KIEFER, OKLA (KTUL) — Newly released federal documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation have unexpectedly drawn attention to the small town of Kiefer, located about 25 minutes south of Tulsa.
The files, which include heavy redactions and limited context, reference a claim involving a decades-old murder. However, federal officials caution that some information in the release is unverified or incomplete.
Local business owners and officials in Kiefer are downplaying the significance of the mention. Mark Achek, owner of Country Hills Diner, said, “We are just normal, we are a city like any other city. It might happen here, it might happen anywhere else.”
Kiefer Police Chief Johnny O’Mara confirmed that the department was made aware of the town’s mention in the documents but found no evidence linking Kiefer to any criminal activity.
“We were made aware the town’s name was mentioned, but we have no indication that anything happened here,” O’Mara said. He added that the redactions make it difficult to draw any conclusions, stating, “With all the redactions, there’s nothing to base anything — it’s hard for me to even base a question on it.”
For now, life in Kiefer remains unchanged. “There’s no change here. We’re going about daily business,” O’Mara said. Officials emphasize that a mention in federal documents does not automatically indicate a crime or investigation in the community.
NewsChannel 8 has reached out to the medical examiner’s office for any records from that time period and is awaiting a response.