Texas Prosecutor Killed

Motive in Kaufman County prosecutor’s slaying elusive as investigation continues, DA says

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/ellis-kaufman/headlines/20130202-motive-in-kaufman-county-prosecutors-slaying-elusive-as-investigation-continues-da-says.ece

By ALLISON WISK

Staff Writer  awisk@dallasnews.com

Published: 02 February 2013 08:14 PM

KAUFMAN — Two days after his top prosecutor was gunned down just blocks from the courthouse, Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland said Saturday that although a motive remains elusive, he is counting on more tips to come in thanks to a growing reward fund.

McLelland said investigators are still digging into Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse’s caseload — even going back through work dating from his days in other counties — to try to find possible reasons for the fatal shooting.

Before heading into work Thursday morning, Hasse, 57, was fatally shot near his car in a parking lot regularly used by Kaufman County officials. Authorities confirmed witness accounts that up to two people shot him multiple times, with at least one of the assailants fleeing by car afterward.

No suspect descriptions have been released. Kaufman Police Chief Chris Aulbaugh said at a news conference Friday that there were no big developments in the case. Authorities were reviewing days of video footage from retail surveillance and squad car cameras, he said.

By Saturday, Kaufman County Crime Stoppers was offering a total of $71,150 in reward money, including $30,000 supplied by the Dallas County district attorney’s office.

In perhaps his most extensive discussion of the slaying with the media since it occurred, McLelland said he hoped the reward fund would hit $100,000 by Monday and eventually grow beyond $500,000.

“The main thing I want to do is get the reward fund up to an astronomical amount so that whoever this scum is, they can’t hide from it,” McLelland said.

“The more money that stacks up, the better the things that come in,” he said. “Sooner or later, this idiot’s going to say something to somebody. If there is sufficient motivation out there, that will get back to us.”

Though the district attorney’s office has been closed to the public since Thursday, all hands are on deck, McLelland said. Still processing the shock of Hasse’s loss, staff members are working through the weekend — at both the district attorney’s office and at a command post set up at Kaufman’s former National Guard Armory — to pore over Hasse’s files for leads.

“All of my prosecutors said: ‘You’re not going to leave me out of this, boss,’” McLelland said. “I said, ‘You’re in it, don’t worry about it.’”

McLelland said he has been contacted by district attorneys across the country asking how they can provide support.

“Everybody wants to get their licks in on these guys,” McLelland said.

Taking precautions

During a short break from the investigation Saturday, McLelland went about his business as he stopped in to visit his wife, Cynthia, at the 2 Sisters Quilt Shoppe on Mulberry Street.

With sheriff’s deputies taking visible posts around Kaufman’s square, and state and federal law enforcement working alongside police on the case, McLelland said he wasn’t scared for his safety, but was taking precautions.

“An old TAC officer at Fort Sill told me a long time ago, ‘Son, the details will get you killed.’ And so I’ve shifted up my details some, but otherwise I can’t do that much,” McLelland said. “There’s no holes for me to hide in, and that’s not my style anyway.”

Cynthia McLelland, who works as a psychiatric nurse at Terrell State Hospital, came to the square to attend her monthly quilt guild meeting.

“I use the creative arts to help get rid of tension, just like a lot of people do,” she said.

Hasse’s death has shaken up her family, she said.

“Mark was my husband’s good friend as well as his employee; he’s grieving,” she said. “It’s very sad. I feel like my husband could be in danger, too.”

Cynthia McLelland’s friend, Kaufman County Tax Assessor Tonya Ratcliff — whose office faces the parking lot where Hasse was killed — said a constant law enforcement presence has allayed her fears, but her staff remains anxious.

“I think that most of my staff and other people are walking around saying, ‘You know, you don’t know when it’s going to happen to you,’” said Ratliff, who is in her first month on the job. “I think there’s a real sense that it could have been any of us.”

Mike McLelland said he was disturbed by what he called the “fairy-taling” he’s heard in the days since the slaying — that Hasse was constantly afraid, frequently changed his routine, and didn’t go outside without his pistol in hand.

“Total BS,” McLelland said. “He and I, three-quarters of the time, we went out of the building together in the afternoon. We went out the same door. He was never cowering in any corners, or sneaking around skulking in any shadows. He was not afraid of anybody or anything.”

Hasse’s routine

McLelland said that Hasse may have taken more precautions during his tenure as a prosecutor for the Dallas County district attorney’s office, but not in Kaufman.

“[The late former Dallas District Attorney] Henry Wade made him carry a pistol in Dallas when he was on the gang task force,” he said. “But he never related to me at any time that he was ever afraid of anything.”

Hasse’s routine never changed, McLelland said.

“He always parked in the same place, walked up the same sidewalk,” he said. “He usually came in that corner door of the courthouse.”

Hasse was a “wolverine” as a prosecutor but privately was more reserved, McLelland said.

“He was a very multi-talented, multi-faceted guy, but he was a private guy,” McLelland said. “As far as I know, he never was out partying and stuff like that. He was fairly sedate.

“I don’t know of anybody that ever ran across Mark that didn’t like him,” he said. “He was very personable; he was always willing to help anybody with anything.”

Renee Dodds, who works at Lott’s Cleaners on the square, said Hasse came in two to three times a week, like clockwork.

“He was a regular customer. [He was] serious; I guess you would have to be in that line of work,” Dodds said. “He was very nice. He never had a bad word to say about anybody that I knew about.”

McLelland said that in addition to helping lead the investigation into Hasse’s death, he is helping to arrange his slain colleague’s services. And, he said, part of paying tribute to his friend and employee is making sure the district attorney’s office remains vigilant as ever.

