No charges will be brought against Boeckman

Former Barton County District Administrator Richard Boeckman will not face sexual assault charges, at least for now, said Barton County District Attorney Amy Mellor.

Because of a potential conflict of interest in her case handling, Mellor said, her office, along with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, turned the case over to an outside consultant, Chase County Prosecutor Bill Halvorsen. “He felt the evidence did not support the charges,” she said.

The KBI presented its findings to Mellor's office in May, which it then presented to Halvorsen, who informed Mellor of his decision by email earlier this month.

After receiving the replay, local authorities discussed the matter and agreed with Halvorsen's conclusion, Mellor said. But she said that does not preclude future charges if more information comes to light.

Boeckman resigned as county administrator last October. His resignation followed several contentious county commission and board meetings dating back to last February. He received a $27,500 severance package.

Following these meetings, Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir investigated possible criminal activity by Boeckman and felt it best to contact the KBI as an outside investigator. He turned the case over to the KBI on October 17, and the agency opened its investigation on October 27.

Further clouding the matter is that Robin Rziha filed a civil lawsuit on March 1, alleging that Boeckman behaved inappropriately toward her, a claim Boeckman denied in his response to the lawsuit filed the following week. In addition, a letter from former county employee Steve Barger to county officials in early 2016 alleged that Boeckman created a hostile work environment.

Boeckman served as both a county commissioner and administrator. After his retirement, the commission decided not to fill the administrator position and has contracted with Ellsworth attorney Carey Hipp as a consultant.