Services for Jay Ronald Jensen, age 24, who died in Herman March 27, 1992 will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 31 at First Lutheran Church in Blair. Burial will be in the Blair Cemetery. A prayer service was held 7 p.m. Monday at the funeral home.

Jay Ronald Jensen was born February 21, 1968 in Blair to Ronald R. and Gloria Thompson Jensen. He grew up on the family farm west of Blair.

He attended the Word of Life Christian Academy in Irvington for the first two years of high school, then attended Blair High, where he graduated in 1987. He worked for Heartland Sales in Blair for three years and the last year at Green Valley Implement in Fremont.

He is survived by his parents Ronald and Gloria, five brothers, William, Thomas, John, Paul and Philip and his grandmother, Mrs. William C. (Lillie) Jensen, all of Blair and several other family members.

Campbell-Aman Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

#2-Jay Ronald Jensen- Omaha World Herald -29 Mar 1992

Rites Tuesday for Jay Ronald Jensen, 24

World-Herald News Service

Blair, Neb. Funeral services are scheduled for Tuesday for Jay Ronald Jensen of Blair, who was found dead Friday night in Herman City Park. Jensen, 24, died Friday of a gunshot wound, Washington County Sheriff Wayne Flora said. A preliminary investigation revealed the wound was self- inflicted, but the investigation is continuing, he said.

The funeral will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at First Lutheran Church in Blair. A prayer service is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday at Campbell-Aman Funeral Home in Blair.

Jensen was born in Blair and reared on the family farm west of town, said his mother, Gloria Jensen. He attended the Word of Life Christian Academy in Irvington for his first two years of high school, then finished at Blair High School. He graduated in 1987.

"He was a jolly boy," Mrs. Jensen said. "He was lighthearted and joking, and yet he could be serious when he had to do his job. He knew his place."

He had seemed lately to be as happy as usual, Mrs. Jensen said. He bought a lawn mower Friday and had planned to pick it up Saturday, she said. He had plans to move to Fremont later this spring.

Other survivors, all of Blair, include his father, Ronald R. Jensen; brothers, William, Thomas, John, Paul and Philip Jensen; and grandmother, Mrs. William C. Jensen.

#3-Jay Ronald Jensen - Omaha World Herald -29 Mar 1992

JENSEN-Jay R. Age 24 of Blair. Survived by parents, Ronald and Gloria Jensen; grandmother, Mrs. William C. Jensen; 5 brothers, Bill, Paul, Philip, John, and Tom, all of Blair.

SERVICES 10:30 Tues. at First Lutheran Church, Blair. Prayer Service 7 pm Mon. at the Funeral Home.

CAMPBELL-AMAN Funeral Home Blair, Nebraska

#4-OWH Aug 21,1998

Indictment Is Issued In Death

A grand jury charges a Herman man with second-degree murder in a 1992 case once ruled a suicide

BY JIM SMILEY-WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

Blair, Neb. Finally, Jay Jensen will get a little justice, his mother, Gloria, said Thursday from her rural Washington County home.

She was reacting to the indictment of Richard Kuhr, 36. of Herman. Neb.. in the 1992 death of her son. The death originally was ruled a suicide.

A special county grand jury handed up the indictment, charging Kuhr with second-degree murder. The charge carries a sentence of 10 years to life in prison.

Sheriff Terry Horner said Kuhr was arrested about 10 p.m. Wednesday at his Herman home. The arrest occurred without incident, he said. Kuhr worked for the Blair Telephone Co.

Kuhr was to appear today in Washington County District Court for a preliminary hearing.

Authorities declined to discuss the details of the indictment, saying they did not want to jeopardize the case. Jensen's body was found in March 1992 on a road near the city park in Herman. He had been shot twice in the back of the head with a single-action weapon. Horner said that in 1992. investigators failed to collect the victim's clothing, impound his vehicle or perform certain forensic tests.

A Des Moines forensic scientist who reviewed crime scene photographs last summer said the death should be investigated as a homicide.

