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.

Ted Bell Enrages Family Of Murder Victim In Campaign Post

Posted on May 15, 2022 by Deborah Keller

May 15, 2022

On Friday the residents of both Rutherford and McDowell counties received not one but two political mailers from D.A. Ted Bell. As you may recall the first mailer sent out was shown to be false. He was not unanimously endorsed by law enforcement.

The second mailer showed three cases of child predators incarcerated for long periods but failed to discuss all the plea deals that have let multiple child predators continue to walk free and place children at risk.

The third and fourth mailers that have come out on the same day have equally erroneous messaging. Tough on crime (unless you’re a friend) is HIS opinion, not the general public, and “successfully” fighting the drug problem is an absolute joke. The entire district knows that all too well.

Now in his latest political facebook message he actually took credit for a case he was not involved in and failed to notify the family of the murdered victim that he was using their son’s case as a political advertisement. This is the message that was posted on his campaign Facebook page.

Facebook Page: Ted Bell for DA

Murderer Convicted-Sentenced to Life Without Parole

On Friday April 22, 2022, Walter Sidney Mitchell was found guilty of first degree murder in the July 20, 2018 shooting death of Matthew Pressley. This concluded a week-long trial in which Assistant District Attorney Kent W. Brown prosecuted the case on behalf of the State. Mitchell, who was previously convicted in 2003 of accessory after the fact to second degree murder and first degree kidnapping in an unrelated case, was sentenced to life without parole.

Pressley allowed Mitchell to live with him at his Walnut Grove Road residence in Nebo after Mitchell’s most recent time in prison. Soon after moving in, Mitchell began to treat the house as his own, telling Pressley what he could and could not do in his own home, and bringing in whomever he wanted. One such person was a girlfriend of Mitchell’s who on the morning of July 18 became angry when she discovered that Mitchell had just left with another girlfriend. She took Mitchell’s truck keys and threw them in the woods just outside the house to spite him.

On July 20th, the day after Mitchell’s birthday, Mitchell was dropped off by a friend of Pressley’s at another persons garage. Mitchell was trying to convince that person to buy his truck. He then realized he did not have the keys to his truck and did not know where they were. He became convinced Pressley had stolen them. Enraged, Mitchell got a woman to drive him back to Pressley’s house.

Pressley was out in the yard when Mitchell and the woman pulled in. The woman had a revolver in the cupholder of her car, and Mitchell took the gun when he got out of the car. Mitchell walked straight up to Pressley and struck him twice on the head, accusing him of stealing the keys. Pressley denied having anything to do with them. Mitchell then struck Pressley on the side of the head with the pistol.

Two men in the house heard the commotion in the yard through the open front door. Before they could move in that direction, Mitchell came into the house and walked up to them. Mitchell looked at one of them, waving the gun in his face, and said “I know you won’t be the one calling the law.” The man later said that looking at Mitchell was like looking “at a hull of a person, pure evil like nobody was there.” Mitchell immediately turned and walked back outside to where Pressley was still standing in his yard. The man followed Mitchell to the open door.

Mitchell struck Pressley again on the head. Pressley not able to take anymore took a swing at Mitchell and just grazed his nose. Mitchell then raised the gun from his side, leveled it at his head, and shot him in the face. Pressley fell to the ground and Mitchell walked to him. Standing over apressley, Mitchell said “looks like he’s dead.” Mitchell then turned and walked up to the woman’s car, jumped in and took off without her. The woman and the people in the house fled, leaving Pressley lying on the ground.

The bullet entered Presssley’s jaw just below his lower lip on the right side. It traveled along the jaw, through the neck, and pierced the lower part of the skull, damaging the lower sections of the brain before running up the inside back wall of the skull to come to rest at the back of the head. The areas of the brain that were damaged would have resulted in Presley losing his balance and coordination and his eyesight, perhaps to the point of blindness. The investigation revealed, based on the trail of blood, that after the shooting Pressley got to his feet, made his way into the house, felt his way around the living room to the couch, where he sat down, covered up with a blanket, and died.

Mitchell drove to a friend’s residence where he told the friend “I just killed Matt. I shot him in the face.” Mitchell asked for money and then drove away in the woman’s car. Two days later the car was found abandoned on Roper Hollow Road in Burke County 10 miles up that road where it became a single dirt track running through remote woods.

