Germany resident Franz Anthoefer's lengthy battle to have the late Louis Craig of Weston legally declared as his father continues to be thwarted by German officials.

That's the latest update from the 49-year-old Anthoefer regarding his longer-than-30-year endeavor to locate and identify his father.

In a recent telephone interview with The Weston Democrat, Anthoefer noted that there has been no change in his status regarding attempts to secure a visa to reenter the United States and continue his legal efforts to have Craig declared as his father.

"I'd like an answer from both the German and American governments (as to why his efforts to gain a visa and a return to Weston have been blocked)", stated Anthoefer.

Anthoefer was deported from the United States in June 1997 after his existing visa expired.

He was arrested June 2, 1997, by immigration officials, one day before the Weston City Election in which he was running as a mayoral candidate under the name of Louis Craig Jr. (The late Louis Craig was a former mayor of the City of Weston.)

Anthoefer, who went on a hunger strike while he was in the custody of federal officials pending deportation, finished fourth in the five-candidate race for mayor.

Anthoefer raised quite a stir upon his arrival in Weston in 1996 as he launched a one-man publicity campaign to call attention to his efforts to have Craig declared his legal father as the result of a romantic encounter Craig had with Anthoefer's mother in the early 1950s in Germany.

Anthoefer filed suit in the Lewis County Circuit Court in 1996 seeking to have DNA tests performed on Craig's body, which was buried at the Peterson Cemetery.

The Court ruled in favor of Anthoefer and ordered DNA testing.

Craig's body was exhumed in November 1996 and a bone sample sent to Brigham Young University in Utah for DNA testing.

A report in November 1999 revealed that there was a 99.93 percent chance that Craig was Anthoefer's father.

In order to have Craig declared as his father, another court action must be filed in Lewis County and testimony presented in support of the request.

Anthoefer, noting that there is a nonrefundable fee of $100 to apply for a visa, said he was to meet with the German chancellor (last week) regarding his attempt to reenter the United States.

"They (the government) don't want me over there," Anthoefer stated.

Anthoefer is also upset over how immigration officials are handling the current case of ex-Nazi fugitive Hendrik Albert Victor Mobus, who is under arrest in the United States for a parole violation in Germany.

"I want to know why he is getting better treatment than I did," stated Anthoefer.

"I didn't get a hearing. I was denied any international treatment," he added.

In an attempt to keep individuals updated on his ongoing effort to return to Weston, Anthoefer has created a web page on the Internet.

The web site can be found at www.geocities.com/anthoefer

9/20/2000
www.westondemocrat.com/LocalNews/LocalNews_Anthoefer_seeks_return.htm