"For six years they've let people think that he killed himself, when it re- ally was murder." Gloria Jensen said. "We're really happy all this has come about."

County Attorney Ed Talbot said he was satisfied with the indictment, is- sued Wednesday afternoon after eight days of testimony.

"We presented the jury with all the evidence we had." Talbot said. "both the strong points of the case and the weak areas. I think they came up with a fair decision."

Gloria Jensen said the family contacted the FBI after the suicide determination. "But they told us the case was closed until some new evidence turned up."

That new evidence turned up last year.

After a drug raid at Kuhr's Herman home in September, Horner reopened the case, assigning five investigators to the probe. The raid produced two machetes with marijuana residue on them, among other items.

But authorities kept their distance from Kuhr, believing the blond, bearded man whose nickname is "Rat" was connected to Jensen's death. They interviewed nearly 100 people in the months following the drug raid.

Authorities arrested Kuhr in March, charging him with harvesting marijuana and tampering with a witness in the Jensen investigation. The witness tampering charge later was dropped. Ronald Jensen, Jay's father, said in March that the family "never did feel that Jay had committed suicide. (photo) He was a good boy, a hard worker. He always did things right, always got along well with his brothers. Everybody liked him."

Jay, 24, one of six sons in the Jensen family, worked as a service technician for the Green Valley John Deere Dealership in Fremont, Neb., now the Platte Valley Equipment Co. "He worked all his life in (implement) service," Gloria Jensen said.

He was single and lived at his parents' home. She said her son never spent much time around Herman.

Leslie Kephart previously pleaded guilty to threatening a witness who had information regarding Jensen's death. Kephart received a term of probation.

Talbot took the unusual step of asking the District Court to call a county grand jury to hear evidence. Talbot said he did that because of the age of the case.

#5-The Enterprise Aug 27,1998

BY JENNIFER ZAGURSKI, Reporter

I’m so glad Jay is not getting blamed-Victim's mother says she feels vindicated

Gloria Jensen remembers her youngest son, Jay, with a "smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye," not as the depressed 24-year old man authorities initially said took his own life in 1992.

Six years later, Mrs. Jensen said she feels vindicated. New evidence prompted investigators to reopen the case, which led to a grand jury indictment of Richard "Rat" Kuhr for second degree murder in connection with Jay Jensen's death.

Kuhr, 36, who has been held in the Washington County Jail without bail since being arrested a week ago, was scheduled to appear in District Court at 10 a.m. Thursday for an arraignment and bond review.

"I am so glad Jay is no longer getting blamed." Gloria Jensen said. "Now, I don't have to feel guilty as a mother."

Mr. Kuhr and her son were neither friends nor enemies. She said townspeople knew enough about Kuhr to stay away from him, her son included.

"Jay was a homebody. When he went to town it was for parts," she said.

A service technician for John Deere, Jensen liked to fix things, including lawn mowers, motorcycles, and small vehicles.

The day Jensen was murdered he had just bought a lawn mower that he planned to fix up and sell, Mrs. Jensen said.

Two hours after the murder, authorities arrived at the Jensen homes saying their son had shot himself.

"Jay was friends with everyone," Mrs. Jensen said. "It was a double a shock to lose him and then to lose him through the way they said."

(Photo)

She said the family always doubted the police report. Two weeks later, the family took the case to the FBI. The Jensens were told that the FBI could not assist and to wait for any new breaks. The break came much later than the family had hoped. Mrs. Jensen said a 21-year old male witness came forward last October.

The witness was riding his bicycle when he saw the crime, she said.

“I am so glad Jay is no longer getting blamed“-Gloria Jensen, Jay Jensen's mother

The sheriff's office immediately approached the family about reopening the case. "The police said they hated to open new wounds," she said. "but the wounds were never closed."

Her family is grateful for the work in the case. "We've been really proud of the jury, the county attorney, and the police," she said. "It's been handled real professionally."

