A federal judge in Sacramento heard arguments Friday morning on a motion to open 2,600 pages of documents from the investigation into bodies found east of Stockton in 2012.
The mother of one of the victims is suing San Joaquin County over how the county handled the removal of remains from a well near Linden.
"I think they made a big mess. I feel like my daughter was murdered all over," said JoAnn Hobson's mother Shelley.
Because some victims taken from the well still haven't been identified, county officials called this case an open investigation and that's why records are sealed.
"We want to make sure those investigations aren't compromised," said Mark Berry, representing San Joaquin County.
At the urging of state Sen. Cathleen Galgiani, D-Stockton, a motion was filed to have the reports made public. Well-known attorney Mark Geragos has joined the legal team suing the county.
"It's important the information become public for the case, so witnesses can see, so we can find other witnesses and most importantly, under the law, the public has the right to know," said Geragos.
Galgiani continues to accuse the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office of deleting the files of missing persons, just days after the department learned the possible location of victims near Linden. She's unable to provide a theory on why the sheriff or his employees would have done that.
"That's the million-dollar question," said Galgiani. "We could get to the bottom if they wouldn't fight this. They're acting guilty. If there's nothing to hide, why are they acting guilty?"
The judge is expected to release a written ruling on the motion in a couple of weeks.
