Rutherford County Jail…… Blame Game Starts.

Posted on April 28, 2023 by Deborah Keller

April 28, 2023

Yesterday I posted an article about the female side of the jail closing. Then late last night I read an article with statements made by the County Manager. I thought to myself…Really, really???

They are upset that the very young, newly elected Sheriff may not have had the training to run the jail. Well DUH! No one that is elected to a position that has not held that position before knows everything involved in the office.

Ellenburg has networked with other Sheriff’s in the area to learn what is expected and attended training to help him figure out what needs to be done. We have seen the increase in drug arrests. His social media account shows that. He appears to be trying to get up to speed on the jail disaster he inherited.

Why in the world did they not help him transition into this position? They have managers, maintenance people, etc. that could have helped with ordinances, maintenance, etc. They knew the jail has multiple problems before he was even elected.

Now comes the real kicker. The Commissioners (excluding Benfield) toured the jail themselves before I did on March 3^rd (over 55 days ago). They actually walked through that decrepit cesspool on the female side. They smelled it, they saw the mold, the women crowded on the floor. They felt the heat and saw the walls dripping with moisture, the many layers of paint peeling off the bars, and the rust everywhere.

Why in the world did they not tell the Sheriff to get those women out of there that day? These good Christian elected officials saw the squalor and conditions that day themselves. I told the Sheriff the day I toured that the women needed to be moved ASAP. Our shelter animals live in much better conditions than these women.

Yet the Commissioners decided that the subject of moving them needed to be “studied”? It all comes down to money. It would cost money to move them. MONEY…doesn’t it always seem to come down to money?

What about humanity, what about those women’s constitutional rights? I sat in my car and cried for fifteen minutes after my tour. I cried that any human being would be housed in such situations in my own county. I cried that no one seemed to care enough to do something. These were mothers, daughters, and sisters. I cried that my elected officials had allowed this to happen.

The Commissioners had fifty-five (55) days that they could have moved these women yet they did not do so until forced to by state inspectors. I am appalled by their apathy and inaction. These are not the men I thought they were.

Now they want to “blame” the Sheriff who has been in office for less than four months? This did not happen in four months time. Former Sheriff Francis had let this go on for years. Why did County Maintenance not notify the county about the conditions when they went in there to work on things? Why did past inspectors not do anything? (that’s for another article)

Why did NO ONE seem to care? Was it was because they were women? I thought we were past that kind of thinking. Obviously not it seems.

At this point they are out of there but there is still the fact that their constitutional rights were violated during the time they were there. That will be a federal matter that must be dealt with. The fact that officials allowed this to go on for so long hurts my heart deeply and makes me want to examine all the reasons why.

I have been heartbroken over this since March 3^rd. I will never forget the inmate standing in the shadow of her cell saying, “Please help us.” I think “some” of our good Christian leaders have forgotten the teachings that we are all ALL God’s children.

This situation is far from over. Stop blaming and start helping. It will take everyone to help fix this mess. The problems have been identified so now address them as a unified government body. We as a community deserve no less.

Rutherford County Jail…… Female Side Closed by Inspectors.

Posted on April 27, 2023 by Deborah Keller

April 27, 2023

It appears that inspectors have finally had enough of the conditions at the jail and closed the female side for multiple violations. All female prisoners should be removed and placed in other jails in the surrounding counties by Friday.

As I reported last month the conditions in the women’s side of the jail was inhumane and the rest of the facility was not a lot better. The age of the jail is such that parts are difficult to find for repairs for some items or the people making them are now out of business.

Sheriff Aaron Ellenburg inherited this sinking ship several months ago when he was sworn into office after being elected. It is almost impossible to raise a ship once it’s 98% under water but he is trying. Former Sheriff Chris Francis and the Commissioners apparently had let the jail sink to an unmanageable state before he ever took office.

This closure will cost the county quite a bit of money as we, (Rutherford County taxpayers) have to pay other facilities to house our female prisoners. This however is cheaper than what lawsuits would cost for violations of inmates constitutional rights or the death of an inmate from conditions at the jail. I myself became very ill after just touring the facility.

