Escaped Ohio inmate arrested in Louisville after 7-day manhunt
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- FBI arrested fugitive Jerry Cooper in Louisville after week-long Kentucky manhunt.
- Cooper escaped Ohio jail with Roy Butler; both traveled by stolen boat to Kentucky.
- Two accomplices face charges; Cooper held in federal custody pending further trial.
An inmate who escaped from a jail in Ohio and had been on the run in Kentucky for about a week was captured Monday by the FBI.
Jerry Cooper, 48, was arrested in Louisville after a seven-day manhunt involving several local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. The Mason County Sheriff’s Office said they think Cooper remained in Mason County after escaping until he was picked up by two people on Monday and taken to Louisville.
Authorities found Cooper in Louisville and apprehended him, according to the sheriff’s office. He is charged with escape in Brown County Municipal Court in Ohio and flight to avoid prosecution in federal court, according to court records.
“The Brown County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Mason County Sheriff’s Office, Kentucky State Police, Maysville Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service, FBI, and all of the other agencies that have helped with this manhunt over the past week,” the Brown County Sheriff’s Office in Ohio said in a Facebook post. “Most of all we would like to thank the citizens for all of the tips and assistance during this escape.”
The two people accused of helping Cooper escape, Marlana and William Strausbaugh, of Mason County, are charged with second-degree hindering prosecution or apprehension and second-degree complicity to escape. They could also face federal charges, the sheriff’s office said.
Cooper and Roy Butler, 51, escaped from the Brown County Adult Detention Center in Georgetown, Ohio between 10:30 and 11:30 p.m. Sept. 15, according to the Brown County Sheriff’s Office. Cooper was being held on charges of attempted murder, felonious assault and having weapons under disability while awaiting trial for his alleged role in a murder-for-hire scheme, according to the FBI.
Butler was being held on charges of trafficking in drugs and having weapons under disability. He was located shortly after the escape in Mason County, but the search for Cooper continued for days.
The FBI said Cooper and Butler broke a security window, went to the Ohio River, stole a boat and traveled to Dover in Mason County. The two split up about a mile from the Dover Volunteer Fire Department and Cooper began traveling east, court documents say.
Authorities focused their search in an area of hunting land spanning more than 1,200 acres, an area where Cooper grew up. At one point, authorities believed they had Cooper contained in a large wooded area between Tuckahoe Road and Lee’s Creek Road.
On Monday, Cooper used a masked phone number to call his sister. Court documents say the number belonged to Marlana Strausbaugh, and she was detained by the Mason County Sheriff’s Office around 3:30 p.m. that day during a traffic stop.
Marlana Strausbaugh told authorities she picked up Cooper near her house on Mason Lewis Road earlier Monday and drove him to a residence on Carmil Drive in Louisville, according to court documents.
Marlana Strausbaugh provided Cooper food, and he used her phone to make a series of calls, including a call to his sister to ask for $25 in gas money.
Authorities watched the residence on Carmil Drive and spotted Cooper leave and return to the home around 6:30 p.m., according to court documents. He was arrested on Fegenbush Lane, which is about one mile away from the home on Carmil Drive.
The FBI offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to Cooper’s arrest. He was believed to be armed with a rifle and considered dangerous.
Cooper is now being held in federal custody at the Oldham County Detention Center, according to jail records.
Cooper’s attempted murder charge stems from a February shooting on Hickory Street in Aberdeen, Ohio. Court documents say Cooper worked with Michael Fite and George Kendall to try to kill Kelly Applegate.
Kendall recruited Cooper and Fite to kill Applegate because he was dating his ex-wife, according to court documents. Kendall offered them $150 to carry out the shooting.
Cooper allegedly rang the doorbell at Applegate’s home and shot him in the chest when he answered, according to court documents. He then fled in the vehicle driven by Fite back to Maysville.
Cooper and/or Fite communicated with Kendall after the shooting occurred. Kendall is accused of paying Cooper and Fite to carry out the shooting.
Cooper was arrested April 2 in Mason County for the attempted murder charge out. He was extradited to Ohio seven days later.
Cooper also has a criminal history in Kentucky, including theft, burglary and drug offenses. He previously pleaded guilty to second-degree escape in Fayette County in 2003.
This story was originally published September 23, 2025 at 10:46 AM.
