Caruthersville man arrested after posting online threat

CARUTHERSVILLE, Mo. -- A Caruthersville man is in custody after posting an online threat against a public school.

William S. Taylor, 55, is charged with making a terrorist threat with criminal negligence after a post he made Feb. 23 on the website Topix.com frightened members of the Caruthersville School District and several parents of children attending school in the district.

A news release from the Caruthersville Police Department said "a thread was started under the name 'Elementary School.' In that thread, a post caused alarm to the public. Someone under the screen name 'Karl Marx' had made a post stating, 'I suggest you go up there and shoot 'em all.'"

After the post was brought to the attention of the Caruthersville police, officers subpoenaed Topix.com and obtained the Internet provider address. Officers also served the subpoena on the service provider and account holder to the location from where the post came.

A search warrant was issued for Taylor's address, where officers collected computers, cellphones and other electronic items with access to the Internet.

"While performing the search warrant, Taylor admitted to officers that he posted under the name Karl Marx, and that it was only a joke," Caruthersville police reported. "Taylor stated he did not think people would take him seriously."

After their investigation, Caruthersville Police reported to school district officials it is their belief none of the Caruthersville school staff or students was in any danger. The evidence from the investigation was turned over to the Pemiscot County prosecuting attorney's office, which filed the misdemeanor charge of making a terrorist threat.

"Law enforcement would like to advise even if you use an anonymous name when posting on websites that cause fear and panic to the public, there are always ways of tracking where the information came from. The information can be obtained within a matter of hours," officials stated. "There is a difference in freedom of speech and making serious threat that places the public in fear."