“I’m not going to let them make me change up the way I do business,” he said. “I must assume that would be part of their motivation, and that ain’t happening.”

AT A GLANCE: Tips wanted

Anyone with information on the slaying of Mark Hasse can call Kaufman County Crime Stoppers at 1-877-847-7522. Donations to the Crime Stoppers reward fund can also be made payable to the Mark Hasse Fund at any area American National Bank of Texas location.

Prosecutor Shot to Death In a Town Near Dallas

By LAUREN D’AVOLIO and MANNY FERNANDEZ

Published: January 31, 2013

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/01/us/prosecutor-fatally-shot-in-town-near-dallas.html?_r=0

KAUFMAN, Tex. — A county prosecutor in this small town southeast of Dallas was fatally shot on Thursday morning near the courthouse by one or perhaps two gunmen, whom witnesses described as wearing masks, black clothing and tactical-style vests, the authorities said.

The prosecutor, Mark E. Hasse, worked in the Kaufman County district attorney’s office in Kaufman, a town of 6,800 people about 35 miles from Dallas. He was shot several times shortly before 9 a.m. as he walked in an employee parking lot about a block from the courthouse.

The authorities said the suspect or suspects got out of a Ford Taurus, opened fire on Mr. Hasse and then returned to the car and drove away. Investigators were trying to determine why Mr. Hasse was targeted and if the shooting had anything to do with cases he had prosecuted.

“I’ve been doing this 43 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this,” said David A. Byrnes, the Kaufman County sheriff.

Mr. Hasse, 57, was the county’s lead felony prosecutor and a well-respected assistant district attorney. He received his law degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas and in the 1980s served as a prosecutor in the Dallas County district attorney’s office, where he had been the chief of the organized-crime section.

Kaufman County prosecutors have been involved in investigations of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas prison gang. In November, federal officials in Houston thanked a number of local agencies for their work — including Kaufman County prosecutors — when more than 30 senior leaders and other members of the gang were indicted on federal racketeering charges.

Officials said they were reviewing Mr. Hasse’s current cases — as many as 400 of them — and previous ones for leads.

Lawyers and prosecutors throughout North Texas were stunned by the attack. The Dallas County district attorney, Craig Watkins, sent an e-mail encouraging his employees to exercise caution.

“There’s a lot of shock,” said David Finn, a criminal defense lawyer in Dallas and former federal prosecutor who knew Mr. Hasse. “Where this happened, it’s not New York City or Dallas or L.A. or Chicago. This is a very, very, very small community, and for this to happen out there, it’s a huge deal. It’s incredibly brazen.”

The Kaufman County district attorney, Mike McLelland, said his office had suffered a devastating loss. “Mark was an excellent friend and a spectacular prosecutor,” he said.

After the shooting, the Kaufman County Courthouse went into lockdown and then was closed as officers and agents from local, state and federal agencies searched the streets nearby.

Area schools, including the campuses of the Kaufman Independent School District, were also placed on lockdown.

Lauren D’Avolio reported from Kaufman, and Manny Fernandez from Houston. Clifford Krauss contributed reporting from Houston.

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Two-Open-Fire-on-Kaufman-County-Employee-Near-Courthouse-189198761.html

Kaufman Co. Asst. DA Mark Hasse Likely Targeted in Fatal Shooting: Police

$36,000 reward offered for information leading to the arrest, conviction of gunman

By Frank Heinz  Thursday, Jan 31, 2013  |  Updated 7:36 PM CS

Kaufman County Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse was gunned down Thursday morning in what appears to be a targeted attack, police say.

Hasse was shot multiple times while walking from the parking lot toward the county courthouse at about 8 a.m., officials said. He was transported to a nearby hospital where he later died.

When asked if Hasse appeared to have been targeted by his attacker, Kaufman County Sheriff David Byrnes said, "I would say from all appearances it is. But we have no concrete information on that. We're pursuing every avenue right now."

"We suffered a devastating loss today. We lost a really, really good man. He was an excellent friend and a spectacular prosecutor. He will not be easily replaced. He will be sorely missed by everybody in the office," said Kaufman County Criminal District Attorney Mike McLelland. "I hope that the people that did this are watching because we are very confident that we are going to find you, pull you out of whatever hole you're in, bring you back and let the people of Kaufman County prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law."

Chris Aulbaugh, the Kaufman Chief of Police, said no official arrests have been made in connection with the shooting but that they are following up on several leads, including multiple witness reports from various angles around the crime scene.

Agents with the ATF, FBI, the Texas Rangers and State Troopers from the Texas Department of Public Safety are at the scene assisting local and county law enforcement with the investigation.

Police said witnesses have reported two shooters wearing all black, one or both of them possibly wearing a tactical-type vest, and driving an older, silver Ford Taurus. Aulbaugh said they have not yet confirmed that there were two people involved in the shooting and if the shooter(s) were wearing a tactical jacket as described.

Police taped off the parking lot near the Tax Assessor/Collectors office, which is near the courthouse and is commonly used by judges and prosecutors. Officers later expanded the taped-off area to include two city blocks. Several streets around the courthouse and parking lot are closed as the shooting is investigated.

Investigators said they were not aware of any threats made toward Hasse and that they didn't know of any cases that might explain the shooting, but that Hasse was aware of the dangers associated with his profession.

"Mark was fully aware of the dangers of this job. He accepted them readily and was, as I said before, an absolutely stellar prosecutor and good friend," said McLelland. "Tell the people that they have lost an outstanding man who will not be easily replaced."

