By Lucky Kidd
MARION, Kan. — A felony charge was filed Monday afternoon in Marion County District Court against former Marion Police Gideon Cody stemming from an investigation into the August 2023 raid on the Marion County Record.
The complaint filed by Riley County Attorney Barry Wilkerson, one of two special prosecutors on the case, charges one count of interference with the judicial process between August 11th and 17th, 2023 alleging he knowingly or intentionally induced a witness to withhold information in a criminal case.
The charge stems from requests Cody made to Kari Newell, the former Marion restaurant owner whose driving record was at the center of what led to the raid to delete text messages between them, and issues regarding a written statement Newell provided to Cody, two pages of which appear to be missing.
During the raid, officers seized multiple items from the newspaper office and the homes of Record owner Eric Meyer and his mother Joan, who died a day after the raid, and of then Marion City Council member Ruth Herbel. Cell phones were also seized from several persons. Multiple federal lawsuits have been filed in connection with the raid, one of which has been settled out of court.
Geary County District Judge Ryan Rosauer has been assigned to handle proceedings in the case.
