Florida man arrested for threatening Tyler Trent's family through Facebook
A man from Deltona, Florida has been arrested for making death threats against the mother and family of Purdue super fan Tyler Trent, who died on Jan. 1 after a battle with cancer.
According to a press release from the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, John Matthew Pinkham, 39, was arrested at his home on Monday and charged with making written threats to kill or injure.
Pinkham is accused of threatening the Trent family on Tyler’s Facebook page. The Indianapolis Star reported that Pinkham allegedly used an alias, Julie Homan, to post on the page and threaten violence toward the Trent family and Trent’s mother. The posts specifically mentioned Trent’s Celebration of Life, which is happening Tuesday, as the time the violence would happen.
Via the Indianapolis Star, here are a few of the threats Pinkham allegedly posted on Trent’s Facebook page.
“just wait until yall hear what I do at his funeral..i promise I will make headlines..i will kill his mother.. just watch I will be talked about forever..this is no idol threat.” (sic)
“Cant wait till I can choke the life out of you” … “funerals coming and I will appear like the reaper” (sic)
Making written threats to kill or injure is classified as a felony, and Pinkham is being held on $10,000 bond.
Trent, who was just 20 when he died from cancer, was a well-known Purdue super fan and an inspiration to many for his fight against his disease and his positive attitude. He raised over $100,000 for cancer research. His life is being celebrated at a funeral and memorial service in West Lafayette, Indiana on Tuesday, which is expected to go on as normal despite the threats.
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