Archive for July, 2007

Comments on Videos — Do you think she is appropriate for Internal Affairs?

Monday, July 30th, 2007

   (Updated 7/31st) First, we, the family of Stacey, are kind of new to this whole website thing and we couldn’t figure out how to put a place to make comments after viewing the videos.  So please make any comments you may have about the videos after this post.  As of Monday over 6300 different people have viewed the website.  2261 viewed yesterday and over 25,000 pages have been viewed total.

   Second, we would like your comments about Sheriff Manning sending Lt. Pollard to “Internal Affairs” school.  We have been able to confirm that in the past 3 weeks that Michelle attended the training.  For those who do not know, an internal affairs officer is responsible for investigating and recommending punishment for other deputies accused of wrongdoing (from committing crimes to plain unethical conduct).  Please tell us after viewing the videos if you think she should be in that position?

   Third, as for the videos themselves:

   a.  the video at the motel is of Michelle and Ray Thompson(a convicted felon).  It was filmed by private detectives hired by Ray’s wife.  It is taken about 40 days after Stacey was buried and was fimed at the Comfort Inn in Havelock (Michelle and Ray lived about a mile apart in Grimesland at the time). The Pollard family did not know of its existence until months afterward.  Ray’s wife tried to give a copy of this to the SBI but they wouldn’t take it.

  b. For those of you who may have watched the entire press conference by Sheriff Manning on WNCT.com, you may recall him talking about the “anonymous caller on New Years Eve… and that [Manning] determined it to be a false call … by someone put up to it the by the Pollard family.”  Honestly, until the press conference the Pollard family did not know the identity of the caller.  We do now.  His name is Marvin Cox and he told us that on the “anonymous call” he also said the Michelle was coming out of a hotel room in Havelock with a married man.  Since the video was made the same day that Mr. Cox called HOW IS IT THAT SHERIFF MANNING DETERMINED IT TO BE A FALSE CALL?  At the time, Mr. Cox was dating Ray Thompson’s mother.  Our information is that Michelle and Ray identified the caller and that they were involved in the statement “signed” by Mr. Cox — who says he can not read or write and really doesn’t know what he signed.  Again, this video and its context are important, we feel, for you to know that this isn’t just a character assassination of Michelle.  Sheriff Manning did not give any of the information about the caller to his own lead investigator or the SBI.  What do you think about that?

   c. The video of Michelle sitting in the truck talking vulgar was filmed by her own 14 year old son.  The man on the video is Ray Thompson, who is also the person who filmed the “dancing” video.  It is taken about a week after Stacey died and the location is in the backyard of Ray’s house.  When his wife picked up the camera and saw what was on it she hired the private investigators who took the motel video.

   d. The “dancing” video is important for several reasons.  Yes of course it is intended to show you just what kind of character she has, but it truly is important to the case.  Michelle told everyone that she and Stacey had a “perfect marriage.”  This video was taken about 2 months before Stacey died.  Does it look like a perfect marriage?  Do you doubt that she really had 3-way sex the night Stacey was buried after seeing that video? 

   Folks, we wish we didn’t have to do this.  But it appears to be working.  The authorities appear to be investigating the matter now for the first time.  Please ask yourself why it is that none of the law enforcement agencies have copies of these videos that we would love for them to have.  The family’s attorney had to give Marvin Cox’s phone number to the SBI because according to the SBI agent he “knew Mac wouldn’t give it to him.”  Do you know that Michelle hired an attorney, Cherry Stokes, after she flunked the lie detector last June?  Neither did the family until a week ago and the reason is that it was not noted in the SBI investigative file.  Why didn’t Sheriff Manning tell you the whole story and why is it that the News & Observer gives better coverage of the story that our local news outlets??

  We can’t control the press and we don’t have the backing of the Sheriffs Department or, it would appear, the SBI.  Therefore, we rely on you.  Please tell our story.  Even if you don’t believe that she killed Stacey, does it look like anyone really tried to find out what happened that night?  Everyone involved but the family has a copy of the SBI file — including Michelle and the lawyers for all the defendants.  However, Joanne Burgdorff, the County Attorney, wrote in response to a public records request that the Sheriffs Department had no such records.  Even though District Attorney Clark Everett gave it to Sheriff Manning twice.  Also, Joanne Burgdorff said in response to a public records request asking how much taxpayer money is being spent defending all this, that no such records exist.  From that are we to assume that these lawyers are working for free? A former County Commissioner tells us that Burgdorff said the lawyers were on retainer.  Shouldn’t that be a public record?  Don’t you have a right to know? 

   We have approved several comments (thank you for having the courage to make comments and yes we will protect your identity)  and yes we continue to get the threatening emails from Michelle through the anonymous email addresses.  She had started sending them from other computers now and apparently thinks that they can’t be traced.  One commentor looked up the IP address and if you go to their website you will see that Pitt County government is one of their clients.  There is actually another internet service that puts a pin on a map to show that physical location of the server.  Anyway, she uses the fake names Sara and Tom and sometimes she just pretends to forward emails from other people.  Wouldn’t you think someone would investigate her for witness intimidation?  Pls ask someone — as a commentor did — why it is that the agency that is supposed to be protecting us has a person like this who is able to use county resources and the power of the Sheriffs Office to continue her criminal conduct? 

