Kaufman Police Chief Chris Aulbaugh met with reporters today, February 1, 2013, at the Kaufman County Law Enforcement Center, to supply updates into the shooting death of Kaufman County Assistant DA Mark Hasse. Hasse was gunned down by one or more assailants yesterday morning in the Courthouse Annex parking lot. His killers are still on the loose.
Kaufman Police Chief Chris Aulbaugh met with reporters today, February 1, 2013, at the Kaufman County Law Enforcement Center, to supply updates into the shooting death of Kaufman County Assistant DA Mark Hasse. Hasse was gunned down by one or more assailants yesterday morning in the Courthouse Annex parking lot. His killers are still on the loose.
Chief Aulbaugh said that there have been, “no significant advancements in the case to determine who was responsible.” He reiterated that the suspect vehicle is still at large and is described as an older model 4-door sedan, possibly a Ford Taurus, silver or dark gray in color. The suspects are of an unknown race and were wearing black hoodies, and possibly masks covering their faces. Numerous witnesses observed different angles of the event and it is still unclear to investigators whether Hasse was shot by a lone suspect or two suspects.
The Chief would not confirm whether Hasse was carrying his handgun at the time of the attack, and they declined to release details of how many times he was shot. The crime scene has been processed and ballistics tests will be done on shell casings left at the scene. Authorities will not confirm a weapon type other than to say it was a gun or guns.
Kaufman County Assistant DA Hasse knew his life was in danger
Despite credible sources that have confirmed for inForney.com that Mark Hasse felt that his life was in danger from a man with connections to the Aryan Brotherhood, Chief Albaugh maintains that they have no indication yet that Hasse was in fear for his life. The Chief did said, “I will tell you that we are not ruling out any involvement until we know.”
The Chief indicated that investigators are working to see if Hasse had any cases involving the Aryan Brotherhood or cases of individuals with connections to the AB. Yesterday the Department of Justice issued a press release regarding two Aryan Brothers who were convicted on numerous felony charges. They credited the Kaufman County DA's Office with assisting them. Mark Hasse worked on that case. Because Hasse was a Felony Prosecutor, he prosecuted many murder and drug cases, any of which could have made him a target.
Hasse was not provided armed protection at the time of the shooting and there is no indication that he ever asked for protection. Hasse told others that he took precautions for his safety, including not parking near two-story buildings, and always carrying his handgun with him. Kaufman County Sheriff David Byrnes has now provided armed security for court employees. The deputies and officers escorted employees from the Annex parking lot to the KC Courthouse today. Byrnes said, “We will continue that for sometime, until everybody gets back to normal.”
The Sheriff does not believe there is any “grand conspiracy” against Kaufman County employees and said, “What it looks like today, two days from now it might not look the same.” Kaufman County DA Mike McLelland told reporters that the DA's office will be, “back in business in a few days.” He would not give a re-opening date for the office and said, “We are trying to deal with what happened.” Authorities did say that they will be reviewing any and all videos they can find, including store videos and dash camera videos from local law enforcement, in an effort to spot the suspects or their vehicle from yesterday.
The reward amount has grown to over $71,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the murder of DA Hasse. The reward is through the Kaufman County Crime Stoppers program, and tips can be left at 1-877-847-7522. The Dallas County DA's Office contributed $30,000 to the reward. If you would like to donate to the reward amount, you can stop by any American National Bank Branch and make a donation to the Mark Hasse Reward Fund. You can also send donations to the Kaufman County Crime Stoppers at PO Box 849, Kaufman, Tx. 75142.
