Midwest
Ex-Kansas police chief charged with felony obstruction after raid linked to 98-year-old woman's death
- A former Kansas police chief, Gideon Cody, who led a raid on a weekly newspaper, has been charged with felony obstruction of justice.
- Cody is accused of persuading a potential witness to withhold information during an investigation into his conduct.
- The charge, filed in state district court in Marion County, alleges that Cody influenced the witness to withhold information either on the day of the raid or within the following six days.
A former central Kansas police chief who led a raid last year on a weekly newspaper has been charged with felony obstruction of justice and is accused of persuading a potential witness for an investigation into his conduct of withholding information from authorities.
The single charge against former Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody alleges that he knowingly or intentionally influenced the witness to withhold information on the day of the raid of the Marion County Record and the home of its publisher or sometime within the following six days. The charge was filed Monday in state district court in Marion County and is not more specific about Cody’s alleged conduct.
However, a report from two special prosecutors last week referenced text messages between Cody and the business owner after the raid. The business owner has said that Cody asked her to delete text messages between them, fearing people could get the wrong idea about their relationship, which she said was professional and platonic.
KANSAS RAID TIED TO 98-YEAR-OLD’S DEATH IN FIRST AMENDMENT SHOWDOWN TO RESULT IN CRIMINAL CHARGES
Cody justified the raid by saying he had evidence the newspaper, Publisher Eric Meyer and one of its reporters, Phyllis Zorn, had committed identity theft or other computer crimes in verifying the authenticity of a copy of the business owner’s state driving record provided to the newspaper by an acquaintance. The business owner was seeking Marion City Council approval for a liquor license and the record showed that she potentially had driven without a valid license for years. However, she later had her license reinstated.
A stack of the Marion County Record sits in the back of the newspaper’s building on Aug. 16, 2023, in Marion, Kansas. (AP Photo/John Hanna, File)
The prosecutors’ report concluded that no crime was committed by Meyer, Zorn or the newspaper and that Cody reached an erroneous conclusion about their conduct because of a poor investigation. The charge was filed by one of the special prosecutors, Barry Wilkerson, the top prosecutor in Riley County in northeastern Kansas.
The Associated Press left a message seeking comment at a possible cellphone number for Cody, and it was not immediately returned Tuesday.
Attorneys representing Cody in a federal lawsuit over the raid are not representing him in the criminal case and did not immediately know who was representing him.
This image from the Marion Police Department body camera video provided by the McDonald Tinker law firm shows former Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody during his department’s raid of the Marion County Record newspaper on Aug. 11, 2023, in Marion, Kansas. (McDonald Tinker via AP)
Police body-camera footage of the August 2023 raid on the publisher’s home shows his 98-year-old mother, Joan Meyer, visibly upset and telling officers, “Get out of my house!” She co-owned the paper, lived with her son and died of a heart attack the next afternoon.
The prosecutors said they could not charge Cody or other officers involved in the raid over her death because there was no evidence they believed the raid posed a risk to her life. Eric Meyer has blamed the stress of the raid for her death.
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MADISON – When Alie Bisballe committed to the Wisconsin women’s basketball program during the summer of 2023, she had an scholarship on the table from Michigan State.
After the 6-foot-4 forward entered the transfer portal last month, the Spartans came calling again. This time she accepted their offer.
Bisballe announced her commitment to the Spartans May 5. The move puts her about two hours from her hometown of Lake City, Michigan.
She has two years of eligibility remaining.
Bisballe, who announced the news on Instagram, played in 36 games for Wisconsin in two seasons and averaged 1.3 points per game. She averaged one point and 0.8 rebounds per game this past season.
At Michigan State, she’ll joined another former Badger. Carter McCray, who played for UW in 2024-25, is transferring to Michigan State after one season at West Virginia.
Four Wisconsin players entered the portal last month. Rising senior Kyrah Daniels withdrew her name, but guard Breauna Ware signed with Wake Forest. Jovana Spasovski, a 6-0 wing with two years of eligibility remaining, has not announced a commitment.
Scott Harris introduces Framber Valdez to Detroit Tigers after signing
President of baseball operations Scott Harris introduced left-hander Framber Valdez to the Detroit Tigers on Feb. 11, 2026, in Lakeland, Florida.
Detroit Tigers left-hander Framber Valdez was ejected from his start Tuesday, May 5, against the Boston Red Sox before recording an out in the fourth inning.
The 32-year-old was ejected by third-base umpire and crew chief Dan Iassogna for hitting Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story with a first-pitch 94.4 mph four-seam fastball – immediately after giving up back-to-back home runs.
The hit-by-pitch appeared to be intentional, especially because the pitch registered as the only four-seam fastball that Valdez has thrown in the 2026 season.
The Red Sox scored 10 runs off Valdez, including two in the fourth inning on home runs from Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu, both with bat flips. That’s when Valdez hit Story, who absorbed the pitch with his back.
Players and coaches from both teams’ benches and bullpens poured onto the field at Comerica Park.
Valdez stood near the mound during the skirmish, all while his teammates and coaches exchanged words with players and coaches from the Red Sox.
There was no brawl.
Before benches and bullpens cleared, Story stared down Valdez from near home plate, and Valdez took several steps in front of the pitching mound.
The two never came close to a fight.
Afterward, the umpires gathered, discussed what had happened and ejected Valdez. He didn’t protest the ejection, simply walking off the mound and into the clubhouse.
Both teams were warned not to retaliate.
Valdez – a two-time All-Star in his nine-year MLB career – allowed 10 runs (seven earned runs) on nine hits and one walk with three strikeouts across three-plus innings, throwing 45 of 60 pitches for strikes.
He generated six misses on 34 swings for a below-average 17.6% whiff rate, while the Red Sox averaged an above-average 93.3 mph exit velocity on 16 balls in play.
Valdez has a 4.57 ERA in eight starts.
The Tigers – led by president of baseball operations Scott Harris – signed Valdez in early February to a lucrative contract that will be worth three years, $115 million if he exercises his player option for the third season.
The deal set the MLB record for the highest average annual value guaranteed to a left-handed pitcher, at $38.3 million.
So far, the results have been disappointing.
The hit-by-pitch in Tuesday’s meltdown didn’t help.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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