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Posted on 09/07/2026 5:54:22 PM PDT by Red Badger
A conservative-leaning independent candidate in Columbus, Georgia, got tired of watching his campaign signs vanish. He hid Apple AirTags inside them.
The trackers did not ping a dumpster or a random yard. They led straight to the home of a well-known local reverend and her husband, a retired Columbus State University educator.
Stephen Acorn is running as an Independent write-in against longtime Democrat incumbent Debbie Buckner for Georgia House District 137.
After signs kept disappearing near Matthews Elementary School and County Line Road, Acorn cut open replacements, slipped AirTags inside, and waited.
“I feel like I outsmarted the perpetrator,” Acorn told NowGeorgia.com, which first reported the story.
Within 24 hours, Acorn received an alert showing that two of the signs were moving.
The tracking devices eventually led Acorn and police to the residence of retired Columbus State educator Richard Spencer Garrard and his wife, Rev. Dr. Cindy Cox Garrard.
According to the Columbus State University faculty catalog, Richard Garrard previously worked as a lecturer in middle-grades education. University archives also feature an oral-history interview covering his years as a student and faculty member at Columbus State.
Police responded to the couple’s home, where Garrard reportedly answered the door.
According to Acorn, the officer informed him that police knew the missing signs were at the residence and that they needed to be returned, or Acorn could press charges.
Four Acorn campaign signs were reportedly retrieved from the garbage at the residence and returned to the candidate.
Four signs!
The stunning footage resurfaced after Libs of TikTok shared the incident on X.
WATCH:
VIDEO AT LINK.....................
Cindy Garrard later appeared to accept responsibility for removing the signs while denying that her husband was involved.
Garrard also insisted she never removed a sign from private property.
In a statement to NowGeorgia, Garrard claimed she believed the signs had been illegally placed along a public right-of-way, so she removed them. She confirmed that the signs were later returned.
But here is where the story becomes even more outrageous.
More from NowGeorgia:
The write-in candidate shared election records showing Reverend Dr. Cindy Cox Garrard made a financial contribution to Debbie Buckner’s campaign. Acorn gave the couple several hours to apologize for the incident and said that he would keep their identities private. Acorn never got a response, so he uploaded a photo of Dr. Cindy Cox Garrard and her husband along with the caption “sign snatchers” to Facebook. Garrard posted beneath the photo “They” is me, not my husband. I never removed a sign from private property.”
When asked if he planned to pursue criminal charges Acorn responded “God shows us grace every single day and he commands us to do the same. It’s something I’m going to pray about.” He did submit an open records request for a copy of the body cam video of the responding police officer. Stealing campaign signs is a crime in Georgia punishable by up to 12 months in jail and a fine up to $1000.
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It's worse than I thought!
The United Methodist Church doesn’t teach the whole of scripture, but I’m a little surprised that they seem to have dispensed with “Thou shall not steal”
In addition to her work in the Methodist church, she also has also participated with the Unitarian Universalist. https://www.uucolumbusga.org/services/rev-cindy-garrard-the-role-of-doubt-in-faith/
Jesus’ cousin was named John the Baptist, not John the Methodist...........
Press charges. Simple as that.
He even LOOKS stupid!
My Uber liberal MIL used to take Republicans signs out of the ground and laid them down.......UNTIL I told her that was probably ILLEGAL!
Bwahahhahhaha
Wow, that must be an important woman right there! I must confess that I was surprised by the photo.
What’s this “Don’t walk up on a cop” stuff? What is “Walking up on a cop”?
It’s what that guy did, watch the video.
“It’s what that guy did, watch the video.”
I did. He stepped outside his door to go past, not toward, the officer and was accused of walking up on the officer. Then he stepped closer to talk to the officer after which he was again accused. In my opinion he was not aggressive or threatening.
My question stands.
He looked aggressive to me.
Look at the still in post 17. He walked up chest to chest to the officer. It was a very stupid move.
“I guess her bible has only NINE COMMANDMENTS.............”
8
Well, she's United Methodist, so....
I just know he pumped his students full of liberal dogma for decades.
Liberals are mean, devious and like you said, they feel entitled and laws don’t apply to them.
“ Look at the still in post 17. He walked up chest to chest to the officer. It was a very stupid move.
Look at the video from 1:50 or so past the point from which the still was taken. As I wrote, “He stepped outside his door to go past, not toward, the officer…” Then he was FIRST accused of walking up on the officer. Then he stepped closer to talk to the officer after which he was accused a SECOND time. The still in post 17 doesn’t mean anything except as an example of cherry picking.
My questions still stand, the questions being “What’s this “Don’t walk up on a cop” stuff? What is “Walking up on a cop”?” to which you responded “It’s what that guy did, watch the video.”
All you seem to be doing is feeding me crap that is useless for answering the questions. And maybe redirecting the flow of the conversation so you can play “I win”.
Must be valuable to being the loot home.
Reverend out practice petty crime before stepping up.
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