An arrest has been made in a cold case murder that happened in Hutchinson over 40 years a go.

According to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, a Phoenix man connected to the 1982 murder of Michael McKeown has been arrested for his role in the crime.

Jerry Allen, 75, of Phoenix, Arizona, was brought back to Kansas, and was booked into the Reno County Jail on Wednesday morning.

On Thursday, Jan. 25, KBI agents secured an arrest warrant for The Phoenix Police Department arrested Allen around 7 p.m. at a residence at 4501 W. Acoma Dr., in Phoenix. He was arrested for first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Allen was booked into the Maricopa County Jail. Extradition was waived, and Allen was transported to Kansas, where he will face charges.

Michael McKeown, then age 44, of Hutchison, was found dead on the morning of March 24, 1982. The Hutchinson Police Department and the KBI investigated McKeown’s murder. Investigators believe he was shot and killed the prior night in his car, while it was parked in the lot outside of his apartment at 320 E. Sherman St., in Hutchinson.

In the last year, KBI agents conducted several key interviews in three states, which provided the additional evidence needed to proceed with charges in this cold case.

This investigation is ongoing.