Eric Smenner, a friend of Hasse's, told NBC 5's Scott Gordon that while it was too soon to say what may have led to the shooting, Hasse had dealt with cases involving methamphetamine in the county, gangs and white supremacist groups. He described Hasse as a hard-working lawyer who “loved to tell stories” and often put dangerous criminals behind bars.

Tonya Radcliffe, a board member on the Kaufman County Appraisal District whose office is adjacent to the scene of the shooting, said a staff member heard the gunshots and called police. Radcliffe said she and her staff of about 25 are in the building and under lockdown.

During the early stages of the investigation, a hospital, several schools and county buildings, including the Tax Assessor/Collector's office, were locked down as a precaution.  With Thursday being the last day for people to pay property taxes without a penalty, officials advised Kaufman County residents that they could still pay taxes using the county's pay by phone option or make payments in person at sub-courthouses and drop boxes.

A 36,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the gunman is being offered with $10,000 coming from Kaufman County Crime Stoppers, $10,000 from a local Kaufman business and donations continue to pour in from local businesses. As always, tipsters may remain anonymous. More information on the investigation and reward are expected to be revealed after a 3 p.m. news conference.

Anyone with information is asked to call Kaufman County Crime Stoppers at 1-877-TIPS-KCC.

Editor's Note: Greenville ISD was under lockdown due to a search for robbery suspects. The lockdown was not related to the Kaufman County shooting.

NBC 5's Randy McIlwain, Scott Gordon, Ken Kalthoff, Keaton Fox and Deborah Ferguson contributed to this report. We will continue to update this story with more information as soon as it's available. As this story is developing, elements may change.

Texas prosecutor gunned down; manhunt for 2 suspects

John Bacon and William M. Welch, USA TODAY

7:26 EST January 31, 2013

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/01/31/texas-courthouse-shooting/1880201/

A manhunt was underway for two suspects after an assistant district attorney was gunned down Thursday outside a courthouse in Kaufman, Texas.

Mark Hasse, 57, was walking from a parking lot toward the Kaufman County Courthouse annex when he was shot multiple times just before 9 a.m., Kaufman County spokeswoman Pat Laney said.

Kaufman, Texas

Pat Laney, spokeswoman for the Kaufman sheriff's department, said late Thursday that no arrests had been made in the case. She said earlier reports of an arrest were in error. The Dallas Morning News had reported that Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins said he understood there had been an arrest.

Hasse headed many county drug and murder cases. Shortly after the shooting, Sheriff David Byrnes said the killing was an attack on the criminal justice system."This is the next level (of crime)," he said.

Security officers and deputies closed nearby streets in Kaufman, a North Texas town of about 6,700 residents less than 40 miles from Dallas. Kaufman schools were put on lockdown.

Hasse's death raises the larger issue of security for prosecutors who are responsible sending criminals to prison, Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins said.

Watkins says he's most concerned that people who are out on bail and awaiting trial will target him as the face of the office or his prosecutors.

"These are people who are on the front line," said Watkins, who leads an office of 250 prosecutors. "Why isn't there security? We have a lot of individuals who have ill will toward our profession. Maybe this unfortunate circumstance will provide a wakeup call for those individuals who do hold the purse strings to make sure we're protected."

Hasse began his career as a prosecutor in Dallas County in 1982 after graduating from Southern Methodist University's law school. He worked as a prosecutor in Dallas until 1988, Watkins said. Although Watkins did not know Hasse, he said he had a reputation as a "very thorough and tough prosecutor."

Lawyer James Lee Bright told the Morning News he arrived at the courthouse just as officers began swarming the scene.

"Within two or three minutes, the whole square was literally flooded with officers," Bright said. He said he saw a woman shaking as she told a bailiff she had witnessed the shooting.

People were allowed to leave the building in groups, depending on where they were parked, he told the Morning News.

"When you hear a DA at 8:40 in the morning is gunned down by two people, I think there's a reasonable presumption that it's not random," Bright said.

Kaufman County Judge Bruce Wood said the courthouse remained closed and it would be up to the sheriff to determine when it would reopen.

Wood told the Morning News he saw Hasse every day in the courthouse hallways.

"He was revered and he did an outstanding job," Wood said. "We see each other every day. … It's a very small courthouse."

"It's a horrible situation," Wood told the Morning News. "None of us would have ever expected anything like this to ever happen in our county."

The Morning News is reporting that "authorities with knowledge of the assistant DA's caseload say he had been heavily involved in the investigation of members of the Aryan Brotherhood."

The shooting took place hours before two members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas pleaded guilty in Houston to racketeering and other charges. The pleas were part of a wide-ranging investigation that included the Kaufman County District Attorney's office.

A probe is underway to determine if the shooting is connected to that investigation, the Morning News says.

The U.S. Justice Department announced those guilty pleas in a statement released Thursday.

The statement claims the brotherhood "enforced its rules and promoted discipline among its members, prospects and associates through murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to murder, arson, assault, robbery and threats against those who violate the rules or pose a threat to the enterprise. Members, and oftentimes associates, were required to follow the orders of higher-ranking members, often referred to as 'direct orders.'"

The Morning News says Hasse was chief of the Dallas County district attorney's organized-crime section from 1985 until 1988 and a former president of the Dallas chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. In 1995, he suffered a skull fracture when his small plane crashed in Luray, Va. The Morning News says Hasse was flying the lead plane in "Freedom Flight America," a cross-country convoy of hundreds of planes commemorating the end of World War II. He was flying at AT-6 Texan, a World War II-era training aircraft.

