A joint investigation has confirmed the man killed in a Harvey County crash this past weekend was former Peabody interim city clerk Jonathan Clayton.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation had joined the multi-agency investigation into Clayton’s disappearance and the management of public funds in Peabody shortly before Clayton’s truck was found in a Harvey County field with a body inside Sunday afternoon. The KBI issued a statement Thursday night saying Clayton was the man found dead inside the pickup. There is no evidence of foul play, but the investigation continues.
The wreck investigation, which also involved the Kansas Highway Patrol and Harvey County Sheriff’s Office, dovetailed into the original investigation into the use of a $1.5 million grant from the Kansas Department of Commerce to Peabody’s Main Street for downtown revitalization. Commerce paid about half of the grant amount and has said Peabody needs to refund that amount because the Main Street group had not offered outstanding financial or project reports. It also referred the matter to the FBI and US Treasury Department.
There were also concerns about business dealings in Clayton’s hometown of Mullinville, including the alleged theft of $120,000 from the Mullinville Community Foundation and $70,000 from the Mullinville Cemetery Board. Commerce is also demanding the return of over $425,000 awarded two years ago as part of a recreation equipment repair grant in Mullinville.
Clayton pleaded guilty in 2018 to counts of forgery, theft and conspiracy to commit theft in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He worked briefly for Commerce afterward, and even before Clayton’s death was publicly confirmed, Commerce issued a statement saying it could not perform “national level” criminal background checks for the position he held due to current state law. Commerce vetted Clayton through online searches, social media reviews and reference checks. Commerce says Clayton would not have been hired if it had known about the Pennsylvania convictions and has hired an independent third-party contractor to review all American Rescue Plan grants as a precautionary step.
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly says he and David Toland, the state’s lieutenant governor and Commerce Department director, will seek changes to background check laws as part of the 2025 legislative session. She also says the state will provide the support it can to the communities affected by Clayton’s financial decisions.
