An autopsy announced Jan. 5 found 13-year-old Airen Andula died of "multiple dog bite injuries." The boy was last seen on Dec. 21 in Pleasonton, Kan., and his body was found two days later in a creek bed in Bates County, Mo., about 30 miles from home. Damon Leonard, 47, has been charged in both Kansas and Missouri; he is held in Bates County on a $100,000 cash-only bond on an abandonment-of-a-corpse charge and pleaded not guilty. Authorities say Leonard admitted transporting the child to Missouri and leaving the body at the creek bed; the investigation is ongoing.
Autopsy: 13-Year-Old Airen Andula Died From Multiple Dog Bites; Man Charged After Reporting Body
Linn County Sheriff’s Office; Bates County Sheriff's OfficeAiren Andula; Damon Leonard
An autopsy has concluded that 13-year-old Airen Andula of Pleasonton, Kansas, died from "multiple dog bite injuries," authorities announced on Jan. 5. The Wyandotte County Coroner’s Office released the cause of death in a statement shared by the Kansas City Police Department.
What Happened
Andula was last seen in his neighborhood on the morning of Sunday, Dec. 21. He had been riding his bicycle to a neighbor’s house to feed pets while the family was away and did not return home that evening. Two days later, his body was discovered in a remote creek bed in Bates County, Missouri, about 30 miles from his home, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office said.
Suspect And Charges
Authorities say 47-year-old Damon Leonard, also of the Pleasanton area, has been charged in connection with the case in both Kansas and Missouri. In Linn County, Kansas, Leonard faces charges including interference with law enforcement, criminal desecration and keeping a vicious dog at large. In Bates County, Missouri, he is held on a $100,000 cash-only bond on a charge of abandonment of a corpse.
A probable cause affidavit obtained by PEOPLE alleges Leonard called the Bates County Sheriff’s Office on Dec. 23 to report he knew where the missing boy was and that the child was dead. According to the affidavit, "Leonard admitted that he transported the deceased child from Kansas to Missouri and left the body at the bottom of the creek bed before traveling back to Kansas where he resides." Leonard pleaded not guilty in Bates County Circuit Court on Dec. 23, PEOPLE reported. It is not yet clear whether he has entered a plea on the Kansas charges or whether he has retained counsel to speak on his behalf.
"It’s unbelievable and we’re still not wanting to believe it’s real, but we know it is," Andula’s mother, Anita Gunn, told KSHB, describing the family’s grief.
Ongoing Investigation
Investigators in both Kansas and Missouri continue to probe the circumstances surrounding Andula’s disappearance, transport and death. Officials have not released additional details about how the injuries occurred or the involvement of any animals beyond the coroner’s finding; the investigation remains active.
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