His death led to warnings elsewhere. WFAA-TV in Dallas reports that the email below was sent by the Dallas County DA to his staff:

"This message is not intended to scare anyone but please be advised. A Kaufman County prosecutor was fatally shot a few minutes ago outside the Kaufman County Courthouse in Kaufman. Two masked gunmen are the suspects. They have not been apprehended yet.

Please be aware of your surroundings when leaving the building for your safety. This is probably an isolated incident but until further notice if you plan to work past dark today please be careful and ask security for assistance escorting you to your vehicles if needed. I will keep you informed as to the arrest of the suspects when I am notified. Don't panic but please be aware of your environment when leaving the building."

Kaufman Police Chief Chris Aulbaugh said the shooting would have a major impact on Kaufman.

"Any loss of life, especially someone out there protecting the community, would have that effect," he said.

Contributing: Doug Stanglin, Donna Leinwand Leger; Associated Press

The Dallas Morning News

12:11 PM

Update on the shooting in Kaufman County: Police and other law enforcement agencies, including the Texas Rangers, are hunting for two suspects in the death of an assistant district attorney, who was shot multiple times while walking from his car to his office. http://d-news.co/hiKIP

UPDATE: Kaufman police chief, D.A. say Craig Watkins ‘made a mistake,’ no arrest made in Mark Hasse’s killing

http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/2013/01/county-employee-shot-outside-courthouse-in-downtown-kaufman.html/

By Tanya Eiserer/Reporter
teiserer@dallasnews.com
9:48 am on January 31, 2013 

Update at 5:04 p.m. from Ray Leszcynski: Kaufman Police Chief Chris Aulbaugh, County Sheriff David Byrnes and District Attorney Mike McLelland took a break from their own press conference to look in to media reports that an arrest had been made in Dallas.

“There has not been an arrest made yet on this offense,” Aulbaugh said upon reconvening. “Our D.A. has been on a phone call to the Dallas DA’s office.”

Mark Hasse (Courtesy Kaufman County)

McClellan said that apparently Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins was doing an interview and inadvertently referenced that there had been an arrest made in the shooting of Mark Hasse.

“He made a mistake during that interview,” McLellan said.

The Kaufman County DA’s office will remain closed Friday, according to County Judge Bruce Bell. But other county offices will reopen, including the courthouse and other downtown properties and the county library that was closed Thursday on the outskirts of town.

“The plans are to open so that we’re back to operating as normal as soon as possible,” Byrnes said.

For the foreseeable future, however, uniformed personnel will work the parking lot a block east of the courthouse during times when employees are typically coming to or leaving from work.

McLelland said that walk would be different.

“But we’ll still make the walk. We’ll show up for work and send bad guys out of Kaufman County every chance we get.”

They thanked and vowed continued use of many resources, the Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, FBI, DPS, and Texas Rangers, as well as the city police who are heading the investigation and the county sheriff’s department and constables.

“We’re in the process of running down many leads right now,” Byrnes said. They have several leads but declined to discuss them at this point.

Kaufman County Crime Stoppers and a local business have combined to offer $20,000 for information leading an arrest and conviction in the case. 1-877-TIPSKCC (1-877-847-7522).

Several people who heard shots or were nearby have been interviewed and those interviews are being pieced together, officials said.

It was confirmed that much of the parking lot is visible from a camera across the street on the roof of the county tax office, but it was also confirmed that the video had been reviewed and was of little help in the investigation.

Byrnes and Aulbaugh confirmed that the crime had the look of a “hit,” that Hasse was specifically targeted.

“But we can’t definitely say that it was a hit,” or that Hasse was targeted, Aulbaugh said. “We’re pursuing all possibilities.”

McLelland confirmed that his department had worked Aryan Brotherhood cases in the last two years but said each of the 13 attorneys in his office has 380-390 cases at a time, that as far he knew Hasse was not currently working an Aryan Brotherhood case and that it was too early to narrow the focus. Aulbaugh also said at this time there is no indication any prison gang was involved.

Hasse was said to be armed, typically, but it was unknown whether he was carrying a gun on Thursday when he was assaulted on the walk to the office after he’d parked his vehicle.

“It’s apparent he was not expecting to have anything happen,” Byrnes said. “He was on his way to his office.”

His boss did not know of any reason Hasse would have a heightened sense of worry prior to the assault.

“Mark was fully aware of the dangers. He accepted them readily,” McLelland said. “It was simply the nature of the beast to be working and dealing with bad, bad people on a regular basis.”

McLelland spoke personably about Hasse, who had worked for the office for about three years.

“Kaufman County, the state of Texas and especially my office suffered a devastating loss,” he said. “We lost a really good man. He was an excellent friend and a spectacular prosecutor.

“I hope that the people that did this are watching. Because we’re confident we’re going to find you, pull you out of whatever hole you’re in, bring you back and let the people of Kaufman County prosecute you to the full extent of the law.”

McLelland said Byrnes, 57, left no wife or children. He did just bought a house in Kaufman County and had started working on it.

Updated at 4:18 p.m.: Debbie Denmon, a spokeswoman for DA Craig Watkins, said a “confidential source” informed the DA’s office office that an arrest had been made in the case.

But Denmon said Kaufman County officials subsequently would not confirm that an arrest was made.

“We’re going to respect their wishes” on that, she said.

Updated at 3:25 p.m. by Selwyn Crawford: Dallas County District Attorney Craig

Watkins says an arrest has been made in this morning’s slaying in Kaufman.

Watkins won’t say when, where or who was arrested, however, and Kaufman officials at a 3 p.m. news conference seemed unaware of any arrest.

“I can’t overstep the bounds of Kaufman County,” Watkins said. “All I can tell you is that there was an arrest.”

