photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Mark Gridley appears Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, in Douglas County District Court.

Updated at 3:10 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24

A speech pathologist who was scheduled to stand trial on multiple counts of sexually abusing children at Prairie Park Elementary School was found dead at his Lawrence home Thursday morning.

The Lawrence Police Department said it responded to the home of accused sex offender Mark Gridley on Greever Terrace just before 7:30 a.m. and found him dead.

“Gridley was found beyond life-saving measures in the home’s garage,” Lawrence Police spokeswoman Laura McCabe said in a news release. “The investigation is ongoing, but there does not appear to be signs of foul play. An official cause of death will be determined by the coroner.”

Gridley, 62, was ordered last October to stand trial on seven counts of kidnapping and seven counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. His trial was scheduled for January 2027.

At the time of his death he was out of jail on a bond of $750,000.

Gridley had worked at Prairie Park Elementary as a speech and language pathologist since August of 2021 until his arrest in February 2025. He is alleged to have bound and blindfolded more than half a dozen young girls under the guise of giving them a speech therapy “test,” which the state had characterized as a series of oral sex crimes.

District Attorney Dakota Loomis told the Journal-World his office was obtaining formal confirmation of Gridley’s death.

“Once we receive confirmation we will file a motion and proposed order to dismiss,” he said.

Shortly after Gridley’s arrest his wife of 22 years filed for divorce. He is survived by two minor children.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

The home at 610 Greever Terrace is pictured on Sept. 24, 2026.