Remembering the 12 victims of the Butler, Missouri, skydiving plane crash

A father of two who loved adventure.

A grandfather of six who started skydiving to honor his sister.

A nationally admired female skydiving instructor who friends compared to Beethoven.

They were among 12 people killed in the June 14 crash of a skydiving plane near Butler, Missouri, whose names were released days later by the Bates County Coroner’s Office.

County Coroner Jerret J. Reno said the victims were identified using the flight manifest and notifications made to next of kin. He cautioned that authorities were still working to formally confirm each identification.

“While the investigation is still ongoing, and we work to reunite the deceased with their loved ones, we feel comfortable that we have the identities of those 12 passengers on board the plane,” Reno said.

The Star had previously identified nine of the 12 people aboard the skydiving plane through interviews with relatives and friends and tributes posted online.

Here is the complete list of the victims, with links to their personal stories.

This story was originally published June 18, 2026 at 11:53 AM.