Dakota A. Patton, a 23-year-old Caucasian man, was last seen the evening of April 25, 2023, in Parsons, Kansas. His vehicle was found abandoned in a field in rural Labette County two days later, and his family reported him missing amid law enforcement’s early suspicion of foul play.

On May 8, 2023, deputies from the Labette County and Neosho County Sheriff’s Offices discovered Patton’s remains in a field in rural Neosho County. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation’s Crime Scene Response Team processed the scene and determined Patton died of an apparent gunshot wound. Two Parsons residents, 32-year-old Clint W. Nibarger and 47-year-old Kimberly J. Thomas, were arrested in Taney County, Missouri, the same day; warrants charged them with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Investigators say Nibarger was the last person seen with Patton and that an argument occurred at a gas station over a woman. Nibarger and Thomas had been married the day Patton’s vehicle was found and were traveling in Missouri when arrested.

Court filings show Nibarger later pleaded guilty to amended charges related to the shooting with prosecutors recommending a sentence just over 24 years; Thomas has pleaded not guilty and faces a potential jury trial. Dakota is remembered by his family as an avid outdoorsman and animal lover. Does anyone have information about Dakota’s movements in late April 2023 or about the gas station encounter mentioned by investigators?