November 26, 2025 • 9 mins
In Marion County, Kansas, a small town dispute escalated into a series of dramatic events involving police raids, press freedom violations, and allegations of misconduct. The conflict stemmed from a divorce case involving a local restaurant owner, Carrie, who was accused of driving without a license. The local newspaper, Marion County Record, became entangled in the dispute and faced severe repercussions, including a police raid on their office and the homes of their staff. The raid led to legal actions, health issues for employees, and the eventual death of the newspaper’s 98-year-old co-owner. The scandal drew international attention, resulting in legal battles that continued for years and ultimately concluded with a significant settlement and the resignation of the police chief involved.
00:00 Introduction to Marion County Controversy
00:11 The Dispute and Initial Allegations
01:02 Newspaper Involvement and Accusations
02:21 The Raid and Its Immediate Aftermath
03:07 Health Impacts and Legal Violations
04:24 International Attention and Legal Actions
05:20 Investigations into Police Chief Cody
07:51 Consequences and Settlements
08:41 Ongoing Legal Proceedings
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
The story begins in MarionCounty, Kansas, in the city of
Marion, a town of about 1900residents.
The city is located about 150miles to the southwest of Kansas
City, Missouri.
The raid originated with adispute between a local
restaurant owner and her husbandwho were undergoing divorce
proceedings.
Her husband, Ryan was worriedthat his soon to be ex-wife,
(00:22):
Carrie.
Continued to drive and obtaineda liquor license for her
restaurant despite Carrie losingher driver's license.
In 2008 due to A DUI charge.
Ryan stated an unnamed sourcegave him a screenshot of
Carrie's driving record.
Ryan then passed a screenshot toa friend who in turn sent the
screenshot to a councilwomannamed Ruth and the Marion County
(00:44):
newspaper, the Marion Countyrecord.
Carrie alleged someone hadaccessed her private files by
using a piece of post mailaddressed to her by the Kansas
Department of Revenue.
Carrie claimed this was aviolation of the Driver's
Privacy Act, which makes itillegal to use any information.
The Marion County recordinitially did not report on the
(01:05):
evidence against Carriebelieving the materials were
leaked in relation to thedivorce proceedings.
The newspaper's, publisher andco-owner Eric Meyer, notified
the local police of the leak.
Soon after at a city councilmeeting, Carrie accused the
newspaper of having her personalinformation.
She admitted that she hadcontinued to drive after losing
(01:26):
her license, but alleged thatthe newspaper illegally obtained
her information and distributedthat information throughout the
county.
Okay.
After those accusations, thenewspaper published an article
about the allegations Kerry madeagainst the newspaper.
The newspaper reported that aconfidential source alleged that
local law enforcement was awarethat Carrie didn't have a
(01:47):
license and that city policeignored repeated driving
violations by her.
The Marion Police Department,chief Gideon, Cody.
Wrote that the records obtainedwould not have been accessed if
a confidential source had notimpersonated her soon-to-be
ex-husband Ryan.
The Marion Police Departmentthen had a magistrate judge who
(02:08):
the judge had a history of DUIarrest and driving on a
suspended license record,authorize a search in connection
with the criminal investigationinto identity theft using
carrie's information.
On August 11th, 2023, the MarionPolice Department raided the
Marion County Records newspaperoffice, the home of Councilwoman
(02:30):
Ruth, and they raid the home of98-year-old Joan Meyer, co-owner
and mother of the newspaperpublisher Eric Meyer.
Officer sees computers, cellphones, and reporting materials.
In response, Eric Meyer filed toobtain a copy of the affidavit
supporting the issuance of aprobable cause warrant.
(02:52):
The magistrate judge respondedthat she did not have a probable
cause warrant during the raid.
Body cam footage showed that therecently hired police Chief Cody
was alerted to the presence ofprinted information about
himself.
Two seasoned female employeessuffered health problems after
this raid.
One of them, Deb Groover.
(03:14):
Had recently uncovered thatpolice Chief Cody was
anticipating being demoted athis former employer with the
Kansas City Police Department.
The demotion was due toallegations made against him
from a workplace harassment.
Cody instead opted for an earlyretirement.
