BATES COUNTY, MO. – The Bates County Coroner’s Office has identified the 12 victims of a plane crash that occurred Sunday, June 14, 2026, at Butler Memorial Airport in Butler, Missouri, while cautioning that authorities are still working to make “certain” the deceased are positively identified.
In a statement posted by the coroner’s office, Bates County Coroner Jerret J. Reno said the victims were identified “through the provided manifest and next-of-kin notifications.” He said the investigation remains ongoing as officials work “to reunite the deceased with their loved ones.”
“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 the 12 passengers on board the plane,” Reno said.
The coroner’s office said it delayed releasing the names “to allow time for the friends and families to reach out to their extended families.” Reno also offered condolences “to the friends and families associated with the tragedy at the Butler Memorial Airport in Butler, MO.”
The victims identified by the coroner’s office were:
— Kurt John Roy, 69, of Windber, Pennsylvania
— Michael R. Shanahan, 54, of Kansas City, Missouri
— David Hershberger, 54, of Liberty, Missouri
— Sai Karthik Varma Datla, 24, of India
— Matthew Swope, 39, of Independence, Missouri
— Dustin McKinney, 44, of Stilwell, Kansas
— Jennifer L. Sharp, 55, of Grand Junction, Colorado
— Blake Thacker, 25, of Olathe, Kansas
— Marcus Miller, 30, of Lawrence, Kansas
— Nicholas Nash, 40, of Harrisonville, Missouri
— William Fischer, 23, of De Soto, Kansas
— Dane Cordes, 26, of Richmond, Missouri
Reno said the coroner’s office continues to work with local, state, and federal agencies to investigate the crash.
“We ask that you allow time and pray for everyone involved as this investigation will take months to complete and has touched people nationwide,” Reno said.
