Man’s remains identified nearly a decade after disappearance
By KAKE News Staff
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ERIE, Kansas (KAKE) — Nearly a decade after his disappearance, a Kansas sheriff’s office has officially identified the remains of a man missing from Erie.
The Neosho County Sheriff’s Office says the department has officially identified the remains of 60-year-old Jay Kevin Shumate.
Shumate was reportedly last seen on Jan. 17, 2016, in Erie, Kan. Around 10 a.m. that day, he and his mom drove to a pharmacy near Main and State streets in town, according to a case file with the Department of Justice. He parked the truck and got out. He did not take his wallet or other belongings with him and was not seen since, the report states.
On January 21, 2016, the Erie Police Department and the Neosho County Sheriff’s Office assisted with a search of the surrounding area of Erie.
According to the Erie Police Department, Shumate had not returned home. It was reported that Shumate would frequently walk along US59 or Main Street south to the Neosho River.
On January 22, 2016, a large search consisting of community volunteers, law enforcement and volunteer firefighters searched the surrounding snow-covered sections of land. With an emphasis on searching the area between Erie and the Neosho River. The search was conducted with individuals on foot, ATVs, horseback, and aircraft. The search was unsuccessful. At the time, there were a couple of alleged possible sightings of Shumate, one claiming to have seen someone similar hitchhiking on US69 near Pittsburg. The Erie Police Department’s investigation into Shumate’s disappearance was unsuccessful.
Since that time, the Neosho River has flooded a few times.
On February 13, 2023, the sheriff’s office received a report of a human skull that had been found the previous day by people looking for deer antler sheds. Investigators collected the skull and took it to the location of its discovery. The area is prone to flooding from the river. Investigators searched for any other remains or clothing in a large area around where the skull was found. This search yielded nothing.
The skull was taken to the Washburn University Forensic Anthropology lab for testing. The testing estimated that the skull was likely from a male.
The sheriff’s office requested assistance from the KBI with the investigation. Familial DNA samples were collected from a member of the Shumate family. DNA profiles were sent to PTC Laboratories in Texas.
Yesterday, August 25, 2025, the sheriff’s Office received the DNA Analysis confirming that the skull is the remains of Shumate. The cause of death is unknown.
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