Jefferson County investigators this week began an informal inquiry into confidential files that have been reported missing from the county attorney’s office, officials said Thursday.
The files, which were stored in multiple boxes, were noticed missing last month and include several current and past lawsuits involving the county.
Although a sheriff’s spokeswoman said it is unknown whether the documents were stolen or were simply misplaced, County Commissioner Kevin McCasky said that several boxes in the county attorney’s filing room were found to be empty.
“I think somebody stole them with forethought,” McCasky said. “Someone emptied files from the boxes and then put (the boxes) back.”
Nearly all of the missing files had been copied or are part of official court records, McCasky said Thursday.
Sheriff’s spokeswoman Jacki Tallman said a criminal investigation has not begun, though an initial “fact-finding” inquiry is underway.
She was unsure when that investigation would end.
“We’re soliciting evidence and looking into the circumstances,” Tallman said. “We’re not going to jump the gun and take a criminal report right now.”
A receptionist for County Attorney Frank Hutfless said he was out of town and unreachable Thursday.
Initially, only one box was reported missing last month, apparently taken from the desk of an assistant county attorney. After further searching, multiple boxes in a storage area were found to be empty.
The files, officials said, were taken from the office sometime after 5:30 p.m.
Both Tallman and McCasky declined to discuss the exact nature of the lawsuits or the people named in them.