One of the issues at hand is also the fact that DA Ted Bell’s office has a tremendous backlog of cases. The right to a speedy trial does not seem to be applicable here. A lot of these cases are people jailed awaiting acceptance of a plea deal so that no actual trials have to take place. This makes the DA’s office look more successful in “winning” cases but backs up available jail space. According to public records one particular prisoner has been in the jail over 1800 days awaiting trial which looks like it has cost the county around $90k.

This is inexcusable. Sheriff Ellenburg says he wants to “do the right thing” in his position but doing the right thing costs money and the county does not seem to want to put money into the jail. The Sheriff was even seen mowing the grass at the jail himself this past week.

Sheriff Ellenburg has said publicly that he will not accept the issues of drugs being smuggled into the jail. Trustees leaving the facility to go outside is definitely a safety risk and viable avenue for drugs to be brought in, so not allowing them outside to cut grass makes sense. Also they use trustees to clean the offices at the jail, which allows them accessibility to anything (drugs or contraband) that might be left in an area by someone from outside.

The County needs to stop the practice of using prisoners for free labor. Having the freedom to go outside and into the offices after hours to clean the building is a severe safety risk. The phrase “we’ve always done it this way” is not going to fly anymore. We have employees and contractors that do this work for the county’s other departments so why not the jail?

Yes, the closure of the jail will cost the county money but it is the right thing to do until the county can get it fixed and up to code. If not then they need to explore the option of building a new one. I reached out to Sheriff Ellenburg for a statement about the closure and he said “We are looking at a new beginning for the Rutherford County Detention Center.” This definitely seems like a positive step in getting the jail fixed.

This is the United States of America and Rutherford County should not allow third world conditions for prisoners to exist here. This is an issue apparently caused by former Sheriff Chris Francis, the Commissioners, and current DA Ted Bell. Francis is gone but DA Bell can get his office in gear and get some of these people out of there. The Commissioners can also do what needs to be done to fix it or if not fixable build a new one.

The Commissioners need to stand beside Sheriff Ellenburg and “do the right thing” in fixing this problem instead of being forced to by inspectors. It affects all of us. We as a community are better than this. It is a time for new beginning. This verse in KJV bible seems to say it best. Matthew 25:40 – “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

DA Ted Bell And Accountability….We Are Watching

Posted on December 29, 2022 by Deborah Keller

12/28/22

Mr. Bell was reelected to DA again this past November by approximately 30 % of the vote. He had no opposition in the general election so it was a foregone conclusion that he would gain the office.

Now I will be the first to admit that I do not know Mr. Bell on a personal level. I have heard accounts of him being a very good father and person. I do not in any way dispute those accounts.

I do however know what a bad job he has done as District Attorney. One can be a good father and community member and still be bad at their job. This apparently seems to be the case with Mr. Bell.

We have an opportunity to see a new era in law enforcement in our county but will it really mean anything if Ted Bell agrees to release criminals and puts off trials for years? Will it mean anything if he continues to “cover up” for his friends?

If the same players keep breaking laws and being released back into the general population with no more than the inconvenience of being arrested and making bond then what have we gained?

Rutherford County’s new Sheriff Aaron Ellenburg is determined to change the way things have been done here in the past but can he do that if blocked by DA Bell?

D.A.T0000000000000ed Bell with Judge Randy Pool

Let us not forget that this is the man who put off trials for more than six years. The man who has yet to try the Matthew Fenner case against Word of Faith Fellowship members for almost 10 years. The man who told the public that his friend, former Judge Randy Pool, did not commit any criminal acts even though the State Bar said in writing that his behavior was criminal. Bell, the man who admitted in court that he altered a video in an officer shooting incident.

This man, DA Ted Bell has multiple bar complaints against him for his behaviors and a pending lawsuit. Removing him from office is out of our (the general public) hands now but if he loses his license to practice law then he must resign and let someone else be appointed.

It is time to hold those in office accountable for not only what they do but also what they don’t do. 2023 will be a year of accountability. The new Sheriff is trying to be transparent and reporting on activities in his department. Do not hinder his efforts by your silence Mr. Bell.

It is way past time for accountability. No more “cover ups”, no more hidden SBI reports, no more protection of “friends.” Do your job and be accountable to those of whom you serve.

