Steffey family hires lawyer in aftermath of student’s death

Parents of the deceased Purdue freshman Wade Steffey announced Wednesday that they will seek legal assistance from an Indianapolis law firm. This could be the first indication that the family might seek legal action in response to the death of their son.\nSteffey went missing in January on Purdue’s campus, but after more than two months of searching, the freshman’s body was discovered in a high-voltage utility room near where he was last seen. Steffey was electrocuted after entering the unlocked room, according to reports.\nSteffey’s parents, Dale Steffey and Dawn Adams, said in an e-mail that “upon taking time to reflect and with the advice of family members and friends” they would seek legal services from W. Scott Montross, an attorney in the Montross, Miller, Muller, Mendelson and Kennedy law firm, based in Indianapolis.\nAlong with hiring a lawyer, Purdue spokesperson Jeanne Norberg also disclosed in an e-mail that one of Steffey’s shoes had been found on Jan. 23, just outside the utility room where his body was later discovered.\n“It was only in hindsight (after the discovery of Wade’s body) that it became known the actual type of shoes Wade was wearing at the time of his disappearance,” she said in the e-mail.\nAlthough the shoe, a plaid-lined house slipper, was found by a maintenance worker just days after Wade Steffey disappeared, it appeared to have been there much longer because of the “leaves and debris in it,” Norberg said in the e-mail.\nStill, there is no official indication whether Wade Steffey’s parents will pursue legal action against the state in their son’s death. Kelli Keller, Steffey’s cousin and the family’s spokesperson said it was still too early in the process to consider litigation.\n“We have a lot of the same questions as you do,” she said.\nNeither Purdue nor the Steffey family have yet placed blame for the man’s untimely death.\n“Purdue’s main concern has been, and continues to be, the Steffey family,” Norberg said in the e-mail.\nKeller stressed that although the Steffeys have now hired a lawyer, their main focus continues to be developing their son’s memorial fund. Events like a silent art auction earlier this week will continue to raise money for the fund, she said.\nAlthough a decision on a lawsuit has not yet been announced, Keller did not deny its possibility in the future.\n“It’s extremely important to understand that any possible money would go to the memorial fund,” she said, adding that this was “not an example of parents getting rich and moving to Bermuda.” Keller added that the money could be used for memorial scholarships and training for police officers.\nAfter Steffey’s body was found, Dale Steffey described his son as a “responsible young man,” during a telephone interview.\n“That’s one of our strong beliefs that people need to own responsibility for their actions,” he said, an indicator that Steffey might not put blame on Purdue for his son’s death.