blocking the road at Exit 34. He got out to clear them.
- Shot several times.He was shot several times and died shortly after. A passing motorist found him. The coroner said a 12-gauge shotgun was used, per WDRB.
- No named suspect.The FBI's page names none. The Bardstown police chief and family spoke at a memorial on May 25, 2026.
- Reward.The FBI offers up to $50,000. A 2023 report put the total of rewards at nearly $250,000.
Editorial assessment of public sources, not a finding of fact. Nobody named here has been charged unless this page says so.
What happened
Details come from the FBI's Seeking Information page, a WAVE report of May 25, 2026, and a 2018 InsideHook feature.
The stop
Officer Jason Ellis signs off on the radio after his shift and drives home. At Exit 34 of the Bluegrass Parkway in Bardstown he finds branches blocking the road and gets out to clear them.
The shooting
He is shot several times and dies shortly after. A passing motorist finds him. The coroner later says he was ambushed with a 12-gauge shotgun, per WDRB.
FBI reward
The FBI announces a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of those responsible.
Stalled
InsideHook describes the case as stalled. Kentucky State Police bring in two retired investigators and a $200,000 reward is reported.
Ten years
LEX18 reports the case unsolved after ten years, with the reward total near $250,000. We saw that figure in search results only.
Thirteen years
Bardstown holds a memorial outside the police department. The chief praises his work and the FBI tip line is repeated.
Victims
A seven-year Bardstown officer, K-9 handler and youth baseball coach.
Photo: FBI Seeking Information page. The photo's original owner is not stated; shown at the site owner's direction. Contact us to have it removed.
DiedOfficer Jason Ellis
A Bardstown police K-9 handler and patrol officer, heavily involved in the community including coaching youth baseball, per the FBI. He was a former college baseball player and won Officer of the Year in 2008, per InsideHook.
We found no freely licensed photo, so a silhouette is shown. Family members or others who want a photo added, changed, or removed can use the contact form at the bottom of this page.
Evidence
What exists, and what each piece may or may not mean.
| Item | What is known | Disputed or unknown |
|---|---|---|
| The trap | Branches blocked the road at Exit 34 of the Bluegrass Parkway. | Who placed them and when: not public. |
| The weapon | The coroner said a 12-gauge shotgun, per WDRB. | Whether the shotgun was recovered: not public. |
| The scene | Found by a passing motorist. | Forensic findings: not public. |
| Motive | Not stated by the FBI. | Whether it was targeted at him or at any officer: unknown. |
Public documents
The FBI page and local news are the public record.
| Document | Holder | What it shows | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| FBI: Jason Ellis | FBI | Reward, circumstances, tip line. | Online, free |
| WAVE: 13 years since the murder | WAVE / WDRB | May 2026 memorial. | Online, free |
| Case file | FBI; Kentucky State Police | The investigation. | Withheld or sealed |
Access labels: Online, free = we could open it. Fan-hosted copy = a private researcher posted scans; originals are held by the named agency, and we cannot vouch for completeness. Quoted in news = reporters read it; we did not see the document itself. Request needed = held by an agency or court. Withheld = the holder has not released it. We cannot reach non-public records, and we do not try to.
Online discussion (unverified)
Where people talk about this case online, and how to read it.
| Platform | Live search | What you tend to find |
|---|---|---|
| Google: Reddit | site:reddit.com search | Public Reddit threads that Google has indexed, including old discussions. |
| Google: X and Twitter | X and Twitter posts | Public posts and profiles that appear in search results. |
| Google: Facebook | Public Facebook pages and posts | Only public pages and groups that Google can see. Private groups never appear. |
| Google: Instagram and TikTok | Instagram and TikTok | Public posts, memorials, and videos. |
| Google: forums | Forums and message boards | Long-running true-crime forums. |
| Google News | Latest news | Newest reporting, which is usually more reliable than posts. |
| Search Reddit | Long discussion threads and theories, often by amateur researchers. No sign-in needed to read. | |
| X (Twitter) | Search X | Short posts, news links, and anniversary notes. May require sign-in. |
| Search Facebook | Public groups and family or community pages. Requires sign-in. | |
| Search #jasonellis | Memorial and true-crime posts. Requires sign-in. | |
| YouTube | Search YouTube | Documentaries, news clips, and interviews. Quality varies widely. |
Be careful with online theories. Naming a private person as a suspect can harm an innocent family, and many "identifications" on forums have been wrong. Our own tools could not read these platforms: Reddit blocks automated access, and the others require an account. The Google searches above work from your browser. To get new public mentions by email, make a free Google Alert for the case name in quotation marks.
Coverage timeline and verification
What local and national reports say, and when we last checked for a solution.
| Date | Outlet | What it reported | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current | |||
| FBI | |||
| Reward up to $50,000. | |||
| Read | |||
| May 25, 2026 | |||
| WAVE / WDRB | |||
| Thirteen-year memorial; no new lead. | |||
| Read |
Status is re-checked on a regular schedule. If you know of a development we missed, use the clue form near the top of this page or the contact form, and include a link.
Suspects
There is no publicly named suspect.
The shooter or shooters
Why named: Someone placed branches across the road and ambushed an officer who stopped.
Against: No names, descriptions or vehicles have been released.
A person who claimed responsibility in 2013
Why named: A search-result summary says a local person claimed it and police dismissed the claim.
Against: We could not find the original report. No charge.
Where a card shows a silhouette, we found no photo. Anyone who wants a photo added, changed, or removed can use the contact form at the bottom of this page.
Latest lead: thirteen years on, still no public suspect
The newest public item is the May 2026 memorial, which gives no new lead.