Community: MISSING JUVENILE: Abagail Cantrell

Posted on November 28, 2022 by Press Release

The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office is requesting the public’s assistance in locating a missing juvenile: Abagail Cantrell.

Abagail is 16-year-old white female. She has long brown hair, blue eyes and is known to wear glasses. She is 5’8″ tall and weighs about 160 pounds.

She was last seen on Race Path Church Road and was wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans. Her direction and method of travel is unknown.

Images of Abagail are included in this message. Double click for a larger view.

If you have information on the whereabouts of Abagail or who she may be in the company of, please contact the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office at 828-286-2911 or Crime Stoppers at 828-286-TIPS.

There Can Be Only One ….. RC Sheriff’s Race 2022

Posted on November 2, 2022 by Deborah Keller

**OPINION**

11/02/22

Our Sheriff’s race has been quite a roller coaster ride this year. First we had candidate Tony Roberson (former Polk County deputy) throwing his hat in the ring two years ago as a Republican candidate, we also knew that Jason Wease (business owner) was going to run as a Democrat as he has declared he would run each time back in 2013.

The current Sheriff Chris Francis (age 48) who has been in office for twelve years was not ready to retire so he would be running again. Then Steve Theodoropoulis (former Florida HP and Fed Air Marshall) who ran in 2018 announced he would also be running as a Republican candidate.

The man to beat at that time was the incumbent Sheriff Chris Francis. Sheriff Francis had twelve years worth of record to try to defend and in the past few years a lot of questionable things have gone on in his department. This being said between deaths at the jail, officer actions and lawsuits Sheriff Francis decided to pull out of the race.

This action put quite a monkey wrench into the strategy and campaigns of the other two candidates who had been gearing up to run against Francis. Now they had to focus their campaign on who would be the better candidate for the job. As they were trying to change direction there was another development in the race.

NC DMV Officer Aaron Ellenburg put his name in the hat to run in the Republican primary. The other two candidates tried to tie Ellenburg with Francis even though he did not actually work for the Sheriff’s department.

This started the negative campaigning right out of the gate. So many negative things were said and posted on social media about each of the Republican candidates it was hard to keep tract of them. Jason Wease did as he has done in the past and totally stayed away from the negativity surrounding the other candidates.

The Federal government then tossed us a curve ball and moved the primary from February to May trying to make sure all state districts were represented as fair as possible.

Then, Lo and Behold, Republican candidate Tony Roberson decided that the Republican Party was not aligning with his personal beliefs and was being run by Word of Faith Fellowship. He pulled out of the Republican primary race and decided to run as an unaffiliated candidate. This required him to get enough signatures to be put on the final ballot, which he did. He is in fact still a registered Republican but is running independent of their party.

So….whew! (dizzy yet?) The primary was finally held in May with Aaron Ellenburg being chosen as the Republican Party’s candidate for Sheriff. This set up a ballot with Ellenburg (R), Wease (D), and Roberson (U).

As the race went on the negativity just got uglier. One huge point of contention was the fact that Roberson’s pick for Chief Deputy, should he win, was former disgraced Sheriff’s Deputy Jamie Dunn. As you may recall he was fired, charged, and convicted for excessive violence against a restrained person in the jail. (see video here)

It was implied on social media that Ellenburg had no real law enforcement experience and was a “pick” of current Sherriff Francis so nothing would really change. Wease who stayed away from all the negativity just continued to run his campaign for change in his own style.

Now to mention another twist in this race. Roberson had a woman arrested and charged with posting malicious statements on social media. She was pursued for eight months at great personal expense to only have the charges dropped on the day of her hearing.

Then several months later Roberson himself was sued for posting inaccurate things with malicious intent on social media about someone else. (head spinning now?) He stopped posting things after that but his Chief Deputy pick Dunn continued to post things going so far as to dig up old text messages between people from years ago and posting them.

Early voting started on Oct 20^th. It will end on Nov. 5^th with the final election being held on Tuesday Nov. 8^th. You can vote for the candidate of your choice regardless of party (if there is a choice in a race) or not vote for any of them if you choose. It is important to go vote even if you leave some races blank. It sends a message of dissatisfaction to that candidate for sure.

