From Deseret News archives:

Adoption 'mediator' says she's innocent

Published: Wednesday, March 19, 2008 12:22 a.m. MDT
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
BRIGHAM CITY — Jill Ekstrom says she's innocent.

"I'm not going to plead guilty to something I didn't do," she said Monday, after appearing in 1st District Court to face 21 counts of altering public records, a class A misdemeanor.

Ekstrom is accused of stealing hundreds of sealed adoption records from Farmington's 2nd District Courthouse. But she told reporters outside of court that she did not take dozens of rolls of microfilm, and she questioned Davis County prosecutors' motives for charging her.

"Davis County had microfilm in a room that was unmarked as being off-limits. Records that were supposed to be sealed were left in a room that was unattended," she said. "Anybody could have taken them."

Ekstrom says she did know that sealed adoption records were in the room behind the clerk's counter at the 2nd District Courthouse. She was told that much when she was let in by a clerk to look up some other public records.

As a "finder," Ekstrom has made a career of helping reunite long lost relatives or adopted children with their birth parents. Ekstrom claims that in her career, she has arranged more than 9,000 reunifications.

Story continues below
"I was a mediator," she said Monday. "I never gave information unless all parties agreed to it."

Ekstrom said she remembers complaining to a relative about the sealed records being in a publicly accessible room, and that's what led to the charges against her. That relative, she claims, was under investigation for raping another family member. When she sided with the family member, she claims the man then ran to prosecutors with the allegation that she had stolen the microfilm.

Meanwhile, she said, Davis County sheriff's deputies posed as an adopted child searching for a birth mom and "pressured" her to find them.

"Defendant charged $850 to find the natural parents and was able to locate the mother of the adopted child," Davis County sheriff's detective Jon West wrote in a probable cause statement filed with the charges.

It was that sting operation that led to her being charged, after dozens of microfilm records came up missing. Prosecutors have said the microfilm has never been found. Initially, Ekstrom faced felony-level theft charges. Recently, the case was amended to the misdemeanor counts.

Davis County prosecutors deny Ekstrom's allegations.

"It's asinine," Davis County attorney Troy Rawlings said Monday. "We did not pursue that (rape) case because there was a lack of evidence. These cases are totally independent."

Ekstrom's court-appointed defense attorney told Judge Ben Hadfield they may be able to reach a plea deal.

Recent comments

With all the questionable high profile adoption cases involving Utah...

Seeking the Truth | March 21, 2008 at 10:38 a.m.

previousnext

Latest comments

Sounds like a good option if you can't or won't switch to AT&T for the...

I worked with and around Bill Sederburg for 5 years while he was at...

Price injured; Miles has cast removed

hand. He needs to work on his moves to the basket and rebounding. Lateral...

Jazz blow big lead, hang on

play Fez or Koufos tonight. He went with a smaller line up and Boozer, Okur...

I've met Bennett before and he is a nice man. He also knows the Constitution...

Thousands protest health bill

That's never been a secret. Everyone will pay for it except those that don't...

What exactly were Nephite interpreters?

I agree with NonMormon. I am active LDS, and I enjoy Ash's articles, and I...

I kept saying don't resign Milsap, especially after Portland offered that...

U. hopes to keep clicking

BYU is the slowest team that has ever been in the top 25. Utah will put up a...

NFL: Midseason grades

i think u have the cowboys ranked too low! at least an A- LOL nice work!

Advertisements
Advertisement