Elkhart ? The family whose property is being searched amid rumors that bodies may be buried there says it is angry with law enforcement officials and “confused by the activity taking place” on the southwest Kansas farm.

Authorities have declined to say why they have been searching two sites on the Bitner family farm in Morton County.

The family said Friday that they were angry at the law enforcement agencies who executed the search warrant because of the way the search was carried out.

Larry Joe Bitner, who lives on the 5,000-acre farm with his wife, Betty, said officials from the agencies involved met him with guns drawn when he opened his door Oct. 8.

“I’m angry because they came in with their guns pointed,” Betty Bitner said. “And they ran my deaf sister-in-law out of the house.”

Kansas Atty. Gen. Phill Kline has said officials from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Kansas Highway Patrol, Morton County Sheriff’s Office and Elkhart Police Department were involved in the search.

In a statement issued by its lawyer Friday, the family said that rather than ask for permission to search and dig, “officers chose to use violence, guns and intimidation and provide no explanations whatsoever” in taking control of the site.

“The whole family is perplexed as to how their family farm became the subject of what is obviously a very, very expensive search,” the statement said. “Never before has anyone — neither law enforcement agencies, neighbors nor residents of Morton or Stevens County — expressed any suspicion that any criminal activity was or had been taking place on Bitner land.”

In response, Kline’s office issued a statement urging people to refrain from speculation about the reasons for the search.

And Larry Welch, director of the KBI, said he was puzzled by the family’s allegations.

Welch said that the family had been approached “politely and professionally” and that relations with them had been good since the warrant was served.