Investigators left evidence markers in downtown Kaufman near where the prosecutor was shot this morning. (David Woo/Staff Photographer)

Watkins said that because the victim was a Kaufman County prosecutor, he does not believe that office can prosecute the case and said that he would like to handle it.

“We’re going to make an offer to Kaufman County to prosecute this case,” Watkins said.

“But even if they choose another jurisdiction to handle it, we will provide whatever resources or help they need since [Hasse] was a former Dallas County prosecutor.”

Updated at 3 p.m.: Kaufman authorities have announced a $20,000 reward for information leading to the capture and conviction of the shooters.

Anyone with information can call Kaufman police at 972-932-3094 or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 1-877-847-7522.

Updated at 2:45 p.m. by Danielle Abril in Kaufman: All schools in Kaufman ISD will remain on lockdown until the end of the school day, Superintendent Todd Williams says.

Parents will be able to pick up their children at the regular closing time.

More on the victim from staff writer Diane Jennings (updated at 2:40 p.m.):

Mark Hasse, 57, loved flying, said his longtime friend Marcus Busch of Washington, D.C., even after suffering “catastrophic” injuries in a plane crash 17 years ago.

Hasse was piloting the lead plane in a cross-country convoy commemorating the end of World War II when it crashed in 1995. Morey Darzniek, who survived the crash with Hasse, said Hasse was “an incredible person in every way. He had the right moral standards.”

Hasse suffered a skull fracture but recovered enough to resume the practice of law and continued flying.

He also was active in the fight against drunken driving, serving as president of the Dallas chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Suzette Pylant, a victim advocate for MADD North Texas, was working with Hasse on a drunken driving case at the time of his death. She’d last met with him on Dec. 21.

Pylant said Hasse was “a squeaky clean guy,” she said. “He was one of those guys who was always going to wear the white hat.”

Hasse was not married and his relatives did not return calls for comment.

Updated at 1:25 p.m. byRay Leszcynski, Scott Goldstein and Ed Timms: The Kaufman County sheriff has identified the assistant DA slain by masked gunmen as Mark Hasse, a onetime Dallas County prosecutor.

Word spread quickly in the legal community in Dallas and Kaufman that it was Hasse who had been shot this morning.

The courthouse in downtown Kaufman was locked down immediately after the shooting. (David Woo/Staff Photographer)

Veteran defense lawyer Eric Smenner, whose office is near the courthouse, said his immediate reaction was that Hasse was likely targeted.

“I felt it very certainly had to be work-related,” he said. “I can’t imagine the guy has any enemies that would cause that to happen on a personal level.”

Smenner added that Hasse parked in the same area every day, “so if somebody was out to get him all they’d have to do is watch him a little bit.”

Mark Hasse was chief of the Dallas County district attorney’s organized-crime section from 1985 until 1988 and a former president of the Dallas chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

In 1995, he was seriously injured while flying the lead plane in “Freedom Flight America,” a cross-country convoy of hundreds of planes commemorating the end of World War II. He was flying at AT-6 Texan, a World War II-era training aircraft.

He suffered a skull fracture when the plane crashed while landing in Luray, Va. The plane overshot the 3,000-foot runway at Luray Caverns Airport and hit a road embankment, according to authorities. Update at 1 p.m. by Scott Goldstein:

Lawyer James Lee Bright said he arrived at the Kaufman courthouse just as officers began swarming the scene.

“Within two or three minutes, the whole square was literally flooded with officers,” Bright said. “I just went inside, and by the time I got inside the information that it was actually a shooting and who it might be was just barely starting to filter into the courthouse.”

Bright said he saw a woman who was shaking as she told a bailiff what she had just witnessed.

“I just saw it, I just saw it,” the woman said, according to Bright.

The courthouse was quickly put on lockdown.

“It was a little surreal being locked in there,” Bright said.

People were allowed to leave the building in groups, depending on where they were parked.

As for a possible motive, Bright said there’s no telling how many cases the veteran prosecutor worked over the years that could potentially be connected.

“When you hear a DA at 8:40 in the morning is gunned down by two people, I think there’s a reasonable presumption that it’s not random,” he said.

Update at 11:52 a.m.: Officials continue to withhold the slain prosecutor’s name until his family can be notified, but details have begun to emerge about his recent cases.

Authorities with knowledge of the assistant DA’s caseload say he had been heavily involved in the investigation of members of the Aryan Brotherhood.

Officials now are reviewing those cases to determine if today’s shooting might be connected to that probe.

Update from staff writer Ray Leszcynski in Kaufman: Kaufman County Judge Bruce Wood said he saw the victim every day in the courthouse hallways.

“He was revered and he did an outstanding job,” Wood said. “We see each other every day. … It’s a very small courthouse.”

The judge, who declined to identify the prosecutor, said he was in his office at the time of the shooting but did not hear anything.

Wood said he did not know what cases the assistant DA may have been involved in, but he was not aware of any heightened security.

He said the county courthouse is closed today and it would be up to the sheriff to determine when it would reopen.

“It’s a horrible situation,” Wood said. “None of us would have ever expected anything like this to ever happen in our county.”

Update at 10:50 a.m.: Kaufman Police Chief Chris Aulbaugh said an assistant district attorney was shot multiple times about 8:50 a.m. while walking from his car to his office.

The victim, whose name has yet to be released, died from his injuries, Aulbaugh confirmed.

Witnesses said that after shooting the prosecutor, the gunman fired shots in the air to scare away bystanders as the two suspects fled.

