Police said no foul play or hazing is suspected as the investigation continues.
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Jack Fleischaker, a 19-year-old Kansas State University freshman from Overland Park, died after falling from a second-story window at the Sigma Chi fraternity house in Manhattan, police and university officials said.
Fleischaker’s death has shaken Kansas State’s Greek life community, his hometown and his church in Overland Park. Riley County police said the fall happened early April 25 at a fraternity house in the 1200 block of Fremont Street. Authorities said the case remains under investigation, but they do not suspect foul play or hazing.
Police responded to a medical-assist call around 3:15 a.m. that Saturday at the fraternity house near the Kansas State campus. Fleischaker was taken first to Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan with serious injuries and later transferred to Stormont Vail in Topeka. The Rev. Gar Demo, the family’s pastor at St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church in Overland Park, said Fleischaker suffered a traumatic brain injury and was determined to have died April 28. “This is a tragic accident that nobody anticipated,” Demo said. “Every trajectory in their life has changed in an instant.”
Riley County Police Director Brian Peete said investigators were still reviewing what happened, including whether alcohol was involved. Police have not released a full report or a detailed account of the moments before the fall. The Manhattan Mercury and campus news reports identified the address as 1224 Fremont St., the Sigma Chi fraternity house. Kansas State officials said the university offered support to Fleischaker’s family and assistance to fraternity members. Michelle Geering, a Kansas State communications official, said the university would review available information and determine next steps under its policies and procedures.
Fleischaker was a freshman studying finance, according to campus reports. Other reports described him as an accounting and finance student and an active member of Sigma Chi. The Kansas State Collegian reported that he was from Overland Park, graduated from Blue Valley Northwest High School and served as philanthropy chairman for the fraternity. Friends remembered him online as someone who was quick to answer a call and lighten a room. Demo said Fleischaker had “a great sense of brightness and joy” and often included people who did not feel like they fit in.
The fall also drew attention to the fraternity system in Kansas. The Sigma Chi house in Manhattan is off campus, but the fraternity is affiliated with Kansas State as a student organization. The Kansas City Star reported that the building is two stories tall and contains 70 beds, citing county and property records. The same report said the University of Kansas chapter of Sigma Chi was shut down by the national organization in 2022 after hazing violations, but Kansas State’s Sigma Chi chapter has not been reported for hazing in the last year and a half under campus hazing records. Police have said hazing is not suspected in Fleischaker’s death.
Sigma Chi International Fraternity called the death a heartbreaking accident and said there was no indication that anyone was at fault. Michael Church, a fraternity spokesperson, said the organization was supporting the chapter with mental health and wellness resources and was grateful for help from Kansas State administrators. The university said it also offered student support resources to fraternity members. No charges had been announced as of May 2, and officials have not said when the police review will be completed.
In Overland Park, Fleischaker’s death brought a second deep loss for his family. Demo said Fleischaker’s older sister, Natalie, died from a brain tumor 13 years ago. He said he had known Jack since he was a baby and had watched him grow up with his twin sister, Emily. More than 300 people joined the family at the hospital Wednesday as Fleischaker was transported for organ donation. Demo said Fleischaker had chosen on his own to be an organ donor, a decision expected to help many people.
The investigation remained open Saturday, May 2, as Kansas State reviewed the incident and the fraternity continued support for members. Police had not reported foul play, hazing or any criminal charges.
Author note: Last updated May 2, 2026.