On the evening of August 6, 1984, Eugene “Bud” Branton Jr., a 36-year-old man from Hutchinson, Kansas, was seen for the last time at his residence at approximately 9:30 p.m. The following day, concern grew when he failed to appear for his job at the Far-Mar-Co elevator, a highly uncharacteristic absence that prompted his supervisor to report him missing. When law enforcement arrived at Branton's home in the 600 block of Westridge, they found the house unlocked and a light left on, yet there were no signs of a struggle or forced entry. Curiously, none of his personal belongings, including his clothing, appeared to have been taken. At the time of his disappearance, Branton's eleven-year-old daughter was away on vacation with her mother, and he had just recently become engaged to a woman from Salina, Kansas, only two days prior.
The investigation into Branton's sudden disappearance remained stagnant for several months until a significant breakthrough occurred in January 1985. A man named George Taubert came forward and contacted the Reno County Attorney with information regarding Branton's fate. In exchange for immunity from prosecution, Taubert provided a detailed account of the events that transpired. He implicated his co-worker from the Far-Mar-Co Elevator, Leslie Norman Walker, in a premeditated plan to rob and murder Branton, who, according to Taubert, had a habit of carrying large amounts of cash. Taubert confessed that he and Walker had lured Branton from his home under the pretense of purchasing a horse located west of Hutchinson.
According to Taubert's testimony, they drove to a remote area in western Reno County where the tragic events unfolded. Both he and Walker shot Branton with a shotgun. After the murder, they stole $270 in cash and several firearms from him. Taubert stated that they initially left Branton's body in the brush by the roadside. He later learned from Walker that Walker had returned to the scene to move the body, covering it with rocks at a new, undisclosed location. Based on this testimony, Leslie Norman Walker was arrested and, in 1985, convicted of first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, and aggravated robbery in connection with Branton's disappearance and death. Despite the conviction and the detailed confession from the co-conspirator, the remains of Eugene Branton Jr. have never been recovered, leaving his loved ones without a final sense of closure. The case officially remains an endangered missing person case, with the Reno County Sheriff's Office holding the primary investigative authority.
Last Seen: Aug 06, 1984
