All the news that's fit to pilfer? Not your typical student election

Think the 2000 presidential election got messy?

Here's another to consider. This one features thousands of disappearing newspapers, clandestine alleyway photographs and a police investigation — all set against the backdrop of a tragic shooting death involving one of the candidates.

But it's not exactly a bid for an exalted high office. The election took place in Ellensburg. On the campus of Central Washington University. For student-body president.

The story began May 15 when the college newspaper, The Observer, got a tip about one of the two candidates, Ash Gilmore: Last September, a jury acquitted Gilmore, now 23, of second-degree manslaughter in connection with the 2004 death of Joseph Tibbs.

At the time of Tibbs' death, Tibbs and Gilmore were roommates attending Washington State University. According to a February 2004 Pullman police report, Gilmore, who had been drinking, told officers he kicked a gun from Tibbs' hand in horseplay. When the gun hit the floor, it fired a bullet into Tibbs' chest.

Rachel Guillermo, 24, The Observer's editor in chief and a print-journalism major, said the weekly paper interviewed Gilmore about his past and his election bid. The staff decided to run a story detailing both in the May 18 edition, which happened to be Election Day.

Gilmore, of Port Townsend, told The Observer he was "very sad to lose a dear friend" but that the past made him stronger. He took issue with earlier reports in other publications about the circumstances under which he left WSU, describing his departure as "a mutual and friendly agreement between myself and a great institution."

He told the newspaper that at Central, he wanted to be "the ear for the students, and a voice that yells at the issues until they change."

Guillermo said she thought carefully before publishing details of the manslaughter case.

"In the end, my journalistic instincts kicked in," she said. "It's public record, so students have a right to know who they're voting for."

Observer production manager Michael Bennett, 23, also a print-journalism major, said he and some friends picked up about 7,000 copies of the newspaper from the printers the night of May 17. They began delivering them by van to about 25 locations on campus when they noticed a man watching them from near the science building.

"My girlfriend looked over and said, 'Isn't that the guy from the front page of the paper?' " Bennett said. "We went to four more buildings, and every time we'd stop, he'd sit there on his cellphone. He was smiling and waving to the people in the van, which was a little bit creepy since he was following us around all night."

The next morning, most of the newspapers delivered to campus had vanished.

Then came another tip to The Observer: The papers were in the garage at Gilmore's apartment and could be seen from the alley. Bennett and a couple of reporters raced over and began taking photographs from the alley before someone closed the garage door. They also called campus police, who arrived soon after.

Campus police chief Steve Rittereiser said the case is under investigation.

"Anyone is entitled to a reasonable number of free newspapers," Rittereiser said. "When you are looking at a theft case, you have to look at a couple of things: What is the intent? When you've got hundreds of newspapers taken, it deprives students at the university from being able to pick up a newspaper."

Gilmore has told Central he did not personally take the newspapers, according to Keith Champagne, the associate vice president for student affairs.

This week, Gilmore referred questions to his lawyer, John Hynson, who declined comment on the missing newspapers. Hynson added that it's inappropriate to continue discussing the 2004 manslaughter case. "I think the jury has spoken in that regard, and I think everyone should let it go," he said.

Champagne said university officials will investigate to see if whoever took the papers violated the student code of conduct. If so, sanctions could range from a verbal warning to expulsion, he said. The university may also require whoever is responsible to pay the $800 or so it cost The Observer to reprint 4,000 copies, which were delivered to campus about 5 p.m. May 18.

In initial election results, Gilmore got 43 percent of nearly 900 votes cast, losing to rival Jadon Berry, who got 57 percent. Even the dramatic events surrounding the election weren't enough to overcome voter apathy, with turnout a paltry 11 percent.

But Gilmore's lawyer is challenging the result.

"We are looking into that election right now, and think there are some errors," Hynson said. "We have written our concerns in a letter to university officials."

Champagne said the complaint alleges that Central's online voting system was not working properly on Election Day, preventing some people from voting. Champagne added that students were also able to vote at the polls.

Late Tuesday, Gilmore lost a bid to have the election overturned, but he is expected to appeal. Central won't declare a winner until the appeal process is exhausted, likely the middle of next week.

Meanwhile, staff members at The Observer were putting Thursday's edition to bed. The cover was going to feature Berry, the disputed president-elect. But with all that's happened, they weren't sure late Tuesday what to put on the cover.

Nick Perry: 206-515-5639 or nperry@seattletimes.com