Investigation Ongoing After Peabody Clerk Found Dead

Jonathan L. Clayton, the interim city clerk of Peabody, Kansas, was identified as the deceased found in a crashed pickup truck in Harvey County. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) confirmed that Clayton's truck was discovered off the road, having reportedly crashed into a tree. Clayton had been missing since August 3, amid allegations of embezzling federal pandemic relief funds, and his handling of public funds was under scrutiny due to prior felony convictions for theft and forgery in Pennsylvania. His partner, Christopher King, noted that the crash likely occurred the day he went missing and expressed hope that an autopsy would clarify the circumstances of Clayton's death. Investigations are ongoing, with multiple law enforcement agencies involved, and Clayton's tragic case raises concerns about the management of public funds in Kansas.