The police chief said Kaufman police reached out to other law enforcement agencies, including the Texas Rangers, for help with the manhunt. Aulbaugh did not say whether there was one or multiple shooters.

A Kaufman City Council member said the Rangers would be the lead investigative agency because the victim was a county employee.

Updated at 10:30 a.m.: Kaufman County officials have confirmed that the prosecutor has died in this morning’s shooting outside the county courthouse.

The victim’s name has not yet been publicly released, pending notification of his family. But according to state records, the prosecutor was certified as a peace officer in 1988.

Those that know him say he was a gun enthusiast who typically wore a gun belt. It is unknown if he was wearing the gun belt Thursday, but he almost always carried a weapon, they say.

Kaufman city leaders were stunned by the shooting.

“I’m just sad and concerned for the individual involved and the family members,” Mayor Pro Tem Tony Rader told our Diane Jennings.

Rader, a city of Dallas employee, said he was not in town when the shooting occurred but he was monitoring developments through text messages and Facebook.

City councilman Jeff Jordan said he heard the news when a friend called “to ask me what was going on.”

“We’re all shocked and very sad,” Jordan said.

Rader said he didn’t think he knew the victim, and Jordan said he knew who he was but did not know him well.

Kaufman is a town of about 7,000 located about 35 miles east of Dallas.

Updated at 9:49 a.m.: A Kaufman County prosecutor has reportedly been shot near the courthouse in downtown Kaufman this morning.

The condition of the prosecutor was not known. His name is being withheld, pending notification of his family.

The shooting reportedly occurred in a parking lot behind a county building where many prosecutors and judges park. The courthouse is just a short distance away, said Eric Smenner, a Kaufman defense attorney.

“My secretary heard the gunshots,” Smenner said.

He said she told him that she then saw a silver Taurus fleeing down the street. Other media reported that the two suspects were in all black, and one may have been wearing a tactical vest.

In addition to the courthouse on Mulberry Street, several nearby Kaufman ISD campuses have been locked down as a precaution.

Smenner said the prosecutor who was shot was well-liked by all and had previously worked in Dallas County.

Original post at 9:48 a.m.: There’s been a shooting outside the courthouse in Kaufman this morning, and much of downtown has been locked down.

The victim was reportedly a county employee and was shot several times. That person’s condition is not known.

Early reports were that two armed men ambushed the victim about 9 a.m. outside the courthouse and opened fire.

They then fled and may remain at large.

BY JAMIE STENGLE AND DANNY ROBBINS

ASSOCIATED PRESS

http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/02/01/3212337/police-chief-no-sign-of-fear-from.html

KAUFMAN, Texas -- Authorities don't know whether a Texas prosecutor who had extensive experience with organized crime feared for his life before he was fatally shot, but they're poring through the cases he handled for leads to his killer, officials said Friday.

No arrests have been made since Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse was gunned down Thursday morning in a parking lot about a block from his office at the Kaufman County Courthouse. Authorities are searching for one or two suspects. Witnesses have said the killer was dressed in black with facial features covered.

Kaufman police Chief Chris Aulbaugh said there's no indication that Hasse, 57, had been afraid he might be killed and, although the prosecutor was a licensed peace officer, officials refused to say whether he was carrying a weapon.

"We are reviewing Mr. Hasse's cases and following up on any leads that would give us rise for a person of interest," Aulbaugh said. In addition to local authorities, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating the case.

That could be a daunting task. Hasse joined the Kaufman County district attorney's office three years ago and previously worked in the Dallas County district attorney's office.

Hasse was chief of the organized crime unit when he was an assistant prosecutor in Dallas County in the 1980s, and he handled similar cases in Kaufman County, 33 miles southeast of Dallas.

Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland said Hasse was one of 12 attorneys on his staff, all of whom handle hundreds of cases at a time.

"Anything anybody can think of, we're looking through," McLelland said.

In recent years, Hasse played major roles in Kaufman County's most high-profile cases, including one in which a justice of the peace was convicted on theft and burglary charges and another in which a man was convicted of killing his former girlfriend and her 10-year-old daughter.

"Hasse was a top-notch prosecutor who did a lot of things," said Steve Hulme, a family law attorney who practices in both Dallas and Kaufman. "There are a lot of cases to look at."

As a licensed peace officer in Texas, Hasse could openly carry a firearm and make arrests. According to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education, Hasse obtained his license in 1988 and kept it current through 1995. He then allowed it to lapse for 16 years before renewing it in July 2011.

"If you saw Mark around the office or the courthouse, he generally had a pistol," said Bill Wirskye, a Dallas attorney who recently served as a special prosecutor on a murder case in Kaufman County.

Wirskye, a former Dallas County prosecutor, said prosecutors in Texas have been known to carry guns, although it's not typical.

"I don't think (Hasse) lived in fear, but he was always careful," Wirskye said. "He knew the job carried certain dangers."

Along with looking at Hasse's cases, authorities are monitoring video surveillance cameras from convenience stores and other businesses in the area to see if a vehicle linked to the killing was spotted. The vehicle is believed to be an older model, gray, four-door sedan.

Authorities also hope that a growing pot of reward money will lead to an arrest. By late Friday, more than $70,000 had been put up, with $30,000 coming from Dallas County DA Craig Watkins' asset forfeiture fund.

"We will follow every lead that we receive," Aulbaugh said.

The Kaufman County Courthouse reopened Friday, and many county employees were back at work, although the DA's office remained closed.

"We're in mourning," County Judge Bruce Wood said during an interview in his office. "I think we're still in a state of, 'We can't believe this happened.'"