The point however is that the Sheriff’s race is a local election. Whoever wins still will have the taste of that negativity in their mouth after the campaign. Those feelings do not just magically go away the day after the vote comes in. Neighbors, friends, and families remember the hurtful things said and done by each other. These wounds will fester for a long time.

We all are neighbors and members of this community. No matter who wins we all must learn to get along and let the hurts of this election be behind us. I hope that the damage can be repaired and that all can support the winner. This county has serious issues in the Sheriff’s office and especially the jail. Issues that will take everyone’s input and help to try to correct. Hopefully all will support the winner of this race and allow them time to try to correct the problems they will face when they take office.

This is not an episode of Highlander. No one needs to lose their head. No matter how many run for an office there can be only ONE.

Ted Bell…….No Choice, No Change!

Posted on October 23, 2022 by Deborah Keller

**Opinion**

10-23-22

On May 17, 2022 this county along with McDowell County essentially voted to re-elect Ted Bell for DA for four more years. This was in spite of all the things he has and has not done during his tenure.

D.A. Bell (often referred to by some at the courthouse as the “Invisible Man” since he so rarely tries cases himself) is running unopposed for his office….again. Only thirteen percent (13%) of this county voted him in to represent us in the Republican primary.

This is a man who in case you have forgotten has:

Altered body cam video in a major death by officer case (verified in court), not charged any officer in that case, not released the official SBI report concerning this case or any other case involving the Sheriff’s office.
Who let his friend Judge Pool off the hook for sexual misconduct on the bench. Yet persecuted a woman for eight (8) months for a social media post against a candidate accusing them of “calling” her, then dropping the case on the day of the hearing.
Who has as of yet to try the Word of Faith Fellowship cases after over 6 years, but tried a littering case right away against an attorney who complained about him.
Who also refuses to show families the body cam video from questionable cases about the death of their loved ones until made to by a court order.
Who reportedly has had numerous complaints made about him to the NC Bar Association.
Who lied about his political endorsements while campaigning knowingly endangering the positions of multiple law enforcement officials for violation of the Hatch Act.
Who rarely tries cases in court preferring to have his staff do the majority of the work.
Who is involved in a lawsuit for conspiracy and denial of constitutional rights along with several judges against a local attorney.

Unfortunately we have no choice in this matter. He will win this office even if he only receives one vote. So where does that leave us, the people whom he refuses to represent? We must be diligent in watching and reporting what Ted Bell does and does not do in the next four years. Reporting him to the bar when it is applicable.

When you vote DO NOT MARK your ballot for him. Leave it blank. Show the sentiment of NO CONFIDENCE by not voting for him. Let him see the numbers of how many did not vote for him. You do have a choice by not marking the ballot on any individual who is unopposed if you disagree with their politics.

Hopefully the Bar will act against him the way they did the DA in Henderson County and remove him from office and allow another DA to be appointed. We deserve a DA with integrity, and one who will be transparent and actually represent all the people of this community.

At the very least he could resign and go into private practice but either way he is here now and we have to deal with it as best we can. Stay alert, stay vigilant, and do not allow him to comfortably feel he can continue to act as he has in the past.

Mr. Bell we are watching! The things you have done and not done will NOT be forgotten. Be aware that Karma comes for all, even you.

“Republic” of Rutherford????

Posted on October 21, 2022 by Deborah Keller

**Opinion**

10-21-22

I was looking a copy of our ballot today and it just made me sad. Where is everyone? Where are the Democrat candidates? Where are the Independent/Unaffiliated candidates? Why are there so many uncontested races in our county?

I know the demographics have shown that we are a Republican leaning county and have been for many years but does that equal to no one having a choice in the general elections?

Elections are supposed to be all about choice. All of our offices except the Sheriff and one school board member have been decided on by the Republican Party. Technically they were all voted in back in May of this past year.

That being said, why does it matter what party anyone represents in a local election? No duties of ANY local elected official have anything to do with making that type of policy. Why does it matter if they have a letter by their name on the ballot?

