KS KS - Jonathan Clayton, 42, interim Peabody city clerk, failed to show up for work meeting, Peabody, 3 Aug 2024

[citizen_sleuth]

Kansas town's interim city clerk is missing

Jonathan Clayton was last heard from on Saturday, and a missing person's report was filed on Monday.

www.kake.com

<snipped>
Kansas authorities are looking for interim Peabody city clerk Jonathan Clayton.

He was last heard from on Saturday, and his husband filed a missing person's report on Monday.

KAKE News talked to Peabody mayor Catherine Weems on Friday, who says she talked to Clayton on Saturday over the phone.

"We spoke for a few minutes and had a good conversation. Had a good conversation, and then I was contacted later in the day saying he didn't show up for a meeting,” said Weems.

Weems says he's never been late to a meeting.

[...]

"We knew he was running errands before the meeting, and that was the last contact in the last communication,” said Peabody.

[...]

Court documents show in 2016, Clayton pleaded guilty to felony forgery and theft in Philadelphia. He was ordered to pay restitution of $210,000.

Weems says the city knew about Clayton's past, but decided to give him the role with the condition he would be limited to administrative duties and nothing to do with the city's money.

[...]

The missing persons report for Clayton says he is 6 feet tall, weighs 215 pounds, has brown hair and hazel eyes. If you have any information on Clayton's whereabouts, contact the KBI at 785-296-4017, or 1-800-KS-CRIME.

 

[GraceG]

Here is the court record for the case referenced in the missing article. 8 years old, no other criminal records in PA under his name and DOB. https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/Repor...-CR-0021663-2016&dnh=9Hc2cQN6bgK88WtEg++1oA==

THIS is interesting. When the article in the opening thread above states the city knew about his criminal past when they hired them, it wasn't hiring him as a city clerk, it was hiring him as an animal control officer. He then became city clerk after the previous one was fired June 3. The missing man's husband is a city council member.

According to the article he still owes $195,000 in restitution for the criminal charges in PA. Felon acted as city clerk | Marion County Record | July 11, 2024 ()

 

[citizen_sleuth]

Missing in Kansas: Peabody's interim city clerk still missing

New information on a missing persons case from Peabody. The city’s interim clerk has been missing for more than ten days.

www.kake.com

<snipped>
His husband says he believes Clayton fled town, but he did not drain the couple’s bank accounts when he disappeared.

Both police and the city confirm investigators have access to his computer and no city money is missing at this time.

[...]

His husband says the whole town loved Clayton, and he’s probably experiencing issues with mental health.

 

[azure]

Peabody is a small town in central Kansas, with a 2020 population of 937.

Peabody, Kansas - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[citizen_sleuth]

LOTS of new information in this article:

Demand to repay $740,000 grant linked to clerk's disappearance | Peabody Gazette-Bulletin | Aug. 15, 2024 ()

• On July 25, the Kansas Department of Commerce told Peabody Main Street (a private group operating out of city hall) that it terminated a $1.5 million grant for failure to provide required reports
• On Aug. 5, the Kansas Department of Commerce sent a letter to Peabody Main Street requesting the first $740,000 installment of the grant back. Peabody Main Street received the first installment on June 15, 2023.
• The Kansas Department of Commerce set a deadline of Aug. 21 for the $740,000 to be reimbursed
• Peabody Main Street sent an email out to members on Aug. 12 stating that the second $740,000 grant installment would not be made because Clayton failed to file the necessary paperwork
• Peabody Main Street has said they are not aware of any grant funds being misappropriated and say they have sent documentation to the Kansas Department of Commerce
• An agenda packet for the City Council meeting on Aug. 12 contained an invoice from St. Luke Hospital that was paid with a city credit card bearing Clayton's name
• Kiowa County Sheriff Kendal Lothman disclosed that Clayton is under a separate investigation by authorities in Kiowa. Clayton and his husband lived in Kiowa County before moving to Peabody in 2023
• An email purporting to be from Clayton was sent to people in Peabody saying that if he disappeared or died, the Kansas Department of Commerce and its director, Lt. Gov. Dave Toland, should "be looked at"

 

[realanastasia]

LOTS of new information in this article:

Demand to repay $740,000 grant linked to clerk's disappearance | Peabody Gazette-Bulletin | Aug. 15, 2024 ()

