Twelve years. It’s been a dozen years since the Bluegrass Parkway became a crime scene that essentially broke the heart of a small town. If you’ve spent any time in Nelson County, you know the name. Jason Ellis, a 33-year-old K-9 officer and father of two, didn't just die in the line of duty; he was executed in a way that feels like something out of a dark Hollywood thriller. But this wasn't a movie. It was a Saturday morning in May 2013, and the ripples are still hitting the shore in 2026.
People talk about "closure" like it’s a door you can just shut. Honestly? In Bardstown, that door has been stuck wide open for over a decade. The murder of Jason Ellis remains one of the most chilling unsolved mysteries in American law enforcement, mostly because of the sheer, cold-blooded planning involved.
The Ambush at Exit 34
The details are still hard to stomach. Jason Ellis had just finished a late shift. He was heading home, probably thinking about his wife, Amy, and their two sons. He was driving his marked cruiser. As he hit the off-ramp at Exit 34, he saw a pile of tree limbs blocking the road.
Most people would just drive around. But Jason was a good cop. He got out of his car to clear the debris so the next person wouldn't hit it. That’s when the shots started.
Whoever did this didn't just "happen" to be there. They had set a trap. They knew the route. They knew the timing. Using a 12-gauge shotgun from an embankment overlooking the ramp, they fired multiple times. Jason never even had a chance to unholster his service weapon. He died right there on the pavement, discovered a few minutes later by a passing motorist who used Jason’s own radio to call for help.
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Why the Case is So Different
You’ve gotta realize how rare this is. Usually, when a police officer is killed, there’s a chase, a struggle, or a clear suspect within hours. With Jason Ellis, the trail went cold almost immediately. There were no witnesses. No cameras on that stretch of highway back then. No dashcam in his cruiser.
- The Weapon: A 12-gauge shotgun.
- The Location: Exit 34, Bluegrass Parkway.
- The Tactic: Premeditated ambush using road debris.
Investigators from the Kentucky State Police and the FBI have chased thousands of leads. They’ve looked at everything from local drug rings—Jason was a K-9 officer, after all—to the possibility of "blue on blue" involvement. That last part is the one that really gets the local grapevine humming. Some people in Bardstown are convinced the call came from inside the house, so to speak.
Is it Connected to the Other Bardstown Murders?
You can't talk about Jason Ellis without talking about the "Bardstown Curse." Shortly after his death, the town saw a string of bizarre, violent events. First, the 2014 double murder of Kathy and Samantha Netherland. Then, the 2015 disappearance of Crystal Rogers. And finally, the 2016 murder of Crystal’s father, Tommy Ballard, who was shot by an "unknown" person while hunting.
For years, people treated these as separate tragedies. But lately, the narrative has shifted.
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Basically, the special prosecutor Shane Young, who took over these cases in 2023, has hinted that the threads might be more tangled than we thought. In 2024 and 2025, as the trial for Brooks Houck (charged in Crystal Rogers' death) progressed, court documents finally started mentioning Jason Ellis again. There’s a belief that whatever corruption or criminal element led to Crystal’s disappearance might have had a hand in what happened at Exit 34.
The Nick Houck Connection
One name that pops up constantly is Nick Houck. He was a fellow officer on the Bardstown force at the time of Jason’s murder. He’s also the brother of Brooks Houck. Nick was eventually fired from the department for interfering in the investigation into his brother’s missing girlfriend.
While Nick has never been charged in connection to Jason Ellis, the community hasn't exactly been quiet about their suspicions. It’s a messy, uncomfortable situation that has kept the town in a state of perpetual tension for over ten years.
The Legacy of Officer 139
Despite the lack of an arrest, Jason hasn't been forgotten. There’s a memorial highway now. His K-9 partner, Figo, became a symbol of the department's grief; that famous photo of the dog resting his paw on Jason’s casket still makes people tear up.
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But memorials don't pay the bills of justice.
The FBI still has a $50,000 reward on the table. In 2026, the investigation is technically "active," though it feels "cold" to anyone watching from the outside. The hope is that as the Rogers and Ballard cases finally move through the court system, someone—maybe a witness facing their own legal trouble—will finally flip and tell the truth about what happened on that ramp.
What You Can Do
If you're following this case, the best thing is to keep the pressure on. Cold cases stay cold when people stop talking.
- Share the story: Use social media to remind people that the $50,000 reward is still active.
- Tips matter: If you lived in the area in 2013 and saw something—even something "small" like a weird truck parked near the parkway—call 1-800-CALL-FBI.
- Support the family: Organizations like the Officer Jason Ellis Memorial Foundation continue to support the community he loved.
Justice in Bardstown feels like it's moving at a snail's pace. But for the family of Jason Ellis, every day is a reminder of what was taken. The goal isn't just to remember him as a victim, but to finally hold the person who pulled that trigger accountable. We aren't there yet, but for the first time in a decade, it feels like the walls might finally be closing in on the truth.
Stay vigilant and keep an eye on the upcoming trial developments in Nelson County; the testimony there could be the key to unlocking the mystery of Exit 34.