Man arrested after Kansas boy’s death is related to former local officials, sheriff says
Editor’s note: On Monday, Kansas City, Kansas police released autopsy results for Airen Andula, saying the 13-year-old boy found dead in a Bates County creek bed died from “multiple dog bite injuries.”
Kansas authorities were searching for a missing Linn County teen a few days before Christmas when a call came in from across state lines.
That call, from the Bates County sheriff’s department, provided the first clues that led authorities to the body of Airen Andula who was found at the bottom of a Missouri creek bed. The information also helped law enforcement unravel a case that has devastated the 13-year-old’s family and friends and the community where the soft-spoken teen, known as gentle and kind, lived.
Nearly two weeks after Airen’s body was found, authorities handling the case still haven’t publicly disclosed what caused his death. And as that agency — Kansas City, Kansas Police Department — continues to investigate, it has released few details other than the man charged in Missouri with abandoning a corpse was also charged in Linn County with other violations.
Those charges included interference with law enforcement and having a vicious dog at large, according to a KCKPD news release.
Recent information shedding new light on what happened after Airen was reported missing the evening of Dec. 21 comes from Linn County Sheriff James Akes. He told The Star on Friday that he received the call from Bates County on Dec. 22 and immediately knew that his department could have a conflict if it handled the investigation.
“They explained to me that they had a man in custody in connection with the disappearance of the 13-year-old,” Akes said. After learning that the Pleasanton man in custody and accused of abandoning the teen’s corpse was Damon B. Leonard, 47, Akes said he knew an outside agency needed to handle the case.
Leonard’s family, the sheriff said, is heavily involved in the Linn County community. Not only is Leonard’s stepbrother, Kevin Friend, the former Linn County Sheriff, who left the position in September 2024, Akes said Leonard’s mother is a former county commissioner and “worked in the courthouse and they’re related to quite a few people and we needed transparency.”
“We didn’t want there to ever be a question that it wasn’t fairly looked at,” Akes said. “We don’t ever want there to be any conflict, bias or anything. We’re a small community. ... If anybody is related to anybody, we’re going to have to request outside agency help, whether it be another county or whatever the case may be.
“Because we don’t ever want there to be a question that there’s not full transparency here, that there was ever neglect or anything on the case.”
Investigation in Linn County
Linn County reached out to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation on Dec. 22. But that agency also had a conflict.
“KCKPD took the lead in this case at KBIs request,” said Melissa Underwood, a KBI spokesperson, in an email to The Star. “Linn County needed additional investigative support, but our agency had a conflict of interest. Specifically, one of our agents is related to a party in the case.
“We did send our crime scene response team to support KCKPD and the Linn County Sheriff’s Office with evidence processing.”
After leaving the sheriff’s post in Linn County in 2024, Friend had taken a job with the KBI.
Underwood further said that the potential family conflict “was immediately recognized.”
Earlier this week, KCK police released news about the additional charges filed in Linn County. In that release, a spokesperson said that police seized multiple dogs from Leonard’s property in Pleasanton and additional charges could be filed.
Late Friday afternoon, a KCK police spokesperson responded to an email from The Star and said there were no additional updates to share.
“While a number of charges have been filed, the investigation into Airen’s death remains ongoing,” said Nancy Chartrand, of KCK police. “Detectives have no new information to release at this time.”
Pleasanton man led authorities to body
Airen Andula was reported missing the night of Dec. 21 after he left for his friend’s house and did not return home in the Holiday Lakes community near Pleasanton, about an hour south of Kansas City.
A large-scale search effort ensued, involving several law enforcement agencies in rural Linn County, Kansas, and Bates County, Missouri.
The next day, deputies with the Bates County Sheriff’s Office received a call regarding the missing teen.
Leonard allegedly called the Bates County Sheriff’s Office, telling them the boy is dead. The Pleasanton man took authorities to the location where he said “he had placed the deceased child,” according to court records.
He’s being held in the Bates County Jail on a $100,000 cash-only bond, after pleading not guilty at his arraignment, and is due for another court appearance court at 9 a.m. on Jan. 15.
Airen’s mother, Anita Gunn, recently told The Star that she was awaiting the results of an autopsy. Airen’s memorial service was earlier this week.
Her teenage son, she said, was able to make friends easily. The energetic, fun-loving boy is also remembered for his love of collecting Hot Wheels and Legos.
Gunn said Airen was in many ways the “glue” of the family. Airen was one of eight children and always enjoyed family time, especially when grandma came over, his mother said.
People with information are asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 816-474-TIPS (8477) or online at KCcrimestoppers.com.
GoFundMe account for Airen Andula’s family
A GoFundMe account established for the family, to help pay for funeral and cremation costs and other expenses, describes the toll the search for Airen took. And the shock that settled in after the teen was found at the bottom of a Missouri creek bed in Bates County.
When Airen first was reported missing, the post said, it sparked “a massive search across rugged woods and ravines that stretched into Missouri.”
“The entire community held its breath, hoping for his safe return,” the GoFundMe post said. “Tragically, Airen’s body was found the next day. ... The heartbreak of losing a child in such a way is unimaginable, and Anita and Jody are now facing the most difficult days of their lives.”
The Star’s Kendrick Calfee and PJ Green contributed to this reporting.
This story was originally published January 3, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
