Shivangi Sinha
Between 2021 and 2022, a series of reports published by the McCurtain Gazette-News accused McCurtain County Sheriff Kevin Clardy and his subordinate, Alicia Manning, of having an affair. Further reports claimed that, under Kevin’s leadership, several cases had allegedly been mishandled and that the integrity of the sheriff’s office had been compromised. The sheriff’s office defended itself against the allegations, even after an alleged recording of a conversation between the officials was released. Peacock’s ‘Kill. Bury. Print.’ provides a detailed timeline of the case, tracing the allegations from the newspaper’s initial reports through the fallout from the recording and examining how claims from both sides shaped public opinion.
Kevin Clardy and Alicia Manning Were Accused of Mishandling Investigations by Local Reporters
Kevin Clardy was elected sheriff of McCurtain County in 2016, the same year Alicia Manning joined the department to handle domestic disputes. As stated in the documentary, alongside the McCurtain Gazette-News’ report on the sheriff’s department and subsequent court filings, it was alleged that an improper relationship existed between Clardy and Manning while Clardy was purportedly married. Kevin eventually separated from his wife and began living alone. Between 2021 and 2022, the local newspaper McCurtain Gazette-News, which was run by the Willingham family, began publishing a series of reports concerning the sheriff’s office and its officials. These allegations were denied by the sheriff’s office.
The newspaper was owned by Bruce and Gwen Willingham. Their son, Chris Willingham, worked there as a beat reporter. In the documentary, Chris said that after receiving what he believed was evidence, he came to suspect that several homicide cases and other investigations had allegedly been mishandled by the sheriff’s office. His reporting also examined the alleged affair between Clardy and Manning. On March 6, 2023, Chris filed a federal lawsuit against Clardy, Manning, the Sheriff’s Office and the Board of County Commissioners, accusing them of framing him in retaliation for his reporting. In the suit, he alleged that department officials tried to discredit his reporting by falsely linking him to a local criminal figure.
On March 6, 2023, Bruce left a voice-activated recorder inside a county commissioners’ meeting room after the official meeting had ended. He said he suspected that county business was still being discussed. The device reportedly captured an alleged conversation involving Clardy, Manning, Commissioner Mark Jennings and Larry Hendrix. The audio allegedly captured discussions regarding the journalists, references to an excavator and holes, which the Willinghams characterized as violent threats. The sheriff’s office rejected the recording’s legitimacy, stating that it had been obtained illegally and allegedly altered. Officials also said felony charges would be pursued against anyone found responsible for making or manipulating the recording.
Kevin Clardy and Alicia Manning Have Not Spoken About the Case in Public
On April 18, 2023, the Oklahoma Sheriffs’ Association, a voluntary professional group, suspended the organizational membership of Kevin Clardy and Alicia Manning amid mounting public pressure following the release of the recording. However, both continued to hold their official county positions. In June, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and Attorney General’s Office concluded that there were no grounds under Oklahoma law to remove Clardy from office. The Attorney General said that even if the remarks attributed to the officials were as reported, they did not constitute a prosecutable criminal offense under state law. Therefore, no charges followed.
The fallout, however, continued through the courts. Between 2023 and 2024, Clardy was named in several federal civil-rights cases involving allegations of excessive force and neglect of duty. Chris Willingham also became involved in a separate legal dispute after Farley Josh Griswold allegedly made accusations of sexual misconduct against him. Chris has said that the claims were false. The Willinghams have continued to say that Clardy and Manning allegedly targeted the family for their reporting and the release of the recording. Court records show the federal case filed by Chris has remained active.
Clardy’s term as McCurtain County sheriff ended in 2025 after he failed to advance from the Republican primary in June 2024, where he received 18.26% of the vote. Several federal lawsuits involving him continued to make their way through the courts afterward. Beyond the legal proceedings, there has been little public information about his life since leaving office. He is believed to still be in McCurtain County, but his whereabouts have not been clearly reported. Manning has similarly stayed largely out of the public eye following the 2023 controversy. It is not clear from available reports whether she continues to work with the sheriff’s office or what she has been doing since then. Neither Kevin Clardy and Alicia Manning currently holds public office or maintains an active public profile.
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