The judges used to be listed on the ballot without party by their name, as should be because are they not supposed to be an impartial groups of people who just look at the law in relation to court cases? Mike Hager in his short but memorable term in the Legislature pushed through to have the party recognized on the ballot. WHY????

All this does is cause discord among the voters. The party can support whom they will financially but saying that “your candidate” reflects only your values when he/she is running for a job to represent everyone’s values seems unnecessarily divisive. Again, NONE of these people make policy!

There will have to be a legislative act to take off the party affliction of local candidates for elected office but it should be. We as a nation, a state, and a county are dealing with so much division that having this, as an added way to divide is ridiculous.

We have two unaffiliated candidates running, Tony Roberson for Sheriff and Parker Tate for School Board District 2. As an Unaffiliated voter myself (got tired of the “my way or the highway” attitude of both parties years ago) I commend them. They decided to run for office without the support of a political party. This means they had to get signatures to even get on the ballot and figure out financing by themselves. This is no small feat folks especially going against the very powerful and well-funded Republican Party here.

I am not endorsing either candidate but I am saying they cared enough to put in the sweat equity to run for office. What has happened to everyone else in this county? Do they just not care enough to try to make a difference?

There should never be an uncontested office on a ballot in this county. It doesn’t matter if you think the current people in office are doing a good enough job. There still should be a choice for the voters. Sometimes it is not about winning but showing that you care enough to try.

Honestly I think the Democrats of this county should be ashamed that they found no one to run for office except Jason Wease and he actually is answering to a higher calling than them. People need to wake up and get involved in local government. These people directly affect your daily lives and decide how your tax dollars are garnered and spent.

Times are going to get rough. A recession is coming soon and we will have people suffering mightily. Our people, our neighbors, our families will need everything we can dig up to help them. Get involved in how this need will be met. I would say be on a committee but those are hand picked here also. Go to meetings, and sign up to speak. Stand up, speak out, and be heard!

There is nothing we can do about this election now but think about the future. At least give the people a choice!

County Police Force …….. Is Now The Time?

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Deborah Keller

**Opinion**

10-19-22

Early voting starts October 20^th. We have multiple uncontested candidates on the ballot but the Sheriff’s race is not one of those. There are three candidates running for this office. Aaron Ellenburg (R), Jason Weast (D), and Tony Roberson (U).

This has been a contentious race and doesn’t look to get any kinder in the next few weeks before the election. Many things have been said or implied about the candidates on social media. If you have any question ask the candidates directly. They will answer you. Your vote is yours to do with as you wish.

One concern that has been brought up in the past and is a concern now is the politicization of the Sheriff’s Office. Being a law enforcement officer is a very difficult and demanding profession and having to deal with the possibility of losing your job over your political leanings every four years is an unnecessary added stress to these trained officers.

Not to even mention how much we require our Sheriff to try to manage and handle. Our jail has been understaffed and incorrectly managed for years now. It has failed multiple inspections and many injuries, incidents, and even deaths have occurred there. It needs full time attention and an involved Sheriff in its operation. Just throwing more money at it will not solve the problems there. Being heavily involved in the safety of the courthouse is also demanding.

In years past we have seen the animal shelter and the 911 center moved from under the Sheriff’s umbrella. Would it be too far fetched to think that having a county police force would be more beneficial to the people of this county? No politics, no jail administration, no courthouse duties.

Other counties in the state have done this with very good results. It takes the politics out of policing and holds officers and staff accountable to county management. Officers will also have clear-cut direct representation and recourse with personnel issues. This would help assure the public that officers and administration would be held accountable for their actions and that the officers themselves would have proper steps to accomplish their training standards.

Doing this would allow the new Sheriff, whomever he is, to concentrate on the jail and the courthouse. The problems of the jail are more than enough for one man and his staff to get straightened out.

This would be an initial expensive outlay for the county but would pay for itself in time. The counties that have done this have been very happy with the results. It gives the Sheriff time to concentrate on the jail and courthouse, which are two very important things that desperately need his full attention.

It takes a legislative act to proceed with such an action but Rutherford County was grated that several years ago. All the commissioners really have to do is vote for it. It would not be an easy transition but one that would ultimately benefit not only the officers but the county as well. Guaranteeing to keep highly trained officers in their jobs with no fear of being removed every four years due to the political climate.