What is known
- The FBI and Kentucky State Police continue to investigate, per WDRB in 2025.
- The FBI's reward is up to $50,000.
- The May 2026 memorial gave no new leads.
What would settle it
- Re-test the scene evidence for DNA, including the branches and shotgun shell remnants.
- Check travel and phone records near Exit 34 on that night.
- Review any link to other unsolved violence in Nelson County.
A planned ambush of an officer on a lonely road
We put the chance that the ambush was planned at roughly 90%, because branches blocked the road and he was shot several times. We put the chance of a solution within five years at roughly 8%.
Editorial judgment, not statistics.
Elimination matrix
"—" means no public information, not a clean result.
| Person or idea | At the scene | Physical link | Legal outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| The shooter (unidentified) | ✓ inferred | — none published | — unidentified |
| 2013 claimant (unverified) | ? claim dismissed | — | — none |
| Random roadside attacker | ✗ branches were a trap | — | — |
✗ excluded or contradicted · ✓ supports · ? disputed · — nothing public. No cell is an official finding.
Our hypothesis
Editorial reading of public records. A working theory, not a finding, and it names no individual.
A deliberate trap set on the parkway exit
- The road was staged. Branches blocked the lane at an exit.
- The victim was an officer. Whether he was the target or any officer was: unknown.
- The weapon was a shotgun. At close range.
- No one has come forward. Thirteen years of silence suggests few people know.
Judgment, not statistics.
Missing links
Questions raised by gaps in the public record.
1. The branches
Where they came from and who handled them.
2. The shotgun
Whether the gun or shells were found.
3. The timing
How the shooter knew he would pass.
4. The target
Whether he was targeted or any officer.
5. Phone and plate data
Traffic and tower data near Exit 34.
6. Informants
What the FBI has learned since 2013.
Evidence gaps
"Not public" means we could not find a report.
| Item | Tested | Gap |
|---|---|---|
| Scene evidence | Collected by Kentucky State Police. | Results: not public. |
| Shotgun evidence | Coroner identified the gauge. | Recovery: not public. |
| Case file | Held by the FBI and Kentucky State Police. | Public index: not available. |
Forensic tech
| Tool | What it could do | Status here |
|---|---|---|
| DNA from retained evidence | Identify a donor or exclude people. | Unknown; not reported |
| Forensic genetic genealogy | Identify an unknown donor from relatives. | Needs usable DNA; none reported |
| Ballistics database (NIBIN) | Link recovered casings or bullets to other crimes. | Not reported |
Solved cases
Local cases that moved after decades.
Carol Sue Klaber (Boone County, KY, 1976)
Investigators say a private genealogy investigation helped them identify Thomas Dunaway, who died in 1990, as the man who killed the 16-year-old. He cannot be indicted, so prosecutors sent a letter saying he would have been charged. The lesson: genealogy can name a killer after decades, even when no trial is possible.
Forensic genetic genealogy training
In 2024, local investigators were being trained in the technique, which has already helped solve Cincinnati-area cases, according to FOX19. The lesson: the tool is now local, so cases with usable DNA have a real path forward.
Golden State Killer
Old crime-scene DNA matched relatives in a public database and led to a 2018 arrest. The lesson: a usable sample can still work after decades.
Case details come from public news coverage and the Boone County Sheriff's cold-case list. Confirm in court records.
False leads
| Claim | Source and date | Where it stands |
|---|---|---|
| A gang member did it | Reported 2013 claim | Police dismissed it, per search-result summaries. |
| Linked to the Crystal Rogers case | Online theories | The Netherland family said there is no evidence linking the Nelson County cases. Treat as unproven. |
| Reward total | Various | FBI: $50,000. Local totals reported from $200,000 to nearly $250,000. |
Where
He was shot at Exit 34 of the Bluegrass Parkway near Bardstown, Nelson County, Kentucky.
Open in maps: Exit 34, Bluegrass Parkway, Bardstown. We show no photograph of the scene.
Source ratings
| Source | Type | Rating | Use with care because |
|---|---|---|---|
| FBI Seeking Information page | Federal agency | A | Brief. States the reward and circumstances. |
| WAVE / WDRB, May 25, 2026 | Local news | B+ | Memorial report. No new lead. |
| InsideHook, Jan 2018 | Magazine feature | B | Detailed, secondary. |
| LEX18 2023; WDRB coroner | Local news | B | Seen in search results; not opened. |
Records
FBI Louisville Field Office
Tip line 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov.
Kentucky State Police
Assisting agency.
Bardstown Police Department
His department.
Sample public-records request
Under the Kentucky Open Records Act, I request copies of non-exempt records relating to the May 25, 2013 homicide of Bardstown police officer Jason Ellis on the Bluegrass Parkway, including incident reports, laboratory reports, and any evidence inventory. Please send electronic copies. If any part is withheld, please identify the exemption relied on and release all reasonably segregable material.
Agencies often withhold records of open investigations, so expect partial answers.
Remembering the victims
Jason was a husband, a father, and a youth baseball coach.
News & databases
In the news
Loading headlines…
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Where they disagree, we say so above.
- Jason Ellis, FBI Seeking Information (date, place, reward, details, tip line).
- Monday marks 13 years since the murder of Bardstown Police Officer Jason Ellis, WAVE / WDRB, May 25, 2026.
- The Bardstown murders: nightmare in Nelson County, InsideHook, Jan 2018.
The 12-gauge shotgun, the 2013 gang-member claim, the $200,000 and nearly $250,000 reward totals, and the 2025 investigation status come from search-result summaries or a secondary source. The FBI figure is $50,000.
Change log
- Oct 8, 2026: File published.