Man Charged for Threats to Sen. Patty Murray

Updated at 5:30 p.m. ET

A Washington state man has been charged with threatening to kill Democratic Sen. Patty Murray over her support for health care reform, leaving voicemail messages at her office saying she had a target on her back and "it only takes one piece of lead."

Federal agents arrested Charles Alan Wilson without incident in Yakima, Wash., on Tuesday.

Murray's office in Seattle reported the threats amid a rash of ugliness aimed at lawmakers who supported the sweeping federal health care legislation. Some lawmakers have been spit on and several have reported receiving threatening calls.

FBI spokesman Bill Carter said Wilson is believed to be the first person in the country arrested for such threats.

The messages to Murray were left on voicemail from a blocked telephone number, FBI Special Agent Carolyn W. Woodbury wrote in a probable cause statement. Agents said they traced the calls to Wilson's home in Selah, near Yakima.

Wilson has a .38-caliber revolver registered to him and has a concealed carry permit for it, Woodbury wrote.

To confirm Wilson was the caller, one agent telephoned him and posed as a member of a group working to repeal the health care legislation, the statement said.

According to a excerpt of the conversation, Wilson confirmed he repeatedly called Murray as well as Washington's other Democratic senator, Maria Cantwell. He then stated: "I do pack, and I will not blink when I'm confronted. ... It's not a threat, it's a guarantee."

Murray's office told the FBI it had been receiving harassing messages from the caller for months, but they became more threatening as Congress was voting on the health care legislation.

"There's a target on your back now," said one message on March 22. "It only takes one piece of lead. Kill the (expletive) senator! ... Now that you've passed your health-care bill, let the violence begin."

In other messages over the next several days, the caller said, "I hope somebody puts a (expletive) bullet between your (expletive) eyes," and "I do believe that every one of you (expletive) socialist democratic progressive (expletives) need to be taken out."

And, he said, "I want to (expletive) kill you."

Wilson was scheduled to make an initial appearance at federal court in Yakima on Tuesday on one count of threatening a federal official. It was not immediately clear if he had obtained a lawyer. A phone call to his home went unanswered.

Murray's office declined to comment on the arrest.

[frankfurrter]

Wow, that's kind of crazy. I wonder what the Senator did to merit this kind of call? Obviously nothing in reality, but what doe sthis guy have against her? http://www.gogcda.com

[wjksea]

Socialist Roosevelt brought cheap water and electricity to now republican eastern washington via public works projects like the Grand Coulee dam transforming fruitless barren lands into productive lands.

In recent years, those wishing to steal from the public and privatize the wealth of so much infrastructure that taxpayers collectively have built have done a masterful job of swaying the dummied down poor fools who sit around and listen to fascist propaganda that makes the old communist Pravda look innocent.

[DavidB2009]

where were