It is a way to build back trust in our community policing. The majority of these officers work very hard and deserve to be appreciated by the people they serve. They are here to protect and serve.

The time to act on this is now for the commissioners. With a new Sheriff coming in after twelve years if they are planning to transition now is the time to do it. If you feel that this is needed in this county please contact your commissioners and let them know. Call 828-287-6060 or email hazel.haynes@rutherfordcountync.gov with your concerns and she will get your message to them.

Let’s bring back “We the people” to our communities.

Claude Keever Receives Plea Deal for Multiple Sex Offenses Against Children

Posted on October 16, 2022 by Deborah Keller

**Opinion**

10-16-2022

Original articles concerning this case.

”WLOS: Feb. 1, 2021: On July 20, 2020, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office received a report alleging that Claude Linden Keever had committed the offense of taking Indecent Liberties with a Child, NCGS§ 14-202.1, a felony crime. Upon receipt of this report, the Rutherford County Criminal Investigation Division contacted the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI) and requested they join the investigation that same day. Though not all felony crimes initiate a partnership with the NC SBI, the Captain of the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division, Jamie Keever, is related to Claude Linden Keever.

Through the joint investigation of the initial report that was received on July 20, it was discovered that Claude Linden Keever had taken, or attempted to take, indecent liberties with at least three additional persons. These individuals were juveniles at the time that the acts occurred, however, they are now adults.

On October 12, 2020, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with the NCSBI, secured warrants for the arrest of Claude Linden Keever. He was charged with four counts of taking Indecent Liberties with a Child and one count of attempting to take Indecent Liberties with a Child. Claude Linden Keever was arrested and a secured bond of $240,000.00 was set. He will have his first appearance in the Court of Rutherford County on Tuesday, October 13, 2020.”

“A Rutherfordton man has been arrested and charged with multiple sex offenses against minors from as far back as the 1980s.

Claude Linden Keever, 85, has been charged with multiple sex offenses against minors that occurred from the 1980s to the present in both Polk and Rutherford Counties in North Carolina.

In Polk County, Keever is charged with 2 counts of felony indecent liberties with a child and one count of first-degree statutory sex offense. His next court date in Polk County is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 22, 2021.”

Polk County Sheriff’s Office Release

January 14, 2021 ·

Arrest and Request For Information

“Claude Linden Keever, 85, of Rutherfordton, NC has been charged with multiple sex offenses against minors that occurred from the 1980’s to the present. Keever currently faces felony charges in both Polk and Rutherford Counties in North Carolina.

This matter is an ongoing investigation involving the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, and the NC State Bureau of Investigation (NC SBI). Anyone with any information pertaining to Keever and the investigations is asked to come forward to speak with investigators. Due to the sensitive nature of these types of investigations no further information can be released at this time.”

On Thursday Oct 12, 2022 Claude Keever finally had his hearing for indecent liberties with a child. He had six (6) counts against him in this particular case. DA Ted Bell offered him a plea deal to plead guilty to three (3) charges with sentencing at the discretion of the court. Sentencing was 12-15 months for each charge to run concurrent to each other with credit for 84 days already served. As of now it looks like he will serve nine (9) months and then will be released without supervision per Judge Tommy Davis.

This case has been before DA Ted Bell since 2020. He has put it off, continued it and otherwise let this predator free to roam among children that he could victimize without any supervision. A “no contact with children” order was issued as a condition of his bond but predators such as this often find ways around those.

This man has been sexually abusing children we are told since 1980. No one but him really knows how long this has gone on. People told others, people in charge knew, yet he was shielded from prosecution.

Why is the question that most people ask? No one wants to believe that these predators live among us. They are often people who have “standing” in the community and are respected by most. There is always an explanation for anything that might come up and of course all the children involved are always making “stories” up for attention.

People actually feel sorry for the predator as he portrays himself as the victim to others. People often say “Oh he is such a good husband and father, such a good man in the community, he can’t possibly be connected with abuse.” You see well-respected people on social media congratulating him on things like a great hole in one at a local golf course. Unknowingly linking their approval of him to his victims.