Since the grand jury proceedings were confidential, the Jensen family has not been able to hear the evidence presented against Kuhr or the details of the last moments of their son's life. She said the entire family plans to attend the trial. "It's time we find out what happened," she said.

Mrs. Jensen hopes that if Kuhr is found guilty he receives the maximum punishment.

"I'm not a mean person and I'm not bitter, but fair is fair," she said, "If he took a life, he has to die," she said. "I don't even think he deserves life in prison." Second-degree murder carries a sentence of 10 years to life in prison.

#6-The Enterprise Feb 11,2000

BY THE ENTERPRISE STAFF

Murder trial continues-Witness says he saw Kuhr shoot Jensen But defense says story inconsistent

The second-degree murder trial of Richard Kuhr continued this week as the prosecution continued to call witnesses. Key testimony included that of Josh Thayer, who testified that he witnessed Kuhr shoot Jay Jensen in. Herman in March 1992.

Other testimony included that of a blood spatter expert who testified that the crime scene was consistent with a homicide. He added there were blood stain indications that Jensen's body might have been rolled over after his death. A Herman woman who claimed she saw Kuhr in the area of the shooting that night also testified.

On Monday afternoon, the district court judge hearing the case. Maurice Redmond, heard Thayer's testimony. There is no jury in the trial: Kuhr waived his right to a jury trial. Thayer's statements reopened the case three years ago after Jensen's death was originally ruled a suicide.

As a 15 year-old living in Herman with his mother and step-father, it was Thayer who originally found Jensen's body laying on the ground next to his car with two bullet wounds to his head. The gun that killed Jensen was one he owned and kept in his car, relatives said. In 1992. Thayer told Washington County Sheriff's Department investigators that he had heard shots that night and found the body. In 1992. Thayer made no indication that he had seen who ended Jensen's life.

Thayer's story change took place in 1997 after a brief stint in the Air Force. He testified that after he returned to Nebraska, he eventually spent some time with a friend named Art Pensyl. Pensyl is the son of the late Guy Pensyl who was one of the investigators who worked the case in 1992. Thayer said he went to Pensyl to talk about difficulties he was having with his girlfriend and the 1992 incident eventually came up. He said it was Pensyl who eventually convinced him to come forward to tell authorities what else he knew about Jay Jensen's death.

He explained the night of the shooting this way: The car driven by Jensen was stopped on the street. Then a Cadillac that he identified as Kuhr's drove up beside it. Kuhr got out of the passenger side door. He said Jensen was in the process of getting out of his vehicle.

"I thought there was going to be a fight because of the way the cars stopped and the doors opened." Thayer said.

He said that Kuhr was very close to Jensen's car and then saw him raise what he could tell was a gun. Thayer said the shots were fired and Jensen fell to the ground, perhaps partially in the car: After this, he said he ran home and told his parents that someone had been shot. He and his step-father then returned to the scene and later called an ambulance.

Thayer gave several reasons why opted to lie to the investigators who originally worked the case in 1992, said the event was a very traumatic event for him and at the time, he wanted to place himself away from the scene. Thayer also said he didn't want to go through the court proceedings he knew would follow if he said he saw someone shoot Jensen. The final reason for his wait, Thayer said, was fear for his life. Two co-workers advised the teen to keep his mouth shut regarding the case and he told of a visit by a person who claimed to be with the state patrol. Thayer said he doesn't believe the man who took him to a desolate location near Missouri Valley, Iowa, was any law enforcement officer.

Kuhr's defense team led by court- appointed attorney Clarence Mock tore into Thayer's testimony. Mock pointed out that Thayer had not been consistent in several of his depositions under oath and has a credibility problem. Thayer admitted he has lied in the past, written bad checks and caused other problems.

The person who actually called 911 that night was a childhood acquaintance of Thayer's named Heath Shelton. He testified on Tuesday morning.

Shelton, who was also 15 years old on the night of the shooting, was at his home, which is close to the park where Jensen died. He said Thayer came to his door yelling that someone had been shot and to call 911. It took a moment for Shelton to believe Thayer because of his reputation for fibbing.