Deb Groover resigned from herposition saying that the raid
(03:35):
had caused her to suffer astress related condition.
But her story doesn't end here.
The second employee, PhyllisZorn, cited permanent
aggravation of a seizuredisorder as a result of the
raid.
This raid violates federal law.
That law provides protectionsagainst searching and seizing
materials from journalists.
(03:56):
Essentially admit one of ourconstitution, freedom of the
press one day after the raid onher home, the 98-year-old
co-owner of the newspaper, JoanMeyer died.
Video recording shows herextremely distressed as the
police were raiding her home.
She even says, quote, you know,if I have a heart attack and
(04:18):
die, it's all your fault.
If I die, you're gonna be suedfor murder.
The entire incident attractedinternational attention.
34 news organizations signed afour page letter condemning the
Marion Police.
The Society of ProfessionalJournalists offered$20,000 for
the legal defense.
(04:40):
The Writer's Guild of Americacalled for the officers to be
held accountable.
Days later.
The Kansas Bureau ofInvestigation or the KBI said
that the seized items would bereturned.
They also said that they wouldproceed with an investigation
into the raid without reviewingany of the seized evidence.
By the end of the day, theMarion County Attorney General
(05:02):
withdrew the warrant.
A complaint was filed againstthe magistrate judge, but later
dismissed the Kansas Commissionof Judicial Conduct stated in
the dismissal.
Facts and circumstances were notsufficient to conclude the
issuance of the warrant crossedthe line of incompetence.
However, this is not to say thatthe commission agrees that the
(05:24):
issuance of the search warrantin this instance was reasonable
or legally appropriate in postraid interviews, owner and
publisher Eric Meyer stated thatthe newspaper had been in the
process of investigating policeChief Cody.
Cody took the position just twomonths prior to the raids.
The paper received numerous tipsthat Cody left the Kansas City
(05:47):
police job under a cloud ofmisconduct allegations, but the
paper had yet to publish anarticle about the investigation
because the sources had notagreed to go on record.
The seized computers containedthose allegations and the
tipster identities.
Eric Meyer also said one of thenewspaper reporters approached
the police chief about thoseallegations.
(06:09):
In response, the chiefthreatened to sue the newspaper.
Previously Cody had expelled thenewspaper reporters from a
meeting with Jake La Turner.
La Turner is the Republicancongressman from Kansas' Second
Congressional District.
Reportedly, this was done at thebehest of the wife Gary, whose
restaurant was the location ofthe meeting.
(06:32):
La Turner staff, which invitedthe reporters, apologized.
It had been discovered.
The Chief Cody, a captain of theKansas City, Missouri Police
Department property crimes Unitwas under internal review for
allegedly making assaulting andsexist comments to a female
officer in May of 2023.
(06:52):
At the end of the internalinvestigation, Cody was told
that he would be demoted toSergeant.
He instead chose to resign fromthe position that carried a
salary of$115,000.
Soon thereafter, Cody was swornin as Marianne's new police
chief, which carried a salary of$60,000.
On August 30th, 2023, threeweeks after the raid, newspaper
(07:16):
reporter Deb Groover, publishedanonymous allegations from a
former internal affairsdetective for the Kansas City,
Missouri Police.
Allegedly, Cody had a reputationfor bad judgment.
In one instance, he sped throughan active scene of a suicide
jumper and ran over the body,compromising the entire crime
scene.
As a result, he was transferredand suspended on September 28th,
(07:41):
2023, Marion, Kansas Mayor DavidMayfield, suspended Cody, with
no reason given.
On October 2nd, Cody resignedeffective.
Immediately fast forward toNovember, 2025.
Marion County agreed to pay alittle more than$3 million and
apologize for the raids underthe judgment The estate of
(08:03):
Meyer's mother who died just oneday after the raid on her home.
We'll receive$1 million.
Eric Meyer, the two formeremployees, Deb and Phyllis, and
the paper's business manager,will split a 1.1 million
judgment and former CouncilwomanRuth, whose home was also rated,
will receive$650,000.
(08:26):
Meyer said he's considering tofund, to ensure the Repa remains
financially viable, or a programto encourage young journalists
to work in communities like hisclaims against the city and city
officials have not been settled.
As for the former police chief.