Dallas DA Watkins apologizes for reporting false arrest in Kaufman prosecutor slaying

http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/Dallas-DA-Watkins-apologizes-for-reporting-false-arrest-in-Kaufman-prosecutor-slaying-189446391.html

by MATT GOODMAN

WFAA

Posted on February 1, 2013 at 5:18 PM

DALLAS –– Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins has issued a statement apologizing for telling News 8 and the Dallas Morning News that someone was arrested for the murder of Kaufman County Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse. 

"I received what I thought was credible information and regret that the source was wrong," he wrote. "In hindsight, it was inappropriate to comment and I am sorry for any confusion this caused." 

Hasse was gunned down outside the Kaufman County Courthouse on Thursday. Those responsible, at least one and possibly two, are still at large. No one has been arrested. 

On Friday, Watkins' office announced it would add $30,000 to a tip fund to help find Hasse's killers. That fund has now reached $71,150. To submit an anonymous tip, call Crime Stoppers at 1.877.847.7522. 

In his apology, Watkins wrote, "Assistant District Attorney Hasse was a tenacious chief felony prosecutor who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the pursuit of justice." 

"The Dallas DA's Office looks forward to assistant Kaufman County Law Enforcement in any way possible," the statement reads.

The Dallas County Medical Examiner is conducting an autopsy of Hasse's body. A report is not expected for eight to 12 weeks. 

Investigators combing through murdered prosecutor's cases for leads

by TERESA WOODARD  WFAA

Posted on January 31, 2013 at 10:33 PM

http://www.wfaa.com/news/crime/Investigators-combing-through-murdered-prosecutors-cases-for-leads-189314861.html

KAUFMAN -- From all indications, the murder of Kaufman County Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse was a planned attack according to investigators.

It was likely a case of retaliation or revenge.

Detectives expected to work all night at the scene of the Thursday morning shooting on Grove Street in Kaufman. Kaufman County Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse was gunned down as he walked from his car to the courthouse.

Kaufman Police Chief Chris Albaugh said it appeared Hasse was targeted, but that detectives cannot say that with certainty yet.

Witnesses told police they saw a shooter, maybe more than one, approach Hasse. There was a short confrontation outside his vehicle, and then shots were fired.

"I heard one or two, and then it got chaotic," said witness Michael Townsend.

The suspect, or suspects, were dressed in black, possibly wearing tactical gear, and might have been driving an old silver Ford Taurus. And they seemed to know exactly where Hasse was going to be, and when he'd be there.

"It's shocking because it is in public, right in front of everybody," said Defense Attorney Eric Smenner, a longtime friend of Hasse's.

Since 1997, Smenner tried many cases against Hasse, in Dallas and Kaufman County. He said Mark had no enemies, except the countless criminals he's put away.

"You could trust him. A man of honor, a man of his word," Smenner said. "Are they trying to make a statement by doing it at the courthouse? That's what makes it even that much more outrageous."

Hasse had been an attorney for 30 years, working in two counties. His reputation was spotless.

"He was a great prosecutor -- worked with him in Dallas for years," said court reporter Scott Smith. "We both came down here at the same time. He was not only a great guy, but a great prosecutor."

Investigators said new leads were developing as they combed through Hasse's caseload.

His boss, Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland, promised justice for a man who lived to uphold the law.

"I hope the people that did this are watching," he said to television cameras Thursday afternoon, "because we're very confident we will find you, pull you out of whatever hole you are in. We're gonna bring you back and let the people of Kaufman County prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law."

The Kaufman County Courthouse will reopen Friday, but the DA's office will remain closed. The sheriff said he will add uniformed officers to the lot where Hasse was shot for the foreseeable future.

Kaufman County authorities plead for leads to find assistant DA's killers

http://www.wfaa.com/news/crime/Sheriff-Kaufman-County-employee-shot-near-courthouse-189198001.html

by MATT GOODMAN WFAA

Posted on January 31, 2013 at 9:30 AM

Updated yesterday at 9:14 AM

KAUFMAN -- Kaufman County Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse was shot dead outside the courthouse Thursday, spurring a complete lockdown of the grounds and an active search for at least one, and possibly two, shooters.

Kaufman County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Pat Laney said the assistant DA was assaulted and gunned down on his way in to court. He was shot multiple times in a parking lot at about 8:50 a.m. The courthouse was locked down and later closed for the day, the suspect or suspects remain at large.

During an afternoon press conference, Kaufman County Sheriff David Byrnes, District Attorney Mike McLellan and Police Chief Chris Aulbaugh begged the public for any information that could identify those responsible. 

"We're very confident that we're going to find you, we're going to pull you out of whatever hole you're in, we're going to bring you back and we're going to let the people of Kaufman County prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law," McLellan said. 

Hasse, a longtime prosecutor for the Dallas County District Attorney's Office and current assistant DA for Kaufman County, was a felony prosecutor who headed murder and drug cases.

Hasse joined the Kaufman County District Attorney's Office in July 2010, records show. 

"Mark was really a great guy, he was the consummate prosecutor, he was hard-working, loved his job, and juries loved him for some reason," said Dallas attorney Ted Steinke, who oversaw Hasse in the Dallas County DA's Office. "He wasn't very large in stature, but juries loved him and he exuded confidence." 

Kaufman County Judge Bruce Wood told News 8's Jonathan Betz that he was not aware of on any high-profile cases that required any extra security for him. Investigators are following up on his caseload.

However, hours after Hasse was gunned down, the Department of Justice issued a release on its websitecrediting the Kaufman County District Attorney's Office with helping investigate two known members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas gang. They pleaded guilty the day of the shooting to racketeering charges. 

