A manhunt is underway in Texas for the shooting death of a Kaufman County prosecutor. Kaufman County Assistant District Attorney, Mark Hasse, was gunned down in broad daylight outside the courthouse on Thursday on his way into work. Hasse was shot several times, but the confrontation is believed to have been very short.
Hasse was one of 13 prosecutors with the Kaufman County District Attorney’s office, each of whom handle anywhere from 380 to 390 cases at any given time. According to a friend of Hasse’s, Colleen Dunbar, Hasse feared for his life and carried a gun with him to and from work every day. He told her he would use a different exit every day because he was fearful for his life. He never told her any specifics as to why he felt threatened, just that he did. Dunbar says she has known Hasse for 31 years and that he has been a lifelong gun owner and firearms lover. She says she is “shocked” by his death.
Dunbar shared Hasse’s statements with authorities who were unaware of the information. Though Kaufman County Sherriff’s Department Deputy, Rodney Evans, said they have 50 people taking phone calls, so it is likely that people are sharing information he does not know about.
On Friday, investigators began reviewing Hasse’s caseload for possible clues about what led to his killing. They had received numerous tips and were following up on all of them; however, they had not made any significant advances in the case. Investigators are also looking into whether Hasse’s murder could have been retribution for any of the prosecutions he led.
Police believe the crime could have been committed by one or two people. Unfortunately, the perpetrators hid their faces, so there are few descriptive details. They do believe they are looking for a gray or silver older modeled sedan.
Donors in the area have raised $64,500 to be used as reward money. The reward has continued to grow; and the police chief has encouraged more donations in the hopes that the growing reward will lead to more information.
The Texas Rangers, the FBI, and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have also joined in the manhunt.
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