Independent tips link Medford-guns-Shepherd

I have learned from two widely separate sources that law enforcement authorities seem to have connected the dots concerning a December 2006 audit of the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Department evidence locker*. According to my informants it appears that former Sheriff Bobby Medford sold guns from the locker to his friend and campaign contributor Jackie Shepherd.

My first source, a former BCSD detective now working in another agency, told me he offered evidence to the FBI that Medford sold at least some of the guns to Shepherd, and at least one of the guns to a private individual who still owns the weapon. According to the detective, that individual who asserts he was present when Medford conveyed multiple guns to Shepherd, has also talked to the FBI.

My second source, with connections to the office of District Attorney Ron Moore, told me that Moore is questioning possible suspects in the robbery of guns from Shepherd’s Cherokee Trading Post—guns Moore is said to believe came from the evidence locker. At this writing Moore has not returned my phone call inquiring about his investigation.

*As I reported in another publication last June, “Among the items that could not be accounted for were $217,769 in cash, 233 handguns, 114 shotguns/rifles, and drugs noted on 1,318 evidence-reporting sheets. In addition, the report says, ‘Numerous evidence items were found with no case identification markings including drugs, guns and rape kits.’”

Medford claimed the guns had been buried in concrete under the new jail, an assertion prompty refuted by the jail administrator, and blamed the rest on poor bookkeeping. Maybe the bookkeeper got into the evidence bags?

~ by bothwellsblog on January 26, 2008.