Before the release was issued, The Dallas Morning News credited "authorities with knowledge of the assistant DA's caseload" as saying he was "heavily involved" in an investigation of the Aryan Brotherhood. According to the DOJ release, Ben Christian Dillon, aka "Tuff", of Houston, and James Marshall Meldrum, aka "Dirty", of Dallas, both "agreed to commit multiple acts of murder, robbery, arson, kidnapping and narcotics tracking" for the Aryan Brotherhood. 

During the press conference, Byrnes and Aulbaugh each warned against speculation, saying investigators are following "several" leads. 

"Due to the nature of them, we can't discuss them," Albaugh said. "As soon as we're able to, we'd be be glad to help you." 

Earlier, Wood classified Hasse's shooting as an "ambush" and told Betz that courthouse security is always tight, but not in the parking lot where Hasse was murdered. 

"It's a scary deal," Steinke said. "Every prosecutor every once in a while gets a death threat, and we take them seriously, but this is the first time in 20 years that I can remember here in North Texas a prosecutor actually being assaulted."  

Byrnes and Aulbaugh said Hasse was heading to misdemeanor court when he was killed. Both expressed disgust and outrage at the brazen act. 

"When you get up into the level, you are really attacking society as a whole because our whole society is based on our criminal justice system and getting our day in court," Byrnes said. "This is not how to handle our business." 

The Texas Department of Public Safety sent out an alert shortly after the murder for troopers to be on lookout for a silver "older model" Ford Taurus. According to the alert, two suspects were wearing all black and at least one was in a tactical vest. Meanwhile, DPS choppers flew low over the treeline in north Kaufman.

Kaufman County Crime Stoppers issued a reward that quickly swelled to $30,000 Thursday afternoon for information leading to who is responsible. To submit an anonymous tip, you're asked to call 817-847-7522. 

Kaufman Independent School District Superintendent Todd Williams said all schools in the district were locked down Thursday as authorities search for the shooters. Forney ISD spokesman Larry Coker said all schools were ordered to lock their doors until the suspects are caught. Administrators will reevaluate the plan at 2 p.m. 

Forney is about 22 miles northwest of Kaufman.

"This is a crime, as our county judge said, that is against the very basis of our fabric," McLellan said. "As far as I know, this has never been done before." 

In an e-mail sent to staff Thursday morning, the Dallas County District Attorney's Office confirmed the victim was a prosecutor and was fatally shot. The message urged staffers to be aware of their surroundings as they walked back to their cars.

Below is the entire email sent by the Dallas County DA: 

"This message is not intended to scare anyone but please be advised. A Kaufman County prosecutor was fatally shot a few minutes ago outside the Kaufman County Courthouse in Kaufman. Two masked gunman are the suspects. They have not been apprehended yet.

Please be aware of your surroundings when leaving the building for your safety. This is probably a isolated incident but until further notice if you plan to work past dark today please be careful and ask security for assistance escorting you to your vehicles if needed. I will keep you informed as to the arrest of the suspects when i am notified. Don’t panic but please be aware of your environment when leaving the building."

Employees at businesses nearby said they saw heavy police activity and heard reports of the shooting. Cathy Coulson, a real estate agent at Re/Max across from the courthouse, said she was not at work when the shooting happened, but reported seeing police helicopters searching overhead.

"I didn't hear anything, I came into my office right after it happened, but I talked to one of my clients that's two blocks behind us and he said that he heard it," Coulson said, adding that she's seen police walking the streets. "They don't have time to come tell us to lock down, we have enough sense to do that; we've seen them going around and the helicopters."  

Tonya Ratcliff, a clerk at The Kaufman County Tax Office located to the right of the courthouse, said officers came inside and asked them to lock their doors. 

Kaufman is a town of 7,000 about 30 miles southeast of Dallas. 

News 8's Bailey McGowan and Carla Wade contributed to this report.

Crime

Colleagues remember murdered Kaufman attorney as investigation continues

http://www.wfaa.com/news/crime/Colleagues-remember-murdered-Kaufman-attorney-as-investigation-continues-189471721.html

by TERESA WOODARD WFAA

Posted on February 1, 2013 at 10:38 PM

KAUFMAN -- Kaufman County Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse is being remembered as thorough, tough, and fair by those who were in the courtroom with him.

"Well, he has dealt with some of the worst people in our society and was a very aggressive prosecutor," said Kaufman County Judge Bruce Wood.

The reward for information that leads to a conviction in the case climbed to over $71,000 Friday.

He could be "in your face," said attorneys who knew Hasse, but he never crossed the line. For the same reason criminals might not have liked Mark Hasse, the rest of Kaufman County did.

"The thing I keep hearing over and over is how bright and intelligent he was," Wood said, "but also how fair he was to defendants as well."

Wood once testified in a case Hasse prosecuted. He remembers Hasse being confrontational, but professional. That was his reputation even in the 1980's, when he was an assistant DA in Dallas.

"I just know he was a very good prosecutor. One of the best," said former Kaufman County Judge Wayne Gent. "To be a good prosecutor, that comes with the territory -- you have to be aggressive."

Hasse was known to carry a gun and sources confirm he was armed when he was ambushed Thursday morning, walking from his car to the courthouse. Witnesses saw a gunman, possibly two, in all black, maybe even in tactical gear confront him, shoot him, and then take off.

Investigators are going over hundreds of cases Hasse has worked - even cases from years ago - expecting to uncover a link between his life profession and his death.

While Hasse has tried cases involving the Aryan Brotherhood, he had no open cases involving them. That group is a part of the investigation but detectives say it is not the sole focus, by any means.

E-mail twoodard@wfaa.com