CHAPLIN, Ky. (WHAS11) -- Reliving those moments...
“My body went numb as my mind was unable to process the news that my worst nightmare had come true,” Amy Ellis, Officer Jason Ellis’ widow, remembered.
Her memories are still vivid and raw even after five years.
“I had to start planning my 33-year-old husband's funeral while coming to grips that all of our hopes and dreams had been taken from me,” she said.
The sound of taps rang through the Highview Cemetery just as it had five years ago when Bardstown Officer Jason Ellis was shot and killed on his way home from work.
"We lost an amazing man. It's still unsolved. It's been five years. It's kind of a milestone,” Amy said.
There are vows to never stop searching for his killer and to never forget the fallen hero.
“Amy, I can tell you as long as I'm the chief here in Bardstown...I can assure you that Jason's memory will be kept alive,” said Chief Kim Kraeszig, Bardstown Police Department.
Friends, strangers and family, including Officer Ellis' two sons, gathered at his grave site to lay a wreath of remembrance
The wreath is an addition to the other keepsakes that tell the story of who Officer Ellis was: a father, a husband, a brother and a friend. A man who proudly served his community.
“It is important to all of us who loved him, that he is remembered. Not just as an officer who was killed in the line of duty, that he is remembered for the life he lived and the way he served others,” Amy said.
Kentucky State Police are investigating this case. They’re offering a $216,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.