ASHEVILLE – A new lawsuit claims Buncombe County has unlawfully operated its Pretrial Release Services Program without statutory authority and falsified a judge’s signature to receive grant funds.
The suit is the latest and most expansive in a series of actions against the county after a pretrial defendant charged with attempted first-degree murder went on a violent crime spree in August 2024 while assigned to the county program’s supervision.
During his flight from police, Ryan Houston assaulted a homeowner and killed three people, including himself, his girlfriend Malerie Crisp, and retired Marshall Police Chief Mike Boone…