As a victim you feel hopeless. No one listens, no one believes and worst of all no one does anything about it. I know, as I was a victim of such a man. Not Keever but someone like him. Someone I had no protection from. When I finally came forward his family and friends did not believe me. He was protected by his other friends/family in law enforcement much like it appears Keever was.

I realize as an adult it is horrendous to think someone you know could do such a thing. So horrendous that you turn away from it, but the victims cannot turn away. It is their world. It is a wound that will always ache deep within them. It is an almost unforgivable sin that forever alters their lives and the lives of those who love them.

This man Claude Keever has been committing these sins against children for over forty plus years and has been shielded and protected by very powerful people who I am sure had their own reasons for doing so. Some are family and some are friends but all were complacent in allowing these things to continue.

A very wise person once told me that on Judgment Day everyone had to answer for the sin of omission when they stood by and did nothing while someone abused a child. There are a lot of people who will be surprised on Judgment Day when the subject of Claude Keever comes up and they have to answer for all the many who were affected by the things they turned a blind eye to. DA Ted Bell in particular as he was directly responsible for allowing this man to continue to prey on children. I cannot fathom how he could allow such abuse to continue for so long on his watch.

The abusers like to say “well maybe it was just this one time, or maybe they drank too much and they were just not themselves”but this is far darker and deeper than that. This behavior is never cured. It is not brought on by alcohol or circumstance. It is a deep sickness that lurks in their heart and mind forever. There is no rehabilitation for these type of monsters. If not incarcerated they need to be watched every second of the day if around children. There have been many examples where child predators say they always have the desire to have sex with children they just fear the consequences too much so they try to abstain.

The victims of this man have been crying out for justice for over forty plus years but nothing was done until someone finally had enough guts and power to push the authorities to finally charge him. It is beyond tragic. He has his plea deal now and will serve how ever much time as the authorities see fit of his sentence. He is 87 years old but make no mistake he is still a threat to children as long as he breathes outside of incarceration.

Is this justice for his victims? No, but at least it is a start to their process of acceptance and healing.

We expect our DA to protect us from the criminals not shield them from justice like he did his friend former Judge Randy Poole. How many others he has turned a blind eye to or just continued their cases for more than six years? Why would he do these things……Why????

Claude Keever will eventually die and it would be nice to say the evil within him will die then too but unfortunately he has spread his evil and effected so many that it will continue to live for years and years. The effects of this are generational. Again, I know. It is not a fraternity you want to belong to, believe me.

I am writing strongly about this because I feel strongly about it. It goes on all too frequently in our society. Even the former Sheriff of Polk County Chris Abel was guilty of it (see link) and was protected for years by his friends and co-workers. He ALSO took a plea deal (for NO jail time) when it finally went to court, supported by his deputies in the courtroom. Heartbreaking…..

We as a society have to do better by our children. We have to be more aware and alert. We have to listen and investigate no matter who the accused is. Our law enforcement must do better, have better training and learn to recognize the signs, and there is no excuse for any D.A. to delay by the time these cases get to him/her.

Say a prayer (if so inclined) for the victims of Claude Keever and for the victims of all who have been preyed upon by this type of evil. Hopefully they can come to terms with their trauma and accept it as a part of their life they cannot change and move on from it.

There is no justice when it comes to these acts. You cannot restore innocence and faith in a child so damaged. A sin committed against someone that has no restitution is considered one of the gravest things one can do. Anyone who knowingly protects these people is just as guilty.

Claude Keever, only YOU know how many child victims you have truly traumatized. Judgment Day is coming for you soon. Actions have consequences and yours will be dire for sure.

“Do Unto Others…” or “What Goes Around Comes Around”….RC Politics 2022 Commentary Updated 10-13-22

Posted on October 10, 2022 by Deborah Keller

**Opinion**

UPDATE: 10-13-22

I still have not heard back from Polk County Sheriff’s office concerning the training and certifications request but did receive an email from Isothermal Community College confirming that Tony Roberson DID complete and pass his BLET on 10-09-1996 there. I will update with the other information if it is made available.

10-10-22

Well it seems we have another twist in the Tony Roberson for Sheriff social media saga. (Glad I am never running for a political office again….)