"He (Josh Thayer) did lie quite a bit." Shelton said, "He'd tell stories just to get attention."

In the days and weeks that followed the incident. Shelton said Thayer didn't say much about the shooting or seem nervous about talking about it. He said though Thayer has lied in the past, they were always about small things and this type of story is different. Shelton said he isn't sure whether to believe Thayer or not.

Thayer's mother and then stepfather also testified on Tuesday morning and said they didn't think Thayer was lying about the evening's events. their home was next to a house occupied by Kuhr's half-brother, the late Lee Montanye.

Thayer's mother, Nancy Meier, said her son came into the house that night very excited, so excited he could barely get the words out fast enough that he'd found a body. She said he made no mention of seeing a shooting and didn't seem like he was holding anything back. "He didn't look like he was lying," Meier said, "He just looked very scared."

She admitted her son has a history of fibbing, but that was mainly when he was younger. Thayer's step-father at the time, Jack Coburn, said Thayer didn't mention seeing a shooting that night and didn't know he'd changed his story until he was subpoenaed in 1998, when the case was reopened. Coburn also said Thayer had a history of telling lies, but said most of his fibs were kids' stuff.

"I know of no reason why he’d make this up." Coburn said. Coburn added that he doesn't recall whether the relationship between Thayer and their neighbors changed after the night of the shooting.

Another witness called by the prosecution was Holly Latwaitis, the woman Jensen followed to Herman on the night of his death.

She had gone to Herman for a date with Montanye, Kuhr's half-brother, with whom he lived.

Latwaitis said she passed the Montanye and Kuhr residence, and stopped at the Herman Park. She approached Jensen's car, and they spoke for between five and 10 minutes.

He told her he needed to talk with her, and she said she told him she would talk to him the following day. He gave her a note that he had written the week before, on March 21.

Later, the note was found by the Washington County Sheriff's Department in Montanye's and Kuhr's trash. After Latwaitis spoke with Jensen, he drove the short distance to Montanye's home.

During cross-examination, Mock asked Latwaitis why she wanted immunity for her testimony. Latwaitis answered that she was threatened with charges by the county attorney. The prosecution objected, but Redmond overruled.

Her lawyer, Brad Roth of Lincoln, later said we "understood that she might be charged," but that there had been no specifics given by the county attorney.

The judge granted Latwaitis continuing immunity as had been granted during her testimony before the grand jury in 1998.

Latwaitis then described Jensen's personality and characterized their relationship as romantic. She told the defense that she wanted to be "just friends" with Jensen, whose feelings for her were "more intense." She explained her feelings to him two weeks prior to his death. She said he had seemed disappointed.

Latwaitis told the defense that Jensen carried a gun in his car, but that she did not know if it was loaded.

See TRIAL, page 4

She was then questioned about Thayer's relationship with Montanye and Kuhr. She agreed with Coburn that Thayer frequently came to the home, which she moved into with Montanye and Kuhr in April of 1992. When asked by the prosecution if Thayer "had it out" for Kuhr, she answered no.

Expert witness

On Wednesday, the prosecution called Tom Bevel, a retired Oklahoma City police investigator who is an ex- pert in the field of blood splatter analysis and crime scene investigation. Bevel said blood stains indicate the first, non-fatal shot came from inside the car.

The second shot, which the prosecution is trying to prove was fired by Kuhr, seemed to have been fired from outside the car, Bevel said. He said blood found on Jensen's left leg may indicate that someone had rolled his body over after his death. He said he found the physical evidence more consistent with a homicide com- pared to a suicide. Some of this evidence included the angle at which the bullets entered Jensen's head.

Bevel said in hundreds of suicides he's investigated, it's very rare to see a person shot in the back of the head like Jensen was shot. He said because of the long barrel on Jensen's weapon, he would have had to use his thumb to pull the trigger, as he placed the gun to the back of his head. Finally, Bevel said judging by the angles that the bullets entered Jensen, it's possible the shooter might have been able to shoot between Jensen's car and its opened driver's side door.

