LABETTE COUNTY – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Labette County Sheriff’s Office have been investigating the murders of 39-year-old Jason M. Bakken and 43-year-old Leanda R. Pound, of Mound Valley, Kansas, since they were discovered deceased in October of 2022.
Governor Laura Kelly has issued an executive order offering a $5,000 reward to anyone who provides information to investigators that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for the murders.
Bakken and Pound were found by a friend on Oct. 3, 2022, shot and killed in their home at 693 16000 Rd., in Mound Valley. Investigators believe the murders may have occurred up to a month prior to their discovery.
Anyone with information about these crimes, no matter how small the detail might seem, is asked to contact the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME, or the Labette County Sheriff’s Office at 620-795-2565.
Anonymous tips can also be submitted online at https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar. The investigation is ongoing.
Dane Hicks is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and the United States Marine Corps Officer Candidate School at Quantico, VA. He is the author of novels "The Skinning Tree" and "A Whisper For Help." As publisher of the Anderson County Review in Garnett, KS., he is a recipient of the Kansas Press Association's Boyd Community Service Award as well as more than 60 awards for excellence in news, editorial and photography.
