Sheriff: Argonia teen killed himself
An investigation into the death of the 19-year-old found on train tracks shows no signs that anyone else was involved, the sheriff says.
BY DANA STRONGIN
The Wichita Eagle
An Argonia teen who was struck by a train in July committed suicide, the Sumner County sheriff has ruled.
A train crew found Jake Allen's body early on July 5.
In a statement released Thursday, Sheriff Gerald Gilkey said that Allen, 19, killed himself but tried to make it look like a crime.
"The death was staged to give the appearance of a homicide," the statement said. "There is no evidence that any other person or persons took part in or were present at Mr. Allen's death."
News reports have quoted unnamed officials saying that Allen's body was tied to the train tracks. Gilkey has not denied that report. He did not return calls Thursday evening.
Gladys Buresh said she heard about the announcement as she was leaving her job as Argonia's city clerk. An hour later, she still struggled with what to say or think.
"It is very hard, and I know that it will hit everyone here very hard," Buresh said, sighing.
Allen graduated in May as valedictorian of his class. He was a football player and the homecoming king. He was a member of the National Honor Society and had won speaking awards. He worked on local farms and volunteered to help with the city recycling program.
The more than 100 students at Allen's school will be brought together this morning, said Julie Dolley, superintendent of Argonia schools.
A handful of crisis counselors will be available to talk to students.
"We will bring everyone together and get the information out there, let them know that it's OK to talk about it," Dolley said.
"It's going to be a rough day, but we'll get through it."
The people of Argonia, population 535, have had a tough time dealing with Allen's death and the investigation, which continued for 13 weeks with little information released to the public.
As the weeks passed and rumors flew, residents said they wanted to know more about the investigation and its progress. Some wondered whether their safety was at risk.
Buresh said she supported investigators for taking their time.
"It created some tension, mostly because people were frustrated. They needed to know what was going on," she said. "There are just times when that isn't what happens -- they don't get to know when they want to know."
The investigation included help from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit and the Sumner County Mental Health Center, the sheriff's statement said. Forensic examinations included handwriting analysis, tool mark identification, fiber comparison, blood analysis and DNA matching. Two computers were also searched.
Investigators kept school officials well-informed, Dolley said, and she said she thinks they did a thorough job.
"It's not what we wanted to hear; it was hard to hear and accept," she said. "They had reasons for making that determination."
Although the sheriff's finding may raise a new set of questions in Argonia, Buresh hopes residents will be able to focus on what she sees as most important: Allen's family.
"I think they will probably get past this stage, I hope, and think about Jake, say their prayers for Jake," she said.
Allen's parents, Joe and Brenda, are "good people," she said, and they will continue to need support.
Family members declined to comment Thursday.
"Yes, we are going to miss Jake, and we loved Jake, but I did not see him on a daily basis," Buresh said. "His parents did, his family did. They are the ones who are going to miss him for the rest of their lives."
Dolley said she hopes the sheriff's statement puts an end to rumors, for the sake of Allen's family and the students.
"We need this to be resolved and over," she said.
http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/9865557.htm