On several attempts the prosecution tried to ask Bevel his opinion on whether the revolver could have been placed under Jensen's body after he had been shot. Each time the request was blocked by an objection from Mock.

Bevel also addressed the issue of gunshot residue testing. Though he admitted some police agencies do residue tests, Bevel said the Oklahoma City police do not conduct residue tests because they have proved unreliable. He said this was especially true with small-caliber weapons like the 22 caliber revolver used in Jensen's death.

Other pieces in the state's case against Kuhr included three people who testified about his whereabouts On the night of Jensen's death. Elizabeth Tyler, a resident of rural Herman, said she heard about something going on in Herman over her police scanner. She said it caught her interest so she drove the short distance into town. While in Herman, Tyler claimed that he saw both Kuhr and Montanye, and spoke briefly with Montanye.

When she left the scene of the shooting, she said she met friends at a local restaurant. Tyler said she and two other women then went to Montanye's house. When they got there, she said investigators were already questioning the people in the house. Tyler said soon after arriving, they were asked by deputies to leave.

In cross examination, Mock asked Tyler about who else she saw that night and what Kuhr was wearing. He said she couldn't remember exactly who else she saw in Herman that night and could only describe the clothes worn by Kuhr as jeans, a shirt and a coat.

After excusing Tyler, the state called Keith Paar, who also is a resident of rural Herman. Paar testified that Kuhr stopped by his home that evening and asked to listen to his police scanner. He said it wasn't uncommon for Kuhr to stop by the Paar residence and he sometimes ate dinner with Paar and his future wife, Mary, who lived with him at the time.

Paar testified that it was later in the evening when Kuhr paid his visit, but Mock pointed out that in his grand jury testimony. Paar had claimed he was mowing the lawn. Mock questioned how lake it was if he was mowing his lawn, but Paar said he meant he was doing something outside when Kuhr arrived, not necessarily cutting the grass.

There was also confusion whether Paar actually had a police scanner in March 1992. Mock read from Paar's grand jury testimony where he stated that he wasn't completely sure whether he had bought the scanner yet. Mary Paar was working at the restaurant that Elizabeth Tyler stopped at the night of Jensen's death. She Ear testified that she later accompanied Tyler to Montanye's home and left with Tyler soon after arriving. Mrs. Paar said it wasn't late when she returned home to find Kuhr at her house and she confirmed that there was a police scanner there at the time.

In her testimony, Mrs. Paar disputed Kuhr's claim in his grand jury testimony that he was at her house for a dinner party "He wasn't there for a dinner party." Paar said, "Keith can't cook."

She described Kuhr's demeanor as nervous, but said that was usual for him.

Other Witnesses

Dr. Jerry Wilson Jones, a forensic pathologist who performed the autopsy on Jensen's body, was also called to testify.

The prosecution began by having Jensen explain gunshot wounds. He then characterized Jensen's wounds as near-contact wounds, which indicates the shots had been fired under an inch away from Jensen's head. Jones was not able to determine the position of Jensen's head at the time was shot.

Questions arose about the absence "blow back" blood on Jensen's hands and on the gun, and the order of shots.

When asked his opinion on the shooting. Jones said a "two shot suicide is very uncommon." and that he had never had such a case in the nearly 2000 gunshot wound autopsies he has performed.

The defense then cross-examined Jones, presenting a demonstration of possible positions Jensen could have been in when shot, in an attempt to show that someone outside of the car could not have shot Jensen at the angle Jones indicated in his autopsy report.

The prosecution then made a demonstration of the positions that someone outside the car could have shot Jensen in if he were attempting to get out of his car.

Jones testified that, in his opinion, the first shot could have been fired while Jensen was still in the car and the second shot could have been fired as he was getting out of the car.

After Jones' testimony the state called ballistics expert Sgt. Mark Bohaty with the Nebraska State Patrol if firearms and toolmark examinations section.

Bohaty explained the type of weapon and bullets thought to be used in the shooting.