 

Family files suit in 2005 death

Wednesday, July 25th, 2007

Officially, Pitt County man drowned; cover-up suspected

Jim Nesbitt, News and Observer

GRIMESLAND - On the frigid November night Stacey Pollard died, he was in the heated barn behind his house, working on the vintage, banana-yellow Corvette he was restoring for his wife, Michelle.

Bundled in a brown coat to ward off the cold, he finished up just before 10 p.m. and walked toward the house, skirting his in-ground swimming pool.

Minutes later, he was dead, floating face-down in the deep end of the pool. It was Nov. 18, 2005. Stacey Pollard, a burly, boyish and easygoing contractor who learned to build homes working for his late father, was 33.

At the time of his death, sheriff’s investigators found no sign of foul play. An autopsy found Pollard died from drowning, with a seizure as a potential contributing factor. He had been epileptic since his early teens.

(more…)

Officials ask sheriff to explain suit claims

Tuesday, July 17th, 2007

By Ginger Livingston
The Daily Reflector

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Two Pitt County commissioners say Sheriff Mac Manning needs to explain why he believes a deputy is being truthful about her husband’s 2005 drowning death, even though she gave a differing account to the SBI.

In reports published Saturday, Pitt County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Beth Ward said an explanation is needed to protect the reputation of Manning’s department.

(more…)

Pitt officials press sheriff for answers

Tuesday, July 17th, 2007

Officer changed story about death

Jim Nesbitt, Staff Writer
News & Observer

GREENVILLE - Pitt County Sheriff Mac Manning needs to disclose the “plausible explanation” he believes explains why Lt. Michelle Pollard changed her story about her husband’s November 2005 drowning after flunking a State Bureau of Investigation polygraph, elected officials said Friday.

Pitt County Commission Chairwoman Beth Ward said the integrity of Manning’s department is at stake following allegations in a civil lawsuit that two of the sheriff’s top subordinates impeded the initial investigation of Stacey Pollard’s death because of romantic relationships with Michelle Pollard.

(more…)

Charges not filed in Pitt drowning

Tuesday, July 17th, 2007

DA says differing stories not criminal

Jim Nesbitt, Staff Writer
News & Observer

GREENVILLE - Giving investigators two accounts of her husband’s drowning isn’t enough to file criminal charges against Lt. Michelle Pollard but is a credibility problem that Pitt County Sheriff Mac Manning needs to address, the county’s top prosecutor said Thursday.

“There’s a difference between negligent conduct and criminal conduct,” said Pitt County District Attorney Clark Everett. “Certainly, we’re not talking about anybody getting a medal here. … Our final opinion was that the differences in what she said weren’t sufficient to show there was any criminal conduct in his death.”

(more…)

Amendment added to suit against sheriff, officers

Tuesday, July 17th, 2007

By Erin Rickert
The Daily Reflector

Thursday, July 12, 2007

A lawsuit involving top officials in the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office and its investigation into the 2005 death of a deputy’s husband was amended Wednesday, based on comments Sheriff Mac Manning made Tuesday in response to the original complaint.

The amended complaint contends Manning was wrong to say the State Bureau of Investigation had closed its investigation in the death of Stacy Pollard.

The complaint, filed by Greenville attorney David Sutton, said the SBI review is ongoing.

(more…)

SBI continues investigation into Pitt County drowning

Tuesday, July 17th, 2007

Seven months after state investigators concluded their probe into the 2005 drowning of the husband of a Pitt County sheriff’s deputy, officials have returned to assess the case again.The State Bureau of Investigation renewed its work on the case at the request of Pitt County District Attorney Clark Everett, said Jennifer Canada, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Justice. She declined to comment on the nature of the investigation.

(more…)

SBI asked to restart Pitt probe

Tuesday, July 17th, 2007

Sherrif denies that investigation into drowning was tainted

Jim Nesbitt, Staff Writer
News & Observer

A state investigation of the 2005 drowning death of a Pitt County deputy’s husband remains open despite the sheriff’s strong denial that two top officers had affairs with the deputy and hindered an initial inquiry.

Pitt County District Attorney Clark Everett has asked the State Bureau of Investigation to do additional work on the death of Stacey Dean Pollard, said Jennifer Canada, a spokeswoman for the N.C. Department of Justice, on Wednesday.

(more…)

Sheriff denies charges in suit

Tuesday, July 17th, 2007

By Erin Rickert
The Daily Reflector

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Pitt County Sheriff Mac Manning on Tuesday denied allegations raised in a lawsuit claiming top officials in his office covered up the circumstances surrounding the 2005 death of a lieutenant’s husband.

Barbara Pollard, mother of the late Stacey Pollard, names Manning, Chief Lee Moore, Chief Rick Fisher and her daughter-in-law, Lt. Michelle Pollard, in the suit, filed last week in U.S. District Court.

(more…)

Thank You

Tuesday, July 17th, 2007

Thank you for your interest in our cause.  We will continue to update this site with news and information as the case progresses.  We welcome any comments and support you can provide.