Former Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody is facing a charge of felony obstruction of justice in connection with the 2023 raid on the Marion County Record and the home of its publisher. The charge alleges that Cody influenced a potential witness to withhold information related to the raid or within the following six days.

The incident sparked a national debate about press freedom in Marion, a small town located approximately 150 miles southwest of Kansas City, Missouri. The raid resulted in the death of Eric Meyer's mother, who co-owned the newspaper and lived with him, due to the stress caused by the event. Meyer believes that Cody is being made the "fall guy" for the raid, which involved numerous officials.

The investigation into Cody's actions was conducted by two special prosecutors, Barry Wilkerson and Marc Bennett. Their report concluded that no crime was committed by Meyer, Zorn, or the newspaper. Cody's decision to raid the newspaper was based on an inadequate investigation, leading him to mistakenly believe that identity theft or other computer crimes had occurred.

The prosecutors also found that the search warrants used in the raid contained inaccuracies due to the poor investigation. However, they could not prove that Cody intentionally misled the judge in obtaining the warrants.

Following the raid, the Record's publishing company and current and former staffers filed four federal lawsuits against Cody and other local officials. The lawsuits include a wrongful death claim and seek damages exceeding $10 million. Additionally, the publishing company filed an open records lawsuit seeking access to text messages between police and other local officials involved in the raid.

Police body-camera footage from the 2023 raid shows the publisher's 98-year-old mother, Joan Meyer, expressing distress during the search. However, the prosecutors determined that there was no evidence to suggest that the officers believed the raid posed a risk to her life.

The investigation into Cody's actions revealed that there was no "gross deviation" in how the officers conducted the search compared to previous raids. However, Meyer highlighted that seven officers were present during the search of his home, contrasting with the smaller team deployed in a previous case involving a suspected child rapist known to have guns.

The filing of the obstruction of justice charge against Cody marks a significant development in the ongoing investigation into the controversial raid. As the case progresses, more details may emerge regarding the circumstances surrounding the incident and the actions taken by the former police chief.