SHERMAN, TEXAS.- Jack Meador and Jane Meador Cook died. A federal judge in Texas had dismissed criminal charges against Jack Meador and Jane Meador Cook, the brother and sister of the US army lieutenant who stole the Quedlinburg Treasures at the end of World War II, and John S. Torigian, the Meador’s former lawyer. The criminal indictment had alleged that Jack Meador, Jane Meador Cook and John S. Torigian illegally conspired to possess, transport and sell the two Quedlinburg manuscripts after learning from experts that they were stolen from the Quedlinburg church. The Meador family’s efforts to sell the Quedlinburg Treasures - which included reliquaries and other medieval religious objects in addition to the two manuscripts - led to their discovery in 1990. The Quedlinburg Church purchased one of its own manuscripts back from the Meadors through intermediaries in 1990, however, after the identification of the family, the Church brought suit for the remaining objects and recovered them in a civil settlement with the family.

The criminal prosecution under US National Stolen Property Act was based on the Meador’s alleged efforts to sell the manuscripts and under US law had to be brought within five years of the allegedly illegal activities. Federal prosecutors had obtained an order from the judge extending the time period for bringing charges so that investigators could obtain additional evidence from the Federal Republic of Germany. US prosecutors filed their criminal charges in January 1996, and the case had been scheduled to be tried last November. The trial was destined to be closely-watched, given the remarkable nature of the case and its possible significance for the art market, however, in October 1996, the judge decided that prosecutors had not filed their charges promptly enough after German officials completed their cooperation. Prosecutors argued that the time period for bringing the indictment had not run out because their investigation was continuing, but the judge has denied the prosecutors’ request that he reconsider his decision.