Pike County District Attorney Ray Tonkin announced on September 15 that all charges against Jared Masker were bound over for trial after a preliminary hearing was held in the Pike County Courthouse in Milford before a Magisterial District Judge.

The Pennsylvania State Police have charged Masker, age 31, with the crimes of Murder, Aggravated Assault, Firearms Not to be Carried without a License and Possession of the Instruments of a Crime. The charges are the result of the shooting death of Kristopher Hanscom in the parking lot of the Silver Lake Tavern in Delaware Township that occurred on August 18, 2015.

During the hearing, the Judge heard evidence from an eyewitness that Masker placed a handgun underneath the chin of Hanscom before firing one shot. The Court also heard additional testimony and evidence which included autopsy findings as well as determinations by the Lehigh County Coroner. Hanscom did not immediately succumb to the gunshot wound but passed away a day later after he had been taken to the Lehigh Valley Medical Center. Hanscom was 23 years old and was a resident of Pike County.

District Attorney Ray Tonkin and his First Assistant District Attorney Bruce DeSarro were the prosecutors that conducted the hearing. Tonkin stated after the hearing, “As with each of the murder cases that I have prosecuted over the years, my commitment in this case is to make sure that justice is served on behalf of not only the victim but his family as well.”

Tonkin also noted that Masker is being held in the Pike County Correctional Facility without bail due to the nature of the charges and will remain there pending the completion of the case.