Cherokee County Judge Orders Grand Jury Empanelled Over Man's Disappearance

Russell Hulstine, NewsOn6.com

TAHLEQUAH, Oklahoma -- A Cherokee County court judge set a date next month for the empanelling of a grand jury to investigate the 2004 disappearance of a Tahlequah man.

The Cherokee County Election Board submitted an official verification of signatures on a grand jury petition filed in early July this week and the judge signed the order.

Stephen Adams was last seen on December 13, 2004, after taking a test at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah. That same day, Stephen Adams called his girlfriend and said he was taking a man to Keys, but hasn't been heard from since.

In 2006, investigators searched an area of Lake Tenkiller looking for Adams' remains but came up empty.

On July 1, 2011, Stephen's father, Carl Adams filed the grand jury petition with Cherokee County.

7/14/2011 Related Story: Family Wants Grand Jury To Investigate Tahlequah Man's 2004 Disappearance

September 12, 2011 at 9 a.m. is the date set by the judge for the empanelling of the grand jury.

The court says Cherokee County DA's Office Brian Kuester's office will serve as the grand jury's legal advisor.