[NC] Unanswered questions about death of deputy's husband, Stacey Pollard, are resurrecting

They allow anonymous bloggers to post all kinds of garbage, accusations and comments,” [Pitt County Sheriff Mac] Manning said. “I hold The Daily Reflector accountable, in part, for this mess I’m in now...”

Previous posts:

• [NC] Will there ever be charges in the death of then-deputy's husband, Stacey Pollard? - 
• [NC] Deceased Stacey Pollard's wife - "resigned" Pitt County Sheriff's Lieutenat Michelle Pollard - gets her obstruction case delayed 
•  [NC] Ex-Lt. Michelle Pollard (who told 2 different stories about her husband's death) found guilty of obstruction 

MANNING LETTER SPARKS HEAT IN SHERIFF'S CAMPAIGN
Greenville Daily Reflector
Michael Abramowitz
February 18, 2010
[Excerpts] A “distorted” political poll, anonymous blog conversations and negative comments on local media Web sites about Pitt County Sheriff Mac Manning compelled the sheriff to publish a four-column paid response in The Daily Reflector on Wednesday, Manning said. At the same time, a consultant for Neil Elks, Manning’s opponent in this year’s Democratic primary election, told county residents to strap themselves in for a vigorous campaign. Manning said in the open letter advertisement that his political adversaries intend to capitalize on the Michelle Pollard case as part of an ongoing smear campaign to defeat him. Pollard, a former deputy, was convicted last month of obstructing a drug investigation. Additionally, the investigation of her husband’s death has been the subject of civil suits against the department. In an interview Wednesday, Manning said misleading blog comments about Pollard’s conviction and the 2005 death of Stacey Pollard were fodder for the poll questions. “The poll was based ... on misinformation and outright lies and insinuations that just aren’t true,” Manning said. The telephone poll of 559 likely Pitt County Democratic primary voters was conducted by Public Policy Polling of Raleigh. It was designed and conducted by Campaign Connections, a political consulting firm contracted by Elks, said consultant Brad Crone, the company’s president and founder... Elks could not be reached for comment but released a statement that said, “It’s a sad day in Pitt County politics when the sheriff has to purchase a (four-column) ad to try and clean his hands of a scandal he created”... Manning said he found the blogs and comments posted on The Daily Reflector and WITN Web sites personally offensive. “They allow anonymous bloggers to post all kinds of garbage, accusations and comments,” Manning said. “I hold The Daily Reflector accountable, in part, for this mess I’m in now, because when it comes from a reputable publishing company, it takes on an air of legitimacy and people think it must be true.” [Full article here]

CONTROVERSIAL POLITICAL POLL STIRS UP DEBATE OVER SHERIFF’S OFFICE IN PITT COUNTY
 WNCT
By Arthur Mondale
February 17, 2010
[Excerpts]  Its election season across the east and the campaign for a Sheriff’s Office is heating up. Current Pitt County Sheriff Mac Manning is already complaining about mud slinging, from the man who may end up running against him. It’s all about a political poll. “Mudslinging and negative politics is beneath the office of Sheriff. But if it’s hurled my way I will stand my ground.“ Sheriff Mac Manning is responding to a recent poll by Public Policy Polling, paid for by the man running against him, Neil Elks. The Sheriff says it capitalizes on the Michelle Pollard case in the upcoming election... Sheriff Manning fired back with a response letter published in Wednesday’s edition of The Daily Reflector, to set the record straight. In response to the 2006 death investigation of Stacey Pollard’s drowning: “Everything indicated that this was an accidental drowning, that’s what I believe then, that’s what I believe now. And I believe the physical evidence and all the circumstances indicate that,” Manning said... “When I left the scene I was under the impression that the State Bureau of Investigation would be called to assist in the investigation. As we all know, that never occurred,” Neil Elks said in a statement released to the media. And other claims including Manning promoting Pollard during her husband’s death investigation saying: “He promoted Ms. Pollard to Lt. Deputy after she had failed a polygraph test.  That action alone makes me question the Sheriff’s integrity.” “The DA reviewed the case and informed me no criminal charges would be filed — if she lied why weren’t charges filed,“ said Manning.... This is the first time Elks has run for Sheriff’s Office, having served as a captain under Manning for four years, and hopes the current numbers will prove a reality. According to the Pitt County Board of Elections, Sheriff Manning is currently running unopposed. Neil Elks will hold a news conference Thursday at 10 am at the Town Common in Greenville. Then he plans to formally file against Manning. To get a look at the survey and Mac Manning’s response, just log on our website and type in the keywords: Sheriff’s Debate. [Full article here]

WHERE'S MICHELLE? 

MICHELLE POLLARD NOW INMATE AT RALEIGH WOMEN'S PRISON
WITN
Jan 28, 2010
[Excerpts] The Department of Correction says it cannot say whether they're taking any different security measures because Michelle Pollard is former law enforcement officer. But we do know that Pollard is under administrative segregation... Pollard, who resigned just weeks before her indictment last summer, was convicted of two counts of obstruction of justice and one count of not performing duties of her office. Prosecutors say the former deputy tipped off the subject of an ongoing drug investigation... [Full article here]
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