It was one of the most shocking statements to come out of the Wisconsin budget battle. An e-mail, sent to 15 Republican state senators, promising to kill them and their families by putting a “bullet in your head” and using “several bombs.” Now, someone stands to be charged with multiple felonies in the incident. But there’s a question swirling: what took so long?
(Read our original report and the e-mail.)
Today, some are questioning the way the Dane County district attorney and local law enforcement handled the case. According to WISN-TV, the Wisconsin Justice Department became concerned at how long it took local officials to file charges. The state DOJ expressed that sentiment in astatement obtained by local talk show host Charlie Sykes, which says it was “concerned about the lack of action regarding this referral,” meaning it referred the case to the local DA and is surprised nothing has come about.
District Attorney Ismael Ozanne — the DA for the county that includes Madison — defended the delay on Thursday, saying, “The person was not placed in custody. So at some point, law enforcement did not see the person as an imminent threat immediately.”
The “person,” 26-year-old Katherine R. Windels, who was not seen as an “imminent threat” sent two death-threat e-mails to Republicans, both on March 9. The first one was a single message to Sen. Robert Cowles, the second was sent to the 15 others with the subject, “Atten: Death Threat!!!! Bomb!!!” and the first line including the phrase, “you will be killed and your familes will also be killed.”
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel provides more details, including the startling nugget that Windels has still not been arrested as of Thursday night:
According to the criminal complaint, Windels told investigators “I sent out emails that I was
disgusted and very upset by what they were doing.”Asked if she intended to follow through on any of her threats, Windels told the investigators “No,” according to the complaint.
Windels was charged with two felony counts “bomb scare” and two misdemeanor counts of “computer message-threatening injury/bodily harm.” If convicted, each felony count carries a maximum penalty of three years and six months in prison and a $10,000 fine, and each misdemeanor count carries a maximum penalty of 90 days in prison and a $1,000 fine.
WKOW-TV reported Windels was not in custody. She was expected to be served Friday with her first court appearance in late April, according to the station’s website.
You can read the complaint here, which includes Windels’s apparent confession.
Some have charged Windels is an early childhood education teacher, but that has not been confirmed.
Ozanne is the same DA that sued after Wisconsin’s new labor law passed.
(H/T: Gateway Pundit)
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