Kansas Supreme Court refuses to hear Oborny’s case on Field will

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

The Kansas Supreme Court on Wednesday denied a petition to review the case of a former Hays bookkeeper who was seeking millions from her former employer’s estate.

The bulk of the estate of Earl O. Field instead will go to the Fort Hays State University Foundation to be used for scholarships.

Wanda Oborny alleges Field, her employer, signed a codicil to his will shortly before his death in 2013, leaving half of his $20 million estate to her with a quarter of the estate going to Fort Hays State University and the rest going to Field’s attorney, Joseph Jeter.

Oborny alleged 98-year-old Field went to a local car dealer to have the codicil of his will witnessed by two of Oborny’s longtime friends, Steve and Kathy Little.

The Littles died in a murder/suicide after they were visited by federal agents and received federal grand jury subpoenas. However, their deaths were never definitively linked to the Field will case.

A district court ruled Oborny or someone on her request forged the codicil to the will. Oborny appealed. The appellate court ruled against her in February, and she appealed to the Kansas Supreme Court.

The FHSU Foundation has been fighting Oborny’s claim to the estate for years. Attorney for the FHSU Foundation Coy Martin said a portion of the funds from the estate were released to the university after the district court trial. However, the Kansas Supreme Court’s decision should allow the rest of the estate to be processed and the rest of the university’s portion to be released.

Oborny also faces felony charges in federal court stemming from the codicil.

Oborny is set for trial at 9 a.m. Feb. 19 in U.S. District Court in Wichita.