Jackie Robinson Statue Stolen From Wichita Youth Baseball Park Found Burned Into Rubble

A statue honoring legendary baseball player Jackie Robinson that had been stolen from a youth baseball park last week has been found, but unfortunately, it was destroyed beyond repair. Authorities are now on the hunt for the culprits, and in the meantime, a fundraiser has been created to replace the statue.

The $75,000 bronze statue of Robinson, who was the first African-American recruited to play Major League Baseball, was discovered missing from outside the League 42 youth baseball league in McAdams Park early last Thursday morning, where it had been installed since 2021.

A pickup truck that investigators believe was used to haul off the statue has since been recovered. But there were no leads on the statue itself until the Wichita Fire Department received a call around 8:40 on Tuesday morning about a trash can fire in a south Wichita park.

After extinguishing the flames, firefighters noticed what appeared to be pieces of the statue, which public information officer Andrew Ford said was "not salvageable at this time," according to KAKE, the local Wichita ABC affiliate.

City Council Member Brandon Johnson said during a press conference on Tuesday that replacing the statue would be a priority. "We will make sure that we find a way to get that statue back," Johnson said. "We will continue to invest in this community, and this tragic incident will not remove that hope that we all have for the area."

Police have not made any arrests, but are urging the guilty parties to come forward and turn themselves in.

"For those of you who are in any way involved in this ... this means whether you were involved in stealing the statue, whether or not you accepted the statue, you were part of the destruction of the statue, it is only a matter of time," said Wichita police Chief Joe Sullivan. "And in your best interest, to turn yourself in, come forward, and admit your part in this."

League 42 director Bob Lutz has launched a GoFundMe campaign hoping to raise $100,000 to replace the statue, which will be a replica of the original, created by the late sculptor John Parsons. "Fortunately, the mold from his work is still viable, and the statue that reappears at McAdams Park will be the work of John Parsons," Lutz said.

In previous remarks made during a press conference last Friday, Sullivan noted that the timing of the theft was particularly concerning, as it occurred just before Black History Month.

"I’m frustrated by the actions of those individuals who had the audacity to take the statue of Jackie Robinson from a park where kids and families in our community gather to learn the history of Jackie Robinson, an American icon, and play the game of baseball," he said at the time. “This should upset all of us."