It took the jury five hours of deliberation over two days to find the defendant guilty of premeditated and deliberate first degree murder. We thank the members of the jury for their service, the careful attention the gave too the evidence and the instructions on the law, and the verdict they rendered that gave justice for Matthew Pressley and his family. We thank the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office for their tireless dedication to law enforcement and the thorough they do, especially to Detective Billie Brown and Lieutenant Detective Chris Taylor for their work on this case. Our special thanks go to all the witnesses who ultimately came forward and reported what had happened and then testified to the jury. Finally we extend our heartfelt appreciation to Daniel Pressley, brother to Matthew, and to his family for the dedication they have shown to Matthew throughout the tendency of the case and throughout the trial. When Mitchell’s first lawyer had to be replaced, a second lawyer had to be given time to prepare, and then the courts were closed due to COVID, the Pressley family stayed true to their determination to see justice for Matthew.

Ted Bell

District Attorney

The sister of Matthew Pressley, Tabitha Holsonback, needless to say was horrified that he would use the heartbreaking graphic details of her brother’s case to advance his political agenda especially since he was not involved in any aspect of the trial. Never even meeting with the family. Her reply was as follows:

(stock photo)

“I know good and well that you are NOT trying to take any credit for this case Mr. Bell. You left our family suffering in heart wrenching pain for 3 years and 9 months before moving this case forward to trial. When Mr. Brown did his job (and an incredible job if I might add) WHERE WERE YOU? You were NOT in that courtroom, you offered NO SUPPORT to the victims, family, or friends. You were not there when the verdict was reached or the sentence was read. You now want to use Matthew’s death and Walt’s conviction for a campaign ad? Are you kidding me? Were you there when the crime scene photos were put up on the screen and some of us had to get up and leave the courtroom sobbing so uncontrollably and vomiting that we couldn’t sit there? Were you there to offer a kind word or any comfort or support? NO SIR, YOU WERE NOT! You know who was there? Kent Brown, his assistant and a few others behind the scenes to make sure our family was ok. It is quite disgusting you are trying to take this a political stunt, gain some ground for your campaign, and act like you care about the fact we suffered for 3 years and 9 months.

SHAME ON YOU MR. BELL…..I PRAY I SEE KRINN EVANS TAKE YOUR JOB! I KNOW WHO WE ARE VOTING FOR. THIS ALONE HAS SEALED ANY DOUBTS I MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE HAD.”

Ted Bell then immediately deleted her reply off his campaign page. He reached out to her on private messenger with the conversation going as follows:

She saved screenshots of the original post along with the messages and replies and posted them to her page after posting the following:

“I am LIVID this morning!!!! So, Ted Bell, this is what we are doing now??? You are using Matthew’s death as a Campaign ad? SHAME ON YOU! SHAME ON YOU MR BELL! I Love the fact that he posted a picture of the murderer but not the victim… AND ACTS LIKE HE HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THIS!!! LET ME ASSURE YOU ALL HE DID NOT, IT WAS MR. KENT BROWN, MS ANGIE ( KENTS ASSISTANT) , DETECTIVE BILLIE Brown, and many others with the McDowell County Sheriff’s dep., An incredible forensic analyst, a jury of 12 who sat and watched the entire trial and took notes and asked for evidence and made an informed decision. BUT NOT ONE TIME DID WE SEE TED BELL DURING THIS WEEK OF TRIAL, NOT ONE WORD FROM HIM OFFERING SUPPORT TO ANY OF US, AND NOW HE WANTS TO USE MATTHEW’S DEATH/ WALT’S CONVICTION AS A CAMPAIGN AD!!!!! COME ON MCDOWELL COUNTY,YOU DESERVE BETTER Krinn Evans for District Attorney.”

ADA Kent Brown

After admitting that ADA Kent Brown wrote the actual post on his campaign page, not himself as implied by his signature on the post, Mr. Bell took down the post from his campaign site. She in the meantime has made screenshots of all the posts and replies as she said she was afraid he would deny making them.

