CHEYENNE, Wyo. – An autopsy report for slain University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard is among numerous autopsy records missing from the Albany County coroner's office, the coroner said.

Coroner Tom Furgeson said he received only a small box of records covering the previous 16 years when he became county coroner in January 2007. He said he only received the records after repeated requests to the former county coroner, Julie Heggie.

“It was very, very, very few (records) considering it was supposed to cover 16 years worth of coroner's office activity,” Furgeson said Monday.

He said there was no pattern to which records were missing. He said he had no reason to believe that the autopsy report for Shepard or other high profile cases had been withheld or stolen. Shepard died Oct. 12, 1998, five days after he was beaten and left for dead in a field near Laramie.

Heggie, who was Albany County coroner from 1990 to 2006, hung up on a reporter when contacted by The Associated Press on Monday. Heggie told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle last week that she gave the autopsy reports to the county attorney when she left office. She wouldn't specify how she turned them over.

When contacted by the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, Albany County Attorney Richard Bohling would not comment on whether he had the missing autopsy reports.

Wyoming law calls for all public records to be transferred by outgoing officials and employees to their successors.

Albany County Commissioner Tim Chesnut said he planned to speak with the county attorney on the subject.

“At this point, we need to get with Julie (Heggie) and find out where this stuff is,” Chesnut said.