LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- It's been 12 years since Bardstown Police Officer Jason Ellis was killed while driving home from work.
Ellis was honored Sunday exactly a dozen years after his death in Nelson County. He was on his way home from a shift in 2013 when he was ambushed, shot and killed near the Bluegrass Parkway.
The time between his death and now represents 12 years of missed milestones and no answers or justice for his family.

Amy Ellis Brown, the widow of Jason Ellis, speaks at a memorial service for the fallen Bardstown Police officer in Bardstown, Kentucky on May 25, 2025. (WDRB Media photo)
"It's a more emotional year," " said Amy Ellis Brown, Ellis' widow. "I feel like for me, every milestone that we experience that Jason's not here for, it's hard. He truly loved what he did and truly wanted to protect and serve."
His sons, Parker and Hunter, were only 6 and 7 years old when Ellis was killed. They'll now be graduating high school in a few days. The brothers are left with just stories about their father.
"He was such a good police officer," said Joedy Gilliland, a retired deputy for Nelson County Sheriff's Office. "He was a good person. He had those core values that you would want in a police officer, father and husband. He carried himself in a way that others didn't. He just had that aura about him."Â
His legacy of service was remember at an annual ceremony Sunday held at the Bardstown Police Department.
"It's great to see that people still remember him," said Chris Smith, a Bardstown officer who worked with Ellis. "You always wanted to talk to hangout with because he had an energy to him."
Police still haven't made any arrests in the murder investigation as his family waits for closure. Despite a more than $200,000 reward and hundreds of tips and massive resources, the case remains unsolved.
"We want answers," Ellis Brown said. "We want justice. I am still clinging to the hope that it will be solved. It's comforting to know he's still on other people's minds."
The FBI and Kentucky State Police continue to investigate the case. Anyone with information is urged to call Kentucky State Police Post 4 at 270-766-5078, or email tips to EllisCaseTips@ky.gov.
Anonymous tips can also be submitted to the FBI by CLICKING HERE.
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