Cody will be charged withobstruction of the judicial
process, a felony for directingCarrie to delete a text message
(08:48):
conversation about the raid, andfor the removal of two pages of
her witness statement thatincluded evidence showing that
Cody had reached out to her totell her she was a victim of a
crime.
In October of 2025, a judgedetermined there was enough
evidence to go to trial that isscheduled for February 2nd,
2026.
(09:09):
Damn the T on that story wasgreat.
What a story fascinated by this.
I'm gonna keep following it.
Uh, interested to see whathappens.
The story begins in MarionCounty, Kansas, in the city of
Marion, a town of about 1900residents.
The city is located about 150miles to the southwest of Kansas
City, Missouri.
The raid originated with adispute between a local
restaurant owner and her husbandwho were undergoing divorce
proceedings.
Her husband, Ryan was worriedthat his soon to be ex-wife,
(00:22):
Carrie.
Continued to drive and obtaineda liquor license for her
restaurant despite Carrie losingher driver's license.
In 2008 due to A DUI charge.
Ryan stated an unnamed sourcegave him a screenshot of
Carrie's driving record.
Ryan then passed a screenshot toa friend who in turn sent the
screenshot to a councilwomannamed Ruth and the Marion County
(00:44):
newspaper, the Marion Countyrecord.
Carrie alleged someone hadaccessed her private files by
using a piece of post mailaddressed to her by the Kansas
Department of Revenue.
Carrie claimed this was aviolation of the Driver's
Privacy Act, which makes itillegal to use any information.
The Marion County recordinitially did not report on the
(01:05):
evidence against Carriebelieving the materials were
leaked in relation to thedivorce proceedings.
The newspaper's, publisher andco-owner Eric Meyer, notified
the local police of the leak.
Soon after at a city councilmeeting, Carrie accused the
newspaper of having her personalinformation.
She admitted that she hadcontinued to drive after losing
(01:26):
her license, but alleged thatthe newspaper illegally obtained
her information and distributedthat information throughout the
county.
Okay.
After those accusations, thenewspaper published an article
about the allegations Kerry madeagainst the newspaper.
The newspaper reported that aconfidential source alleged that
local law enforcement was awarethat Carrie didn't have a
(01:47):
license and that city policeignored repeated driving
violations by her.
The Marion Police Department,chief Gideon, Cody.
Wrote that the records obtainedwould not have been accessed if
a confidential source had notimpersonated her soon-to-be
ex-husband Ryan.
The Marion Police Departmentthen had a magistrate judge who
(02:08):
the judge had a history of DUIarrest and driving on a
suspended license record,authorize a search in connection
with the criminal investigationinto identity theft using
carrie's information.
On August 11th, 2023, the MarionPolice Department raided the
Marion County Records newspaperoffice, the home of Councilwoman
(02:30):
Ruth, and they raid the home of98-year-old Joan Meyer, co-owner
and mother of the newspaperpublisher Eric Meyer.
Officer sees computers, cellphones, and reporting materials.
In response, Eric Meyer filed toobtain a copy of the affidavit
supporting the issuance of aprobable cause warrant.
(02:52):
The magistrate judge respondedthat she did not have a probable
cause warrant during the raid.
Body cam footage showed that therecently hired police Chief Cody
was alerted to the presence ofprinted information about
himself.
Two seasoned female employeessuffered health problems after
this raid.
One of them, Deb Groover.
(03:14):
Had recently uncovered thatpolice Chief Cody was
anticipating being demoted athis former employer with the
Kansas City Police Department.
The demotion was due toallegations made against him
from a workplace harassment.
Cody instead opted for an earlyretirement.
Deb Groover resigned from herposition saying that the raid
(03:35):
had caused her to suffer astress related condition.
But her story doesn't end here.
The second employee, PhyllisZorn, cited permanent
aggravation of a seizuredisorder as a result of the
raid.
This raid violates federal law.
That law provides protectionsagainst searching and seizing
materials from journalists.
(03:56):
Essentially admit one of ourconstitution, freedom of the
press one day after the raid onher home, the 98-year-old
co-owner of the newspaper, JoanMeyer died.
Video recording shows herextremely distressed as the
police were raiding her home.