Ms. Holsonback has every reason to feel she needed to have proof of what he did as he would possibly deny it. This has been the way he has done things for the past seven years. It is incomprehensible that he would:

Take credit for a trial he was not part of
Use that trial as a political tool for his campaign without considering the family of the victim or at least informing them.
Specifically put his name on a post that he did not write
Delete the reply of the victim’s mother on said post because it was unflattering to him
Then actually put in writing that he did not write said post.

Is this really what you want in your District Attorney? A man who cares so little for the family of a murder victim that he would put them through this for his own personal gain? Not to mention all the other things he has/has not done while in office like these to name a few:

Protection of a judge who committed criminal acts and lied to law enforcement officers about it.
Total lack of transparency concerning anything in the Sheriff’s Office or the jail.
Personal vendetta court cases taking priority over long waiting cases.
Difficult cases (WOFF) being continued 6+ years until no witnesses remember anything about it.
Discussing current murder investigations and sharing depositions with social media people who live out of state.
Not utilizing court time to decrease the backlog of cases.
Asked for a political favor from a police chief to remove a political banner (negative to Ted Bell) off private property.
Misrepresenting official police endorsements to affect an election.

This Tuesday will be the final day to vote in the Republican primary. The reason this is important is this election will decide who holds the office for the next four years. The holder of this office affects every single one of us. This position is the cornerstone of our legal system. The District Attorney decides who does and does not get charged for crimes. We must have someone with integrity and concern for the people in this office. We must demand it and we deserve it. All these example continually show that Ted Bell is NOT the man for this job. It is time to “clean” the courthouse and reintroduce not only respect, but honesty, transparency, and dignity.

We can make our voices heard. We can hold the holders of this office accountable. Go to the polls if you haven’t already and vote for change on Tuesday.

We Deserve it!

Ted Bell…..A Mother’s Plea

Posted on May 9, 2022 by Deborah Keller

May 9, 2022

On this past Mother’s Day I could not help but think about all the other mothers who have lost a child. It is always a day filled with love but tinged with sadness. I lost my child after a routine medical procedure when he was 32. It was devastating and still fifteen years later, painful. I realize it was no one’s fault just something that tragically happened. As terrible as that was I can’t imagine how the mothers who have lost a child due to judicial or police action feel.

I got to see this first hand when my friend lost her son in a police shooting. Not only was she dealing with the death of her son, but in every instance where she tried to find out what had actually happened she was blocked by D.A. Ted Bell. She finally had to resort to court action against him to see the body cam footage only to realize Mr. Bell had altered it. Again, she had to go back to court and still received no answers as to why he was shot. I know this day will be hard for her from now on. She still continues to seek justice for her son.

I can’t imagine how the mothers of the people who have died at the jail feel. They have questions that Mr. Bell has refused to answer also. No one sees the SBI investigative reports he has concerning them. The agony of the mothers of the people who have died in police shootings over the past seven years who never got answers about how their child died has got to be almost unbearable.

Last but not least the mother who waited six years for Mr. Bell to actually hold her trial. She not only lost custody of her children during that time but was unable to contact them due to a court order proposed by Mr. Bell. Her son who had emotional issues and made the original complaint did not get the parental support he needed during that six years and after testifying in court unknowingly took a Fentanyl laced Xanax that a friend gave him and died. That friend later died while in custody. This mother was found innocent of all charges. That however was cold comfort after six years being denied her children and now the death of her son. Where was her guaranteed right to a speedy trial by Mr. Bell? That family is destroyed forever.

So many, many things that Ted Bell has directly done or decided not to do have negatively impacted so many lives over the past seven years but with no apparent consequence to him. All these people had families, someone who loved them. All of them deserved to know why he made the decisions that so affected their lives.

These are the ones we know about, how many more are out there that we don’t know about? How many mothers cry in silence being unheard by any official that cares? How many families will forever ask why? All life matters regardless of who it is.

Do you want the things that have gone on for the last seven years to continue in your community?

Protection of a judge who committed criminal acts and lied to law enforcement officers about it.
Total lack of transparency concerning anything in the Sheriff’s Office or the jail.
Personal vendetta court cases taking priority over long waiting cases.
Difficult cases (WOFF) being continued 6+ years until no witnesses remember anything about it.
Discussing current murder investigations and sharing depositions with social media people who live out of state.
Not utilizing court time to decrease the backlog of cases.
Asked for a political favor from a police chief to remove a political banner (negative to Ted Bell) off private property.
Misrepresenting official police endorsements to affect an election.

