Teen, fathers and grandfathers among those recently killed. Their families seek help
A teenager with a passion for sports and digital arts was killed in an early morning traffic accident.
A husband and father of three children died in an accident at I-135 and Hydraulic in Wichita.
A grandfather and outdoorsman going fishing was fatally shot at El Dorado Lake.
Two Kansans, including a father with three children under three, died in a fiery collision in Sumner County.
Grieving families of all these men are now asking for help supporting funeral costs and surviving family members. Here is more about each person.
Jesse Njagi, 18
Loved ones described Jesse Njagi in his obituary as a “radiant and impactful young soul” who had a contagious energy and enthusiasm for life.
The 18-year-old Trinity High School student had a passion for videography, photography and entrepreneurship. He also loved trying new sports, from football and skiing to basketball and golf, his obituary said.
“(These were) ventures that reflected his innovative spirit and growing leadership,” his obituary read. “Jesse was a dreamer who didn’t just imagine a brighter world; he actively inspired others to see it too.”
The Bel Aire teen was driving in the 4100 block of North Rock Road on Sept. 28 when his vehicle left the road. Njagi’s 2019 Hyundai struck a tree, and officers found Njagi trapped inside. He was extracted by the Wichita Fire Department and was transported to a hospital in critical condition.
Two days later, on Sept. 30., Njagi died as a result of his injuries.
Jesse was survived by his parents, two brothers, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.
Njagi’s GoFundMe can be found here.
Bradley Theis, 39
Theis was a “sincere man, a devoted friend and a loving husband and dad” who was known for his love of Sunday pizza nights and Minnesota Vikings football. The father of three also loved playing with his kids, talking about football with his sister and fishing, according to his obituary.
“Bradley was a kind-hearted, hardworking, and devoted husband and father who always put his family first,” Theis’ widow, Iatziri, wrote in his GoFundMe. “His sudden passing has left an unfillable void in the hearts of everyone who knew him.”
Theis, a Wichita native, died on Oct. 6 after losing control of his Dodge SUV as he was trying to take an exit off northbound I-135 at Hydraulic.
According to initial reports, the vehicle momentarily “became airborne” before rolling and coming to a rest on its top.
Theis’ GoFundMe can be found here.
Rodney Logan, 57
Logan died while trying to go fishing, something he loved, his stepdaughter, Elizabeth Shively, said in his GoFundMe. Logan was a fishing and motorcycle enthusiast, his obituary read. He was also a Navy veteran and a member of American Legion Post 4 in Wichita.
The 57-year-old Augusta man was fatally shot near an El Dorado Lake campsite while out fishing before sunrise on Oct. 6.
Logan was unloading his fishing gear near the Goose Cove Campsite when an altercation broke out between him and another man, according to the Butler County Times-Gazette.
Jeffrey Boucher, 63, was living out of his SUV at the lake and didn’t know Logan, the Times-Gazette reported.
The Butler County Sheriff’s Office arrested Boucher, who has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with Logan’s death
Logan is survived by his wife, father, siblings, several children and 19 grandchildren.
Logan’s GoFundMe can be found here.
Michael Windahl, 29, and John Stoddard, 56
Windahl was a husband and father of three children, ages 1, 2 and 3. He was originally from Arizona, but he and his family have been living in rural Harper since 2022, according to his obituary.
Stoddard of Belle Plaine was also a husband and father.
His son, Justin Harp, described Stoddard as the best husband, father, grandfather, son and friend that a family could ask for. Money raised through Harp’s GoFundMe will help cover the cost of five urns for each of Stoddard’s five children, as well as other related expenses.
The two men died in a fiery Oct. 7 car crash when Stoddard’s Ford F-150 collided with Windahl’s Peterbilt semi on U.S. 160 and Hillside Road, east of Wellington. Both vehicles came to rest in the south ditch before catching on fire. Both drivers died at the scene.
Windahl’s GoFundMe can be found here, and Stoddard’s can be found here.
