Judge blocks release of agency records for slain Kansas girl

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — State agency records of a 3-year-old girl whose body was found this summer in a shallow grave should not be released to the public, a Wyandotte County judge ruled Tuesday.

Olivia Jansen’s body was found in a shallow grave on July 10, the same day her father, Howard Jansen III, reported her missing. He and his girlfriend, Jacqulyn Kirkpatrick, have been charged with felony murder and other crimes in her death.

Several media outlets filed requests for records from the Department for Children and Family Services to determine the extent of the agency’s contact with the family. Officials have released a summary.

Attorneys for the Wyandotte County District Attorney and the two suspects in Olivia’s death argued that releasing the 533 pages of records would hinder the ongoing investigation and the defendants’ right to a fair trial.

The judge granted a motion to prohibit the release of agency records relating to the girl, The Kansas City Star reported.

Elisabeth Jansen, Olivia’s step-grandmother, told the Star Tuesday that she was disappointed, but not surprised, by the ruling.

“I want to know what she went through,” she said, adding that she wanted “some type of justice, even though nothing will make up for what we’ve lost.”

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