Family demands apology from state officials for farm search

The attorney for a southwestern Kansas family whose farm was the object of a 10-day search is demanding an apology from state officials for the “unwarranted public attention” directed upon the family.

“The Bitners continue to hope the government agencies responsible for this episode will issue a public statement explaining how this all got started, along with an apology…” Clinton B. Peterson, the Bitner family attorney said in a statement Tuesday.

Peterson leveled the brunt of his criticism at the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Kansas Attorney General’s Office, the lead agencies in the search, which reportedly was for bodies and evidence of other crimes.

The Attorney General’s Office said Monday evening that the search of the Bitner farm in Morton County had ended but that the criminal investigation was continuing.

In his statement Tuesday, Peterson accused KBI officials of lying about the use of force when they served a search warrant on the family’s land on Oct. 8.

“Guns were drawn and pointed at members of the Bitner family,” the statement said.

In a telephone interview, KBI director Larry Welch stood by earlier statements that agents did not brandish weapons and did not use force or intimidation with family members.

Welch also said that the KBI did nothing to embarrass or draw attention to the family. “We didn’t contact the media; we didn’t publicize it,” he said.

Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline has repeatedly asked the media to not speculate on the investigation and has not provided details of the case. A spokesman for Kline’s office on Tuesday declined to comment on the latest accusations by the Bitner family.

• Read The Kansas City Star online

Read Another Article

Authorities leave Kansas farm
Catholic Church upset by Mexico’s St. Death

Related News Articles Topic(s): Bitner Family Subscribe to Religion News Blog updates Subscribe to Religion News Blog [What is this?] Get Religion News Blog's headline by Email [What is this?] Follow Religion News Blog at Twitter Find Related Information Use our custom search engines to find additional research resources on religions and cults: ApologeticsSearch.com: Search for apologetics articles, books, videos, and other research resources across 135 Christian apologetics websites and blogs. CounterCultSearch.com: Search for information about (religious) cults, cult-like organizations, and cults experts -- as well as paranormal-, New Age, and pseudoscientific claims -- across 260+ websites, blogs and forums dedicated to cult research, spiritual abuse, ex-cult counseling & support. Find Related Religion & Spirituality Books at Amazon.com Bitner Family Possibly related... or Most Popular Religion News Articles Kent Hovind: Evangelist arrested on federal charges Beast’s real mark devalued to ’616′ Muslim Woman Gives Sex Advice on Arab TV Michael Jackson Confirms Conversion to Islam Kent Hovind, ‘Dr. Dino,’ guilty on all counts The fall and rise of Carlton Pearson Search False prophet Harold Camping sets another date for rapture: May 21, 2011 Watch the film Theo van Gogh was murdered for Kent Hovind — Dr. Dino — sentenced to 10 years in prison

Search Religion News Blog