$10K reward offered for escaped Ohio prisoner in Kentucky

MASON COUNTY, Ky. (FOX 56) — A $10,000 reward is up for grabs as multiple Kentucky agencies are still searching for Jerry Cooper after he escaped from the Brown County Adult Detention Center in Ohio on Sept. 16.

On Saturday, deputies with the Mason County Sheriff’s Office posted a video update on Facebook saying that they hadn’t stopped searching for Cooper since he was spotted near the woods near the Dover community.

Related:

• Multiple Kentucky, federal agencies continue extensive search for Ohio inmate: ‘This is where he grew up’
• Dangerous Ohio inmate believed to be contained in northern Ky. woods amid search
• Ohio inmate on the loose in Kentucky was accused in failed murder-for-hire scheme
• Ohio escapees flee to Kentucky, search intensifies in Maysville

On Monday, FBI Louisville announced a $10,000 reward to assist the Mason County Sheriff’s Office in locating Cooper.

Officials warned the public not to approach Cooper, who was reported to be armed and dangerous.

On Friday, Sept. 19, Mason County deputies wrote on Facebook that Cooper was believed to be contained in the woods near Tuckahoe Road and Lee’s Creek Road.

Officials said the search area covers over 1,200 acres of dense woodland, with the US Marshals Service, FBI, Kentucky State Police (KSP), and various other agencies.

“This is where he grew up, ” Mason County deputies said. “He knows every inch of this property, and there are several areas he’s able to hide in.”

Court documents show that Cooper was booked on charges including attempted murder, felonious assault, conspiracy, tampering with physical evidence, and having weapons under disability.

He was indicted by a grand jury in May and was set to go to trial in June 2026.

The indictment states that the case dates back to Jan. 15, when Cooper was allegedly recruited to kill a man named Kelly Applegate.

Tips can be sent to the Mason County Sheriff’s Office at (606) 564-3309 or submitted online at tips.fbi.gov.