Although the intruder who pried open the side door of the Kirksville-based Frick and Cundiff law office set a fire near the computers, all of the documents that burned were backed up, according to a legal assistant who works there.
“It was deliberate,” said Paula Bradshaw, a legal assistant at the firm. “They took some files off a stacking shelf that we had that were pending for Mr. Cundiff to review, put accelerant on it, and started a fire.”
Although their computers had melted, Bradshaw told the St. Louis Record that the hard drives were salvageable.
“The hard drive was intact enough that files were saved and cloned and we have a cloud as well,” she said.
The act of arson and breaking and entering was discovered after 6 a.m. on Aug. 22 by someone who walked by outside, according to media reports.
“The insurance company is in the process of doing what they need to do and they communicate only with Mr. Cundiff on that issue,” Bradshaw said. “They're finishing up what they need to as far as the insurance investigation but Mr. Cundiff hasn't heard back yet from the actual law enforcement investigator.”
Kirksville fire investigator Ray Jagger did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the status of the investigation.
“It could be anybody at this point,” Bradshaw said. “Kirksville is in a very rural area but there are a lot of things that go on here.”
The Frick and Cundiff law firm handles a variety of cases including public defender work, divorces, family law, and landlord-tenant disputes.
“We’re in a real temporary, jumbled up situation in the office we're at,” Bradshaw added. “Our desks are plastic folding tables and the bosses are desperately trying to find a contractor. A lot of them are booked up through the next several months. So, we don't know how long we're going to be here.”