He said his results on the bullet recovered from Jensen's left temple were "inconclusive," but that "there were some similarities" to other bullets shot from Jensen's gun.

The state then called Lyle Bohannon of Herman, who lives close to the park. Bohannon and a visiting friend, Ed Schwegler, had heard a shot the night of Jensen's death, and had later gone to the scene after rescue and sheriff personnel had arrived. "It is not unusual to hear gunshots." Bohannon told both the prosecution and defense. He said people commonly shoot guns by a creek near Herman. He said he had only glanced in the direction of the shot, and had not heard other noises or seen anyone.

Schwegler confirmed that he had also heard only one shot. The Washington County Sheriff's Department did a test with Schwegler and Bohannon. The officers fired a series of shots from inside a car, inside with the windows down, and outside a car at the park. From their position at Bohannon's home on the day of the test, both Schwegler and Bohannon could hear only one shot in the series of shots each time.

In other testimony, Fred Carritt, formerly an investigator with the Washington County Sheriff's Department, was questioned about whether or not Jensen's passenger side car door was locked on the night of his death. The defense pointed out that Carritt had said in his grand jury testimony that the passenger door was locked.

Grand jury testimony from officers who had been at the scene the night of the shooting said the door had been unlocked. Carritt told the prosecution that he could have been mistaken in his grand jury testimony. He said without the investigation reports in front of him, he could not be sure. The defense then asked Carritt about missing reports written by the late Guy Pensyl, who helped investigate the case. The missing reports could not be accounted for.

Assistant Editor Randy Porter and porters Ryan Thompson and Amy Drentzen contributed to this report.

#7-The Enterprise Feb 25,2000

BY RYAN THOMPSON, Reporter

Not guilty: Judge acquits Kuhr in Jensen shooting

(Photo)

Blair resident Richard Kuhr was found not guilty this week on a second-degree murder charge in the 1992 shooting death of Jay Jensen. The decision came from district court judge Maurice Redmond, who notified the attorneys in the case during a conference call on Tuesday.

Washington County Attorney Ed Talbot said the credibility of the state's eyewitness may have played a role in the judge's decision. "I believe the judge found our eyewitness lacking credibility and we had no physical evidence to tie him (Kuhr) to the scene." Talbot said. Court-appointed defense attorney Clarence Mock was much more critical of the testimony of the state's eye- witness and the overall prosecution of the case.

"The trial was simply a fantasy having a collision with the facts." Mock said.

Jensen was found dead next to his car as it was parked near the city park in Herman on a rainy March night. He had been shot twice by his own 22 caliber revolver which was found underneath him.

His body was found by then 15- year-old Herman resident Josh Thayer. Jensen's death was originally ruled a suicide, but five years later Thayer came forward and claimed he saw Kuhr shoot Jensen.

In 1998 a grand jury indicted Kuhr on second-degree murder charges after hearing 10 days of testimony.

Much of the prosecution's case was centered upon Thayer's testimony During cross-examination. Mock tore into Thayer's testimony on the night's events and several other witnesses claimed Thayer had a history of lying.

Mock said he doesn't believe the state should have prosecuted Kuhr and the trial should never have gone forward.

"Anytime a young man like Jay Jensen takes his own life it is a tragedy." Mock said. "It doesn't make it any less of a tragedy to try to convict the wrong man."

For his part, Talbot said he felt very comfortable taking the case to court once the grand jury decided there was enough evidence that merited a murder trial. Talbot said despite the not guilty decision he still believes that Jensen's death was a homicide, not a suicide. "It wasn't a suicide-I'm certain of that." Talbot said.

He said trying the case before a judge is actually easier than trying it before a jury, but Talbot said he still would have preferred trying the case before a jury.

Mock said with the mountain of evidence from expert witnesses, he believed a judge was better trained to comprehend much of the complicated testimony from doctors and blood spatter experts. After hearing all of the evidence and seeing pictures from the scene of her son's death. Jensen's mother, Gloria Jensen is also certain that her son did not take his own life.

