Jim Potts, a 51-year-old private investigator from Wyandotte, Oklahoma, was found dead beside his vehicle along Kansas Highway 26 south of Galena on August 26, 2003. Cherokee County authorities classified the death as suicide. Potts’s family publicly disputed that ruling, and the U.S. Department of Justice later confirmed that the FBI had been asked to conduct a preliminary review.
DateAugust 26, 2003
LocationKansas Highway 26 south of Galena, Kansas
StatusOfficially ruled suicide; family disputes the ruling
Potts was found beside his parked car on Highway 26 south of Galena. A pistol was reported near his body.
Death classified as suicide
Cherokee County authorities publicly characterized the death as suicide. Potts’s wife and family later challenged that conclusion.
Justice Department confirms preliminary FBI review
A Justice Department letter reported by the Joplin Globe said the FBI had been requested to conduct a preliminary investigation for any prosecutable federal civil-rights violation.
No superseding official ruling located
The public sources reviewed for this file do not document a later official change to the suicide classification.
Source record
Public sources
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