Photo and story by
Andrea Schlueter
I really don’t know how to caption this, besides just tell you how life-changing Saturday was for so many. My words won’t do justice for what this day meant for everyone, but maybe the shaky portraits I took can help story tell that. Shaky, because my emotions were also high.
Jason Evans, the officer who apprehended Matthew Dempsey in Nevada, had flown ALL the way to Ohio to meet Gina’s children, family, and friends this Saturday, July 10th, 2021. This being 3 years after he had been the one to help bring Gina justice, and the family peace.
Here is a little background if you are unaware of the history, and loss that occurred in our community.
On April 15th, 2018, Morgan, Macy, Evan, and Jensen received the worst news of their lives. Their Mother, Gina Mann was gone. Murdered.
During this tragic, dark day, they had also found out that the man responsible for their mother’s death, was not able to be located…
I will not pretend to know in my words how any of them felt, or the emotions they endured, but I can tell you, that all of us were sunken, ANGRY, and just anxious to have this man found, to know WHY to have JUSTICE and eventually peace.
Across the country, 3 days after Gina was found, while Morgan, Macy, Evan, Jensen, all of Gina’s friends and family waited for more news. Some scared for their own lives (Some of 4 children even at friends hiding), there was an officer on duty in Nevada, getting his coffee, early around 8:00 am, just another day on duty, starting his day. It was supposed to be a routine day on duty.
IN FACT, this particular officer was not even supposed to be on duty this particular day but had filled in for a coworker on his day off.
The officer’s name was Jason Evans. The town Jason worked for is much like Paulding. He described it as even smaller than Paulding. Just like Paulding, everyone knows everyone in his town. There are also drug problems in his town, so he explained how they were always to be hyper-vigilant by the I-80 highway.
Jason stated while on duty, he saw a car that grabbed his attention, the vehicle had made an illegal turn while on the road, and the license plates the officer was unable to read.
Jason stated he pulled over the car thinking, this would be a routine ticket, and the driver would be off on his way.
Things did not end up like that. Jason stated the situation intensified quickly. During the pullover, Jason spotted a rifle with the driver. Jason acted quickly, and there was a standoff with Dempsey.
Dempsey was pointing the rifle at his head. The officer made the decision to try to talk down the driver. Jason still not knowing that this man was wanted for murder. Jason was able to talk down Dempsey and able to retrieve the weapon Dempsey had. The same weapon he murdered Gina with. Jason was able to apprehend Dempsey to where he would then be transferred to the local jail, and eventually, transferred back to Paulding where he would have to face his consequences.
Jason stated he found out the crime Dempsey had done in Paulding. He stated Dempsey began to talk about what he had done. Jason stated Dempsey had told him he was planning on going to the Redwoods in California and had planned to commit suicide. Jason kept composure during this, but during Jason speaking to all of us, he was emotional with everything that had happened to the events leading up to the arrest, knowing then what the family has been going through.
Macy, Gina’s youngest daughter, had reached out to Jason after she had found out what had happened to her mother. She stated she called up the local town’s police office, and was directed to Jason’s line by the secretary. Jason, told us, that he was shocked, he had not expected this call, he stated he had to hold the phone away from his ear because he couldn’t believe it.
Macy and Jason kept in touch, and Macy asked if Jason would ever consider coming to Ohio to meet their family and friends to be a guest of honor. Jason stated he had thought about this many times, but was afraid to reach out, and didn’t know if enough time had passed for the family to heal.
This past Saturday, Jason flew from Nevada to Chicago, and then drove from Chicago to Paulding Ohio. Macy’s family held a celebration of life for Gina, at a friend’s house, and was surrounded by Gina’s children, family, and friends, with Jason being the long-awaited guest of honor!
We all anxiously awaited his arrival, watching every car drive down the road.
When Jason arrived emotions were high, the family was in shock, Jason himself was in shock. There were tears, laughter, questions, serious conversations, and stories about Gina’s personality, and what she meant to everyone.
I was so happy, I was able to be there, witness, photograph, watch everyone’s reactions, and ask my questions as well.
We are all forever thankful for God, the universe, aligning and having Jason there at that moment during that early Nevada morning. He was in the right place, at the right time.
I believe from the conversations we had this past Saturday night, that it has given many of us more closure, and peace. We all sure hope the same for Jason as well.
Jason, even though from Nevada, is a hero in Paulding, Ohio for many of us!
More photos on Andrea Schleuter Photography Facebook page
