By Matt Unruh ~ Great Bend Post
Barton County officials are still looking for 30-year-old Michael Aaron Jayne, described as a white male, standing at 5-foot 10-inches tall, and weighing 180 pounds with brown eyes and blonde hair.
Jayne is wanted by U.S. Marshalls and authorities in Oregon.
A vehicle that was stolen from Rooks County was recovered in the Cheyenne Bottoms area Friday morning approximately 8:00 am. A citizens report of a subject walking east of the rest area on highway 156 matching the description launched a man hunt in the area on the east side of Cheyenne Bottoms. Tree rows were searched in the area but no one was located.
Agencies involved included Barton County Sheriffs Office, Great Bend Police Department, Kansas Highway Patrol, Kansas Fish and Game, Hoisington Police Department, and Claflin Police Department.
Kansas Highway Patrol aircraft and K-9 units, along with Barton County and Great Bend Police K-9 units assisted in the search.
After the search was concluded, officers fanned out for a 2 mile area around the bottoms to conduct welfare checks on houses and outbuildings. Flyers were distributed to area residences with photos of the individual. Media outlets were notified earlier, to air descriptions and photos of the individual for safety reasons.
At approximately 9:00 pm Friday night, Barton County Sheriffs Office received a report of a stolen pickup from the Barton Hills area. Stolen was a 1988 Dodge Dakota pickup, white and primer in color. Vehicle contained a quarter tank of gas, and keys were left in the vehicle. It is not known at this time when the vehicle was stolen as it was last seen by the owner at approximately noon on Thursday. The pickup was stolen approximately 4 miles from where the original stolen vehicle was recovered near Cheyenne Bottoms.
It’s unknown at this time if the incidents are related, so Barton County Sheriffs Office requests citizens in the area to keep their eyes open until further information surfaces. If you have any information in regards to these crimes, or if you see an individual matching Jayne’s description, call 911.