"We thought we might get some justice, but it didn't turn out that way." he said.

One of the defense's claims during 1 he trial was that Kuhr had no motive to kill Jensen, but Mrs. Jensen disputes that. She said she believes that Kuhr felt her son might have stood in the way of Holly Latwaitis moving in with him. Latwaitis was the woman Jensen followed to Herman and spoke with shortly before his death.

Mrs. Jensen said she and her family found comfort that the members of the grand jury found enough. evidence to indict Kuhr, but were disappointed at the outcome of his trial. She said she would have preferred to see the trial heard by a jury, not a judge. Mrs. Jensen also said she wished the prosecution would have been allowed to call more witnesses, including another potential eyewitness who wasn't allowed to testify.

Richard Kuhr declined to comment on his trial, but his mother, Verna Kuhr, said her family simply hopes to put the matter behind them. Mrs. Jensen said she hopes the investigation into the death of her son continues.

The day after the verdict was announced, Washington County Sheriff Terry Horner announced that he is asking the Federal Bureau of Investigation to profile the case and look at other possible avenues of prosecution in Jensen's death.

Horner also released records from his department's files regarding the case on Wednesday. Horner said the information given in a statement from Holly Latwaitis that was later changed during grand jury testimony could have corroborated Thayer's testimony.

He also said he felt that another eyewitness who was excused from testifying three days before the trial could also have corroborated Thayer testimony.

Because Kuhr has been acquitted on state charges, he can't be tried again for murder under the double jeopardy rule.

Kuhr could be tried in civil court for wrongful death charges, but Mr. Jensen said they have no plans to pursue that course of action. "We're not interested in a civil suit," Mrs. Jensen said. "We're just going to wait and see what the FBI can do."

Though he lost the trial. Talbot faith in the judicial system was still apparent. "Our system is based on proving reasonable doubt," he said "If I was on the other side, that's how I'd like it to be."

#8-The Enterprise Feb 25,2000

Jensen's mother: A crushed heart doesn't mend The enterprise Feb 25,2000 (photo)

It's been almost eight years since 24-year-old Jay Jensen died from gunshot wounds on a dark Friday night in Herman.

For his parents, Ron and Gloria Jensen, the time and events that have followed their son's death have yet to deliver a sense of closure.

Mrs. Jensen said having a son die so young breaks a person's heart, but then have to be told that he took his life is a crushing blow She said, "A broken heart can mend, but a crushed heart doesn't."

Both of the Jensens described their son as a quiet, happy young man. Mrs. Jensen said her son's smile that could light up a room.

His life was centered around things mechanical. As a child, his parents said he spent much of his time building things. He worked as a parts man at a farm implement company.

They said much of their son's free time was spent fixing up lawn mowers to repair and later sell. Jensen had just bought another lawn tractor on the day of his death. There's a lawnmower drawn on his tombstone.

Mrs. Jensen said her son's five brothers were another major portion of his life, Jay Jensen was the youngest of six boys. She described him as a good uncle who spent a lot of time with his nieces and nephews. His brothers also helped him in his many repair projects.

One thing that wasn't a priority in Jensen's life was women, Mrs. Jensen said. He lived at home with his parents on their farm west of Blair.

In testimony he gave during Richard Kuhr's murder trial, Jensen's brother John said the only woman in his brother's life was his mom. In testimony during Kuhr's trial the defense portrayed Jensen as being distraught over the ending of relationship between him and Holly Latwaitis.

Mrs. Jensen disagreed and said her son went to Herman that night to convince Latwaitis not to move with Kuhr and his half-brother, Lee Montanye.

She said the relationship between her son and Latwaitis was not as close as Kuhr's defense attorneys made it out to be.

The Jensens said their son was content with his life-his close relationship with his family, all of repair projects and his job at the implement company.

Mrs. Jensen said she's not sure what her son would think about all the controversy that followed passing.

"He'd probably just smile," she said. "and say you'll get it figured (the end of the paragraph is missing)

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~