Shocking Crime: Man Throws Boy into Ravine After Fatal Dog Attack, Says Attorney General

In a tragic incident that has sent shockwaves through a Kansas community, a 13-year-old boy was allegedly mauled to death by his neighbor’s dogs. This has led to the neighbor, Damon Leonard, facing charges of second-degree murder among other serious offenses. The young victim, Airen Andula, was reportedly on his way to tend to a friend’s pets when the attack occurred.

The dogs involved, described as mixed breeds of mastiff and pit bull, were known to roam freely in the neighborhood. On that fateful day in December 2025, as Airen made his way to a nearby house, the dogs allegedly launched a brutal attack. Just days before Christmas, what should have been a simple trip turned into a nightmare for Airen’s family and the local community.

Following the attack, Leonard, 47, is accused of taking the boy’s body and disposing of it by throwing it into a ravine located about 30 miles away in Missouri. This action led to a conviction in Missouri for the abandonment of a corpse, resulting in a four-year prison sentence handed down last week.

Building on this conviction, the Kansas Attorney General’s Office has now charged Leonard with additional crimes. These include murder, involuntary manslaughter, interference with law enforcement, criminal desecration by unauthorized control of a dead body, and allowing a dangerous animal to roam free.

This distressing case highlights the dire consequences of negligence and the potential dangers associated with certain breeds of dogs when not properly managed. The charges brought against Leonard reflect the serious nature of his alleged actions and the profound impact on Airen’s family and the community at large.

“I … could have overlooked, you know, the dog attack,” Jody Andula, Airen’s mother, told The Star in January. “That’s just a freak accident, but I can’t forgive him for what he did trying to hide my kid from us when we were all looking for him. Playing along like he didn’t know where he was at when he did know — that’s what I can’t accept.”

Andula said it was supposed to take Airen just five minutes to ride to his friend’s house to tend to their pets — chickens, a pet rooster and dogs — while his family was away, and then another five minutes to ride back.

Airen was biking on a gravel path when Leonard’s dogs allegedly attacked him.

“I mean, as a parent, you can’t imagine another parent doing [that], let alone watching it, and not helping a child,” said Ashlyn Clough, mother of Airen’s best friend whom Airen was helping out. “I don’t know what was going through his head. It just doesn’t make sense why he didn’t call 911. Maybe he panicked and he was scared. But even if you were panicked and were scared, you could have at least called.”