Widow disavows non-profit for late husband, Ada County deputy Tobin Bolter

Barclay Idsal and Riley Shoemaker, KIVI

On Wednesday evening, Abbey Bolter disavowed a non-profit that was set up as a memorial project and scholarship fund in honor of her late husband. | Courtesy KIVI

BOISE (KIVI) — On Wednesday evening, Abbey Bolter, the wife of deceased Sheriff’s Deputy Tobin Bolter, disavowed a non-profit that was set up as a memorial project and scholarship fund in honor of her late husband. Tobin Bolter was shot and killed in the line of duty while executing a traffic stop on April 21, 2024.

Deputy Bolter was shot and killed during a traffic stop on April 21, 2024. In the months that followed, his name became a rallying point for community memorials and charity efforts. But less than a year later, the family is distancing itself from one of those efforts.

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“The goals of this foundation were high and honorable. But today my family no longer supports this nonprofit,” Abbey Bolter shared in a prepared statement on Facebook Live.

Abbey also confirmed that she and her father, Benjie Wells, have resigned from their roles on the nonprofit’s board.

The family’s decision comes just one week after Idaho News 6 interviewed nonprofit founder Samuel Ferrell about the project.

“When Tobin passed, it had always been my hope to do something that I believed would kind of carry his legacy,” Ferrell said in an April 11 interview.

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But since that story aired, new information came to light. According to public court records, Ferrell has a lengthy criminal history, including past convictions for lewd conduct with a child under 16, check fraud, and misdemeanor assault in 2023.

In a statement to Idaho News 6, the Bolter family’s attorney said, “Had they been apprised of Mr. Ferrell’s background, they would have never agreed to enter into any venture with him.”

The family claims they were not made aware of the full extent of his criminal background prior to joining the board.

“I can no longer have my husband’s name, likeness, image, or memory used to promote this organization,” Abbey Bolter said. “I’m working with attorneys to see if it’s possible for anyone who donated to this organization to be refunded.”

In a message to Idaho News 6, Samuel Ferrell disputed some of the Bolter family’s claims, saying Abbey and her father were technically “terminated” from the board. He declined an interview, citing an ongoing investigation, but said more information will be shared soon.