DNA testing confirms death of missing Erie Kansas man

DNA testing has confirmed the identity of a man from Erie, Kansas, that had been missing for nearly a decade.

Jay Shumate was 60-years-old when he was last seen on January 17, 2016.

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 were taken 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 Jay Shumate.

The cause of death is unknown. A Sheriff’s Office Investigator has notified the next of kin.