Officials ask sheriff to explain suit claims
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.
Commissioner Eugene James agreed.
Their comments come on the heels of a lawsuit filed earlier this month against Manning and three of his top officials. The suit claims an investigation into the Nov. 18, 2005, drowning death of Stacy Pollard was compromised because his wife Michelle, a sheriff’s office lieutenant, supposedly had romantic relationships with two of Manning’s chiefs.
The suit names Manning, Michelle Pollard, Chief Lee Moore and Chief Rick Fisher.
Manning declined Saturday to address the commissioners’ concerns.
“I can’t talk about it. The lawyer has advised us not to discuss this anymore,” he said. “I’ve nothing more to add or to take away from what I said at the (Tuesday) press conference.”
Michelle Pollard told sheriff’s investigators she discovered her husband’s body in their Grimesland home’s pool when she was taking hot chocolate to him while he worked on a car.
When Stacy Pollard’s family raised questions about the original investigation, the SBI was called in to review the case.
The lawsuit claims she failed a lie detector test and told agents she pushed her husband in the pool as a prank, and temporarily ran inside their home, only to return and find him floating lifeless in the water.
On Tuesday, Manning dismissed concerns about the change in stories, saying witnesses sometimes do that. He said his investigators also photographed evidence — spilled hot chocolate poolside, a still warm heater in a barn — that corroborates Pollard’s original story.
Pitt County District Attorney Clark Everett has reviewed the findings of the sheriff’s office investigation and the SBI inquiry and determined there was “insufficient evidence to rule this as anything but an accidental death.”
Following Manning’s news conference explaining his department’s actions in the Pollard death investigation, the Pollard family attorney, David Sutton of Greenville, amended the suit to include allegations stemming from Manning’s comments.
Manning’s department is being represented by New Bern attorney Scott Hart, a partner with Sumrell, Sugg, Carmichael, Hicks & Hart, P.A.
Manning has a defender in Pitt County Commissioner Tom Coulson, who said the sheriff shouldn’t be summoned before the board.
“I think the courts ought to be able to handle this,” Coulson said Saturday.
“I believe Mac Manning is one of the most honorable men and one of the best sheriffs a county could have. If Mac says it was properly investigated I have no reason to believe otherwise.”
Coulson urged his colleagues not to jump to conclusions.
“I don’t want to see Mac and his department tarnished prematurely.”
August 3rd, 2007 at 9:40 pm
It is a shame that we witnessing a civil suit brought forth to correct a wrong that should have been handled by the criminal division of the courts 2 years ago. We all know how this is going to end, Sherriff Manning, please end it now before we become fodder for CNN, Fox News, and every other station out there. I really would like to know where the D.A. was on this, and how heavily he was influenced by the sherriff
August 4th, 2007 at 3:28 pm
After viewing the video Machelle dancing with a “friend” perhaps Commissioner Coulson will urge his coulleagues on the board to take measures to make certain county funded liability insurance is used, in this case, only to satisfy a jury verdict. Not used to settle out of court “behind closed doors”.