The Marion County Record implied that the raid by the local police could have been motivated by their investigation into their chief.
The report came as part of an interview with co-owner Eric Meyer by the Associated Press.
"...the newspaper was looking into the police chief’s background and why he left the Kansas City, Missouri, police department before being hired in April as chief."
Police Chief Gideon Cody was offered the top cop job in Marion, Kansas in April.
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According to the Marion County Record, the publisher's mother died shortly after the raid from "shock and grief."
"Stressed beyond her limits and overwhelmed by hours of shock and grief after illegal police raids on her home and the Marion County Record newspaper office Friday, 98-year-old co-owner Joan Meyer, otherwise in good health for her age, collapsed Saturday afternoon and died at her home," said the report.
"She tearfully watched during the raid as police not only carted away her computer and a router used by an Alexa smart speaker but also dug through her son Eric’s personal bank and investments statements to photograph them. Electronic cords were left in a jumbled pile on her floor," it continued.
The paper and its owners were raided over a "tip" that the newspaper was going to write about a local restaurant owner, Kari Newell, who was accused of having a DUI and was driving without a license. The source said that the local police were aware of it and ignored the violation. The newspaper didn't write the story, but reporters used the Kansas Department of Revenue website to confirm information about the accusations, the Kansas Reflector explained.
Newell later "acknowledged the accuracy of the information and said she understood that coming forward with allegations about it might expose the information rather than preserve its confidentiality."
The reporter then told police about the allegations they'd received. They did not seek out the information; it was merely sent to them along with Marion Vice Mayor Ruth Herbel, who was also raided.
The police chief claimed that they believed the reporters were engaged in criminal behavior based off of a "tip."
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation appears to support the raid, according to the Kansas Reflector.
"The Marion Police Department and the Marion County Attorney asked the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) to join an investigation into allegations of illegal access and dissemination of confidential criminal justice information," the statement said. "The KBI assigned an agent to this case last Tuesday and has been assisting since that time. The KBI agent did not apply for the search warrants in question, and he was not present when the warrants were served."