NEOSHO COUNTY, Kan. — A skull discovered In February 2023 along the Neosho River had been confirmed as that of an Erie Man who disappeared over 9 ½ years ago.
Neosho County Sheriff Greg Taylor said in a release Tuesday a DNA analysis has confirmed the skull to be that of Jay Shumate. Shumate, who was known to frequently walk along US 59 or Main Street from Erie to the river, disappeared January 17, 2016, after leaving his elderly mother sitting in a pickup earlier in the day.
She told officers Jay was going to a “sports thing” and did not want her to go. She had been in the truck for several hours before Erie Police made contact with her on a welfare check.
In the days that followed, a search was conducted that involved numerous agencies on foot, horseback, ATV and aircraft, which was unsuccessful. At the time there had been a couple of reported sightings including one near Pittsburg, but that investigation at that time was unsuccessful.
In February 2023 a human skull was found by people who had been looking for deer antler sheds in an area prone to flooding along the river. Another search was conducted covering a large area around where the skull was found that yielded nothing.
The skull was taken to Washburn University’s Forensic Anthropology lab for testing, which estimated the skull was likely from a male.
At that time assistance from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation was requested, and from that familial DNA samples were collected from a Shumate family member, with DNA profiles sent to PTC Laboratories in Texas, which confirmed Shumate’s identity Monday. Cause of death at this time remains unknown.
