Jacob Ellingson, (Buffalo County Jail, Courtesy)
KEARNEY — A Kearney man who was the subject of a manhunt in 2023 and charged with child abuse has been sentenced.
Jacob Ellingson, now 26, had been charged with committing intentional child abuse – injury, a Class 2A felony and committing intentional child abuse – no injury, a Class 3A felony.
Ellingson appeared for a pre-trail hearing on Dec. 3 in Buffalo County District Court, where he pleaded no contest to amended charges. A no contest plea is neither an admission nor denial of guilt, but the plea is treated the same as a guilty plea.
In exchange for his plea, the court amended the first county to an attempt of a Class 2 felony.
On Thursday, Feb. 6, Buffalo County District Court Judge John Marsh sentenced Ellingson to eight to 20 years in the first count and one to three years in the second count. The sentences will be served concurrently of one another.
Ellingson was given credit for 511 days served.
According to the Kearney Police Department, law enforcement began searching for Ellingson, who was wanted for two separate counts of child abuse.
“On Monday, Sept. 11, a credible tip and photo was received that Ellingson was in a cornfield north of Riverdale, in Buffalo County. KPD worked together with the Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office and the Nebraska State Patrol, including the Aviation Division from Lincoln, to search an area over four square miles. This thorough search lasted nearly seven hours,” according to the KPD.
Additionally, police UAV drones with high definition and thermal cameras, NSP’s helicopter with FLIR cameras, Police K9’s, foot patrol, ATV’s and mobile vehicle patrol were deployed to search this area.
The search continued into the early morning hours of Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023.
On Friday, Sept. 15, at approximately 3:30 a.m., a tip was received that Ellingson was inside a residence in the area of 115th and Grove Road.
“Members of KPD and BCSO responded with KPD/BCSO Emergency Service Unit (SWAT). Officers were able to contact Ellingson via cell phone and negotiated with him for several minutes. Ellingson voluntarily exited the residence and was taken into custody without incident. Ellingson has been booked into the Buffalo County Jail,” per the KPD.
Ellingson’s father, Clint Ellingson, 55, was sentenced in December 2024 to two years’ probation for false reporting.