To put this in perspective last Jan. a social media post was made on FB about Tony Roberson, RC Sheriff Candidate that made disparaging remarks about his past behavior. A FB post to Roberson’s wife’s account stated “for Mr. Roberson’s wife to ask her husband how faithful he had been because she knew he had messaged her while in Rutherfordton 2012-2013”. It went on to say that “others are saying he was drunk and all over them at Copper Penny, and he was not faithful or loyal and why would he give 2 shakes about the common folk. He was dirty and you just don’t see it.”

Candidate Roberson took great offense at these remarks made to his wife and had Leslie Lewis charged and arrested for cyberstalking. He said she was malicious, vile, and libelous in her remarks. A magistrate actually allowed the charges and D.A. Ted Bell’s office spent eight (8) months pursuing them.

Most of us that saw this play out on Facebook were shocked when they actually charged her, much less arrested her for this Facebook post. The general thought at the time was it must have really upset his wife for him to take it that far. It did make you wonder after the Copper Penny incident he was involved in. (see video here)

In that incident Roberson accused a fellow candidate of “setting him up” even though that candidate was out of town when the incident occurred. (See article here) It just got worse however for Ms. Lewis.

At age 39 she had never been arrested and now she had to obtain an attorney for these charges. She stated “I’ve done nothing wrong. This is my First Amendment right. If a man will have you arrested for speaking out against him what will he do in the office of Sheriff?”

This process of the lawsuit took eight months. There were continuances and a judge recused herself and then the out of town judge they got to come in actually worked at the Polk County DA’s office when Roberson was employed as a deputy there. Ms. Lewis spent thousands of dollars in legal fees and missed work because of this then with just minutes before the trial was to finally start the prosecutors abruptly dropped the case.

Politics gets ugly at times and this seems to be an example of that as well as total misuse of the office and legal system by DA Ted Bell whom Ms. Lewis said lied to her to get her to stop talking negatively about him. (Well, with his past behaviors…no surprise there)

Roberson said “they (the prosecution) were leery about the evidence they could present so he told them to drop it and that he had more important things on his plate.” Ms. Lewis is still talking about pursuing a civil action after the election against Roberson to recoup her losses on this suit.

Now that brings us to last week. I wrote an article about all three candidates running for Sheriff listing their qualifications and length of service. (see article) Candidate Roberson seemed to take offense at the article, which outlined his dates of service with Polk County. He was so upset that he decided to post a Facebook video about it. This is where the story takes another strange turn.

In the video he never mentions my name yet he goes on and on about attorney Andrew LaBreche being the author of this article about him. He then went on a tirade against RC Deputy Brandon Ellenburg for being an “informant”against his fellow officers. He claimed several times to have proof that LaBreche had written my article.

After seeing this I posted another article with all the documents that I had obtained from Polk County concerning his length of service. (see article here) I had asked Polk County Sheriff’s Office for a copy of his BLET certification dates and training/certification records but none have been produced as of yet. (Why they would want to withhold that information I don’t know.)

Mr. LaBreche took great offense at being erroneously signaled out as writing articles about Roberson as he had told him earlier that he did not want to be involved in his “politics” on this campaign. (Roberson implied plagiarism by me in that video but hey I just backed it up with another article containing the documents from Polk County)

When Mr. LaBreche sent a FB message to Roberson about this incident saying if it continued he would seek legal action against him. Roberson replied to him with “Go F*#k Yourself.” Then Roberson put up LaBreche’s private message to him on Facebook but omitted his reply.

Social Media was abuzz with this, with Roberson supporters saying he should sue LaBreche (no mention of for what??) and that LaBreche would never sue him. That was not to be the case however.

Candidate Roberson was served with the lawsuit from LaBreche on Thursday evening. I guess that was better than what happened to Ms. Lewis as at least he was not arrested and taken to jail as Robertson had done to her.

You can’t help but wonder about Karma in this situation. My grandmother always used to say to me “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” and my Mom would say, “What goes around comes around.” In this case it seems that Tony Roberson is coming full circle on both these counts. We will continue to cover this with updates as they happen.

RC Politics 2022 …..Not a dull moment in the house folks!