• On July 25, the Kansas Department of Commerce told Peabody Main Street (a private group operating out of city hall) that it terminated a $1.5 million grant for failure to provide required reports
• On Aug. 5, the Kansas Department of Commerce sent a letter to Peabody Main Street requesting the first $740,000 installment of the grant back. Peabody Main Street received the first installment on June 15, 2023.
• The Kansas Department of Commerce set a deadline of Aug. 21 for the $740,000 to be reimbursed
• Peabody Main Street sent an email out to members on Aug. 12 stating that the second $740,000 grant installment would not be made because Clayton failed to file the necessary paperwork
• Peabody Main Street has said they are not aware of any grant funds being misappropriated and say they have sent documentation to the Kansas Department of Commerce
• An agenda packet for the City Council meeting on Aug. 12 contained an invoice from St. Luke Hospital that was paid with a city credit card bearing Clayton's name
• Kiowa County Sheriff Kendal Lothman disclosed that Clayton is under a separate investigation by authorities in Kiowa. Clayton and his husband lived in Kiowa County before moving to Peabody in 2023
• An email purporting to be from Clayton was sent to people in Peabody saying that if he disappeared or died, the Kansas Department of Commerce and its director, Lt. Gov. Dave Toland, should "be looked at"

So the missing person was publicly named and shamed for causing this “private group operating out of city hall” (what in the world?!) to lose state funding by his failure to provide required paperwork to the granting agency—sounds like a motive for self-harm to me, further compounded by the fact that an invoice for (what I presume is) the missing man’s medical treatment at St. Luke Hospital was shared with the public at the City Council meeting. If that treatment was for any kind of potentially embarrassing condition or for something that the community might have looked at with disdain, it would be pretty mortifying (I am not saying that the missing man was right to use a city credit card to pay for a private medical expense, of course).

Interestingly, the article explicitly states that the Commerce Department pulled this organization’s grant money because they found out about Clayton’s previous felony conviction, not (or not only) because he didn’t file appropriate paperwork for the grant to continue being disbursed.

Edited to add that I heartily endorse clicking the link and reading the full article—it is a real gem of journalism—local-level, dogged investigative reporting that isn’t afraid to call out shady goings-on and possible malfeasance in local government. I only wish more newspapers today carried this type of reporting.

 

[truthfinder2019]

A Day In The Life: Jonathan Clayton

Working from home for the first time? You might be wondering how others work from home. Read Jonathan’s story to find out more...

blog.belaysolutions.com

Felon acted as city clerk | Marion County Record | July 11, 2024 ()

Clerk latest to go in Peabody purge | Marion County Record | June 6, 2024 ()

Promoted to clerk, felon vanishes ... but then sends mysterious emails to townsfolk | Marion County Record | Aug. 15, 2024 ()

“…On Aug. 7, four days after Clayton went missing, an email purporting to be from him was sent to a number of people.

It said that if he disappeared or died, the Kansas Department of Commerce and its director, Dave Toland, were among people who should “be looked at.”

Department of Commerce spokesman Pat Lowry said the email has been read by Commerce officials. He made no comment on it….”

 

[azure]

This is a very interesting case. I have a friend who works for the Kansas governor, and the rumor has it that a three letter organization will soon be involved.

 

[GraceG]

This last article posted the 14th I think has some new information in it. Apparently the missing man was also under investigation by the Kiowa Co. Sheriff's office for something NOT pertaining to his being missing. Marion County RECORD

 

[citizen_sleuth]

This is a very interesting case. I have a friend who works for the Kansas governor, and the rumor has it that a three letter organization will soon be involved.

It sounds like an outside LE organization needs to get involved — MOO but it seems like the local government is either incompetent or corrupt based on the numerous conflicting statements made by the mayor and council members.

 

[LadyL]

sounds like it was all coming down to the wire where he would be exposed as committing fraud again and deceiving those who trusted him

 

[Knox]

Peabody is a small town in central Kansas, with a 2020 population of 937.

Peabody, Kansas - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Lol when I read the story I was like wait, what? Now it makes sense, very small pool ofemployee candidates to chose from. Apparently, no reason to take footbail unless something was going to come to light soon. Guess we wait and see?