MANCHESTER — A Leslie County grand jury returned an indictment last week against a Bear Branch man in connection with the murder of Cecil Burkhart, whose disappearance in July 2016 remained a mystery for nearly a decade.
Jonathon Hacker, 41, of Bear Branch, was indicted on charges of murder, kidnapping resulting in the victim's death, abuse of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence.
The indictment follows an investigation by Kentucky State Police that led to the discovery of human remains in a well in Leslie County. Authorities subsequently confirmed the remains belonged to Burkhart, who was reported missing July 10, 2016, after last being seen in the Oneida area of Clay County.
Hacker was arrested Friday morning by Kentucky State Police Trooper Don Trosper at the Office of Probation and Parole and lodged in the Clay County Detention Center.
According to an arrest warrant, Kentucky State Police Post 11 detectives received numerous tips in August 2026 concerning Burkhart's disappearance. Those tips led investigators to pursue new information about the case, ultimately resulting in the discovery of human remains in Leslie County.
Following an autopsy, the preliminary manner of death was determined to be homicide.
The arrest warrant outlines allegations concerning the circumstances surrounding Burkhart's disappearance and death.
Kentucky State Police Trooper Timothy Ryan Moore stated in the warrant that investigators corroborated information through multiple witnesses alleging Hacker kidnapped Burkhart, tied him up and restrained him with the intent of causing bodily injury and terrorizing him.
Investigators allege Burkhart remained restrained for a period of time before Hacker shot and killed him.
The warrant further alleges Hacker attempted to conceal the crime by disposing of Burkhart's body in a well on Bear Branch Road in Leslie County.
Sources close to the investigation previously told The Manchester Enterprise that bones had been discovered in a well on property associated with Hacker's family.
Burkhart's family had previously provided DNA for comparison in the missing person investigation. Authorities later confirmed the recovered remains were those of Burkhart.
The discovery brought a significant development in a case that had remained unresolved for approximately 10 years.
Burkhart's disappearance had been one of the area's longstanding missing person investigations, with few publicly reported developments until the recent discovery of his remains.
The grand jury's decision to return an indictment moves the case into the next phase of the criminal justice process.
The case will be prosecuted in Leslie County, where court proceedings will determine the outcome of the charges against Hacker.
Although the indictment represents a major development in the investigation, many questions surrounding Burkhart's disappearance and death remain to be addressed through the court proceedings.
For Burkhart's family, the identification of his remains provided an answer to one of the most important questions surrounding his disappearance, although the circumstances of his death remain the subject of criminal prosecution.
Editor's Note: An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal wrongdoing and is not evidence of guilt. The allegations contained in the arrest warrant have not been proven in court. Hacker is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
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