Kansas Newspaper Says Publisher's Mother Died After Police Raided His Home

Police in Kansas raided the home and office of a newspaper publisher, reportedly contributing to the death of his 98-year-old mother less than 24 hours later.

Joan Meyer, who was a co-owner of the Marion County Record, collapsed and died at her home after being "stressed beyond her limits and overwhelmed by hours of shock and grief," the Record reported. The report noted that she was "otherwise in good health for her age."

The raid at her home was one of a number that the Marion Police Department conducted after local restaurant owner Kari Newell accused the Record of illegally obtaining information about her during a council meeting earlier this week.

All five of the department's officers, along with two sheriff's deputies, descended on the Record's offices on Friday and took "everything we have," the newspaper's publisher and co-owner Eric Meyer told the Kansas Reflector, a nonprofit news site.

Officers seized computers, including the newspaper's file service, and personal cell phones of staff members, the Record reported.

At the time of the raid on the office, Eric Meyer told CNN he was at home with his mother. She "tearfully watched" as police took away her computer, a router and her Alexa smart speakers. She was reportedly not able to eat nor sleep afterwards.

He told the Reflector and wrote in a Record article that a source had provided evidence that Newell, who was trying to obtain a liquor license for her business, had been convicted of drunk driving and had driven without a license.

Meyer said a reporter verified the information using the Kansas Department of Revenue's website, but he ultimately decided against publishing the story. He notified police, who launched an investigation. Police then obtained a search warrant for evidence of identity theft and criminal use of a computer.

A search warrant, posted online by the Reflector, was approved by a judge citing probable cause that violations related to identity theft and unlawful acts concerning computers were committed.

"Basically, all the law enforcement officers on duty in Marion County, Kansas, descended on our offices today and seized our server and computers and personal cellphones of staff members all because of a story we didn't publish," Meyer said.

The Record is expected to file a federal lawsuit against the city of Marion, according to the paper's report.

News of the raids sparked outrage, with advocates saying they violate federal laws protecting the media.

"Based on the reporting so far, the police raid of the Marion County Record on Friday appears to have violated federal law, the First Amendment, and basic human decency," Seth Stern, director of advocacy for Freedom of the Press Foundation, said in a statement.

"Everyone involved should be ashamed of themselves."

In a statement posted on Facebook on Saturday, the Marion Police Department acknowledged that the federal Privacy Protection Act protects journalists from searches.

But the department argued that the law doesn't apply "when there is reason to believe the journalist is taking part in the underlying wrongdoing."

The statement added that the "victim asks that we do all the law allows to ensure justice is served."

Newsweek has contacted Eric Meyer and the Marion Police Department for comment via email. Newell could not immediately be contacted for comment.