Need we go on? We deserve better than this. We have the opportunity to bring integrity and transparency back to the District Attorney’s Office next Tuesday. The only way to enact change is for us to vote it in. The May 17th primary decides who our District Attorney will be for the next four years.

Please go vote. Let’s bring integrity back to the courthouse. It starts with us.

Ted Bell…….Why?

Posted on May 4, 2022 by Deborah Keller

May 4, 2022

So many questions persist about District Attorney Ted Bell. The biggest ones concern why Ted Bell does the things he does.

Why does Ted Bell feel community activities are more important than the job he was elected and gets paid to do?

Why with the backlog of cases does Ted Bell’s office close early on Fridays?

Why has Ted Bell put off the Word of Faith Fellowship trial (6+ years now) over and over and over again?

Why did Ted Bell say the victim in a case was “too fragile” to testify yet this same victim joined the army during the six (6) years it took to finally hear the case? (By the way the defendant was found innocent of all charges.)

Why did Ted Bell imply in a political forum that a young man committed suicide after testifying when it was an accidental fentanyl laced Xanax that he took?

Why is Ted Bell talking to and sharing confidential victim/suspect statements with a woman who lives in New Mexico and constantly posts videos about it?

Why is this same woman supposedly collecting statements from Rutherford County residents for Ted Bell in ongoing murder trials?

Why did Ted Bell prioritize a littering trial (against an attorney that filed a complaint against him) and hear it first on the post Covid court docket?

Why does Ted Bell not try the majority of the cases brought before the court?

Why does Ted Bell never release any SBI investigations of wrongdoing in the Sheriff’s Office?

Why did Ted Bell knowingly alter a body cam video of a death by officer shooting?

Why did Ted Bell have to be ordered by a judge to allow the family of the victim of an officer shooting to see the body cam video?

Why did Ted Bell knowingly release still shots of the altered video of the officer shooting to the public?

Why did Ted Bell allow Judge Pool to accost his staff member with unwanted sexual attentions without intervening?

Why did Ted Bell agree with having SBI and LEO threaten a Pool victim if she proceeded with a case against him?

Why did “The Plea Deal DA” Ted Bell not offer a plea deal to Judge Pool’s victim and the judge hearing the case had to?

Why did Ted Bell expedite a hearing against Judge Pool’s victim when she was having difficulty paying the fees? (She did get them paid)

Why did Ted Bell send out mailers saying he had unanimous police endorsements from both McDowell and Rutherford County when he in fact did not?

Why did Ted Bell sign a statement with a radio station that this unanimous LEO support was true for radio ads knowing that it was not?

Why did Ted Bell not answer emails requesting written confirmation of these endorsements?

Why did Ted Bell then post on Facebook that these were “personal” endorsements yet his mailer has the titles and department of each individual listed?

Why does Ted Bell think the people of McDowell and Rutherford County are so enamored of him that they can’t see all the inconsistencies in his behavior?

Why does Ted Bell seem to think that what he wants is more important than justice for the people of McDowell and Rutherford counties?

Why would law abiding citizens who believe in truth and justice vote to continue letting Ted Bell do these things?

Be informed, vote for integrity, truth, and justice on May 17^th. Do not let Ted Bell continue with these behaviors. The community you save may be your own.

Early voting is going on now through May 14^th. Make your voice heard!

D.A.Ted Bell ….Violating The Hatch Act?

Posted on May 2, 2022 by Deborah Keller

May 2, 2022

How many questionable decisions has District Attorney Ted Bell made in his tenure here? It obviously is an answer that will take years to fully discover. The latest is his decision to use public political endorsements of law enforcement officials in radio ads on WCAB, social media, newspapers, and mailers.

Mr. Bell as an attorney and current District Attorney is certainly aware of the Hatch Act. It clearly states that “The Hatch Act, a federal law passed in 1939, limits certain political activities of federal employees, as well as some state, D.C., and local government employees who work in connection with federally funded programs. The law’s purposes are to ensure that federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion, to protect federal employees from political coercion in the workplace, and to ensure that federal employees are advanced based on merit and not based on political affiliation.”