She even says, quote, you know,if I have a heart attack and
(04:18):
die, it's all your fault.
If I die, you're gonna be suedfor murder.
The entire incident attractedinternational attention.
34 news organizations signed afour page letter condemning the
Marion Police.
The Society of ProfessionalJournalists offered$20,000 for
the legal defense.
(04:40):
The Writer's Guild of Americacalled for the officers to be
held accountable.
Days later.
The Kansas Bureau ofInvestigation or the KBI said
that the seized items would bereturned.
They also said that they wouldproceed with an investigation
into the raid without reviewingany of the seized evidence.
By the end of the day, theMarion County Attorney General
(05:02):
withdrew the warrant.
A complaint was filed againstthe magistrate judge, but later
dismissed the Kansas Commissionof Judicial Conduct stated in
the dismissal.
Facts and circumstances were notsufficient to conclude the
issuance of the warrant crossedthe line of incompetence.
However, this is not to say thatthe commission agrees that the
(05:24):
issuance of the search warrantin this instance was reasonable
or legally appropriate in postraid interviews, owner and
publisher Eric Meyer stated thatthe newspaper had been in the
process of investigating policeChief Cody.
Cody took the position just twomonths prior to the raids.
The paper received numerous tipsthat Cody left the Kansas City
(05:47):
police job under a cloud ofmisconduct allegations, but the
paper had yet to publish anarticle about the investigation
because the sources had notagreed to go on record.
The seized computers containedthose allegations and the
tipster identities.
Eric Meyer also said one of thenewspaper reporters approached
the police chief about thoseallegations.
(06:09):
In response, the chiefthreatened to sue the newspaper.
Previously Cody had expelled thenewspaper reporters from a
meeting with Jake La Turner.
La Turner is the Republicancongressman from Kansas' Second
Congressional District.
Reportedly, this was done at thebehest of the wife Gary, whose
restaurant was the location ofthe meeting.
(06:32):
La Turner staff, which invitedthe reporters, apologized.
It had been discovered.
The Chief Cody, a captain of theKansas City, Missouri Police
Department property crimes Unitwas under internal review for
allegedly making assaulting andsexist comments to a female
officer in May of 2023.
(06:52):
At the end of the internalinvestigation, Cody was told
that he would be demoted toSergeant.
He instead chose to resign fromthe position that carried a
salary of$115,000.
Soon thereafter, Cody was swornin as Marianne's new police
chief, which carried a salary of$60,000.
On August 30th, 2023, threeweeks after the raid, newspaper
(07:16):
reporter Deb Groover, publishedanonymous allegations from a
former internal affairsdetective for the Kansas City,
Missouri Police.
Allegedly, Cody had a reputationfor bad judgment.
In one instance, he sped throughan active scene of a suicide
jumper and ran over the body,compromising the entire crime
scene.
As a result, he was transferredand suspended on September 28th,
(07:41):
2023, Marion, Kansas Mayor DavidMayfield, suspended Cody, with
no reason given.
On October 2nd, Cody resignedeffective.
Immediately fast forward toNovember, 2025.
Marion County agreed to pay alittle more than$3 million and
apologize for the raids underthe judgment The estate of
(08:03):
Meyer's mother who died just oneday after the raid on her home.
We'll receive$1 million.
Eric Meyer, the two formeremployees, Deb and Phyllis, and
the paper's business manager,will split a 1.1 million
judgment and former CouncilwomanRuth, whose home was also rated,
will receive$650,000.
(08:26):
Meyer said he's considering tofund, to ensure the Repa remains
financially viable, or a programto encourage young journalists
to work in communities like hisclaims against the city and city
officials have not been settled.
As for the former police chief.
Cody will be charged withobstruction of the judicial
process, a felony for directingCarrie to delete a text message
(08:48):
conversation about the raid, andfor the removal of two pages of
her witness statement thatincluded evidence showing that
Cody had reached out to her totell her she was a victim of a
crime.
In October of 2025, a judgedetermined there was enough
evidence to go to trial that isscheduled for February 2nd,
2026.
(09:09):
Damn the T on that story wasgreat.
What a story fascinated by this.
I'm gonna keep following it.
Uh, interested to see whathappens.
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