Repository Collection 03
Sheriff Accused of Bullying, Threatening Reporter
SUPPLEMENTAL ARTICLE SOURCE ENTRY
Last Revised • July 7, 2026
This Source Verification Page documents a supplemental news article published by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press concerning allegations that Buncombe County Sheriff Bobby Medford threatened Asheville Citizen-Times reporter Tonya Maxwell following her investigative reporting on the Mary Judd homicide investigation. The article provides independent corroboration of the reporting referenced in Statement of Facts D and supplies additional context regarding official reactions to media coverage of the investigation.
Related SMAR Citation
(Used to corroborate the Star News Online reporting.)
Source Name
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
Publication
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
Publication Date
December 11, 2003
Verification Source
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
Source Location
RCFP News Archive
Highlighted Pages
1 - 2
Referenced in the Supplemental Motion
Page 28 - 29, Paragraph: 50
✔ Article obtained and reviewed.
✔ Relevant passages highlighted.
✔ Publicly available source
✔ Included within the Source Verification Archive
May's allegation that public reporting by the Asheville Citizen-Times exposed significant problems
in the investigation of the Mary Judd homicide, prompting District Attorney Ron Moore to review
the case and defend the actions of the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office. The Reporters
Committee article is cited to corroborate that Sheriff Bobby Medford reacted to the newspaper's
reporting by threatening reporter Tonya Maxwell, that the Citizen-Times' investigative series
"Waiting for Justice" prompted Moore's review of the investigation, and that Moore's subsequent
report concluded there was no wrongdoing by the Sheriff's Department despite the controversy
surrounding the investigation.
Source Status
Cited to Support
Supporting Documents
Original Article
Link to the original article.
Highlighted Research Copy
Working research copy containing the highlighted passages cited in the Supplemental Motion.
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Return to Statement of Facts D
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