05/29/2026
What was Jim doing in Galena, Kansas a half an hour before sunrise, and 30 miles away from home, on that warm August morning in 2003?
To put it simply, Jim was investigating citizen complaints of abuse from officers in the Galena Police Department, including Cameron Arthur, who was chief at the time. We will get into more of that in a future post.
There had been some serious allegations made regarding police misconduct, and Jim expressed some personal concerns to Joplin, Missouri attorney Roger Johnson, as well as his wife Carolyn.
In an email to Johnson just a few weeks prior to his death, Jim told the attorney about his looking into the police department, adding, “I just wanted to let you know about this in case I disappear, ha!” Johnson has since stated that he did not believe that Jim was in any danger at the time.
Following his death, Jim’s widow Carolyn spoke of a conversation she had with her husband about a month before he was shot.
She stated that Jim told her, “If anything happens to me, I want you to look at the Galena Police Department.” She said that he also added, “Carolyn, listen to me. I’m serious. If you delve into it, if you ask too many questions, you’re next.”
Yet, Jim’s death was a “su*cide.” Accountability may never come. But the truth will start to emerge, sooner or later.
