By KARI BLURTON
Hays Post

Jason S. Force, 36, made his first appearance in Ellis County Court at 11 a.m. Friday before District Judge Glenn Braun.

According to a complaint filed by Assistant Attorney General Nicole Romine, Force is accused of murder in the first degree and abuse of the child after allegedly shaking a child under 18 years of age in incidents that occurred “on or about” Aug. 3, 2012. The child was born in April 2012, according to court documents.

No other details of either charge were released in the complaint.

Force was arrested Thursday night shortly before 10 p.m. near Quinter by the Gove County Sheriff’s Department, following a multi-county search that included Hays.

Braun set bond at $1 million  and informed Force a preliminary hearing will be scheduled after Force obtains a lawyer.

 

———————

WAKEENEY — A 36-year-old man is being held in the Trego County jail after his arrest Thursday on suspicion of first-degree murder.

The Kansas Attorney General’s Office said Jason Scott Force, Oakley, reportedly was arrested by the Gove County Sheriff’s Office in Quinter at approximately 10 p.m. Thursday after a manhunt that included patrols on the north side of Hays. No details on the incident leading to the arrest have been made available. Pending charges also include felony child abuse.

Ellis County Sheriff Ed Harbin told Hays Post local law enforcement received a call at approximately 3:30 p.m. from Gove County officials on an attempt to locate the suspect, whose cellphone reportedly was “pinged” off a tower north of Catharine. Later, the phone pinged near Walmart, where a pickup registered to the suspect reportedly was located.

The Hays search was called off after yet another cellphone ping, this time west of WaKeeney.

A first appearance in court was scheduled this morning. Assistant Kansas Attorney General Nicole Romine reportedly will handle the case.

Harbin said several law enforcement agencies, also including the Hays Police Department and Kansas Highway Patrol, participated in the investigation, calling it a “joint effort” to locate the suspect.