“The Hatch Act restricts the political activity of individuals principally employed by state, District of Columbia, or local executive agencies and who work in connection with programs financed in whole or in part by federal loans or grants. Usually, employment with a state, D.C., or local agency constitutes the principal employment of the employee in question. However, when an employee holds two or more jobs, principal employment is generally deemed to be that job which accounts for the most work time and the most earned income.” (See link here)

Mr. Bell seems to have forgotten that the stated endorsers he has listed all have federal funding sources and therefore are subject to the Hatch Act. (see above) After an extensive search online I was unable to find any stated confirmation of these endorsements. I reached out via email last Thursday April 28th to all the individuals mentioned to receive direct confirmation of their endorsement explaining to them that I was writing an article about it.

No one mentioned above by Mr. Bell has replied to my original email. I then emailed Mr. Bell directly asking if he had written endorsements from these officials. He too did not answer my email but did post within a few hours of my sending it regarding his endorsements on his Ted Bell for DA Facebook page.

“April 29 at 7:00 PM ·

I never want to be misinterpreted or to mislead anyone, so based on a couple of questions I received I want to clarify. As I have always said, I have been unanimously endorsed by the heads of all of our local law enforcement agencies – the Chiefs and Sheriffs. This endorsement is in their personal capacity – obviously, a Town or Police Department cannot endorse someone, and I don’t want someone to misunderstand and think that I am stating that I am endorsed by a Town or Police Department as opposed to an individual.

Thank you for your support,

Ted”

I then emailed all the supposed endorsers of Mr. Bell and asked for a direct confirmation or denial of the endorsement along with their department’s policy on endorsing partisan politicians. I also asked if their departments directly or indirectly receive federal funding. I did copy Mr. Bell on this email. As of right now I have not heard back from any of them regarding this except Marion PD Chief Allen Lawerence who asked for my article deadline date.

It is very concerning that only one of the “public servants” emailed answered me. These people have sworn to protect and serve the public in their individual communities. How can the general public feel protected if they fear retaliation for not supporting the political candidate that the department Chief or Sheriff has endorsed. This is the entire purpose behind the Hatch Act, to decrease political coercion of any kind.

If you as a citizen are concerned about this you can file a complaint about these officials with U.S. Office of Special Counsel Click on this link “File a Complaint”or click on the green button on the right hand side under the banner on the home page. They will investigate this and have a hearing. This is a link to complaints they have heard (click here)

If you are concerned about Ted Bell’s actions you can also file a complaint with the Attorney General’s office in Raleigh. (see link) If you go to file a complaint be sure to check “received in the mail” if you received an endorsement flyer. Also you can attach the flyer you received or a screen shot of social media. If you need to call Toll-free within North Carolina: 1-877-5-NO-SCAM.

You can also complain to the NC State Bar. Anyone can file a complaint to the Bar Association about any practicing lawyer. For info click here To directly file a complaint you can click this link https://www.ncbar.gov/media/490329/grievance-form.pdf or call (919) 828-4620. Individuals who file grievances in good faith against a North Carolina lawyer are protected by statute from retaliation.

Ted Bell himself has shown by his Facebook post (as seen above) that he knows using official endorsements are out of line but it’s too late to retract it as the mailers and social media ads have all gone out to the public.

It’s one thing for Mr. Bell to personally erroneously represent his endorsements as official statements but to throw these men and their departments “under the bus” (so to speak) for his own political gain seems unconscionable even for him.

Is this the man you want to represent you as District Attorney? One who seemingly conveniently “forgets” major points of law or feels the law does not apply to him when it suits his purpose? One who has no issue with endangering other officials with his actions? This man who stands up publically and says he is the embodiment of “ethical behavior.”

When you consider the length of time it takes to have a case heard by him, the plea deals, the protection of Judge Pool, the admitted alteration of body cam video in a death by officer shooting, his working relationship in the office, and now the questionable endorsement mailer it makes you wonder. It makes us all wonder.

Rutherford and McDowell County both deserve better than this.

Please go vote for integrity, for transparency, for ethical behavior, for legal knowledge, but especially for change. You can make a difference.

Early voting is going on now. Final primary voting date is May 17th. All unaffiliated voters are eligible to vote in the Republican primary.

This article will be updated as new information is received.

Opinion: How Does (former) Judge Pool Just Walk Away?

Posted on April 12, 2022 by Deborah Keller

April 12, 2022

Like so many here in Rutherford and McDowell County I have so many questions about how former Judge Randy Pool just “walked” away from any criminal charges for his behavior. (See link from Judicial Standards Commission here)

Mr. Bell goes to great length on his webpage to explain legally why he hasn’t charged Pool with anything, but that still begs the question of why not? Is he afraid of former Judge Pool’s lawyers? Is he afraid of Randy Pool? If so, why?

Besides how he preyed on women while sitting on the bench in court, Judge Pool LIED to authorities, he LIED to his co-workers in the justice department, he according to DA Bell, LIED to him. He out right LIED! “As in his earlier interview with the captain and detective from the Sheriff’s Office, Pool FALSELY stated to the SBI that his and Tierce’s communications were almost exclusively via Facebook, and denied they communicated significantly by text. However, by the time of this interview the SBI had already reviewed the text messages between him and Tierce and knew the two had been texting.”–Ted Bell for DA website

Even Mr. Bell states that he lied; yet that was OK? What would happen to the average citizen if they lied to the entire justice system about anything they were investigating and made a false police report?

The public all knows that laws are subjective. Right or wrong, WHO or WHAT you know can protect you from charges in the right circumstances. We have all seen it play out in the court system.

A Shakespearian phrase “Methinks thou dost protest too much” comes to mind here. If there was truly nothing “wrong” or “criminal” with Pool’s behavior, then why put an entire page about it on your website with lots of legal “doublespeak?”

As much as Mr. Bell tries to dismiss this issue, it is, in fact, very important to the communities whom he serves. Former Judge Pool preyed on women, especially women in a compromised situation. He used his power and influence to pursue sexual gratification even while actively working at the courthouse. Mr. Bell knew this long before the Tierce incident came to light and yet did not pursue steps to stop it until he was forced too when it became public knowledge by Pool forcing charges against Tierce. Also don’t forget other judges were aware of Pool’s behaviors and remained silent.

Where was the public’s protection by the legal community from this predator that apparently they all knew about? We hear the term “good ole boy network” often. This appears to be a prime example of that.

A question here is, if former Judge Pool went to trial what exactly would he say about the environment in the courthouse? Was this behavior peculiar to just him? This is a place where people are vulnerable to the powers of the judicial branch. Was dropping Pool’s prosecution a way to figuratively sweep other people’s behaviors in the courthouse under the rug?

This community has an opportunity to place someone in a position to investigate the rumors and prevalence of this type of conduct. Someone who is not a part of the good ole boy network which has existed there for so long. Someone who promises transparency in all aspects of the office.

Please search your conscience before you vote for District Attorney. This race will be decided in the GOP primary election in May. If you feel that there is anything that has been covered up, silenced, or pushed aside (e.g.-6 year trial waits) or, are just ready for open government in the district attorney’s office and in the courthouse, then vote for Krinn Evans for District Attorney.

Ted Bell has been in office for eight years. Absolute power can corrupt absolutely. It is the reason that term limits are needed for such powerful local elected offices. It is time for a change. Vote Krinn Evans for that change.

Petition Filed To View Body Cam Footage in Ethan Calton Shooting

Posted on May 14, 2021 by Deborah Keller

May 14, 2021

Rutherfordton- Here in Rutherford County we have our own issue with the justice system withholding body cam video. It involves the shooting death of Ethan Calton on December 1st of last year. It has been determined by autopsy that Ethan was killed by a single shot in the back at point blank range by Rutherford County Deputy Tyler Greene while in the process of serving an arrest warrant. The SBI were called in to investigate death by officer.

Meanwhile Ethan’s mother Gwynne King has repeatedly asked to view the body cam footage of that day and has been denied not only by Sheriff Chris Francis but by District Attorney Ted Bell as well. A motion was filed to ask the court to intervene in Mrs. King’s behalf to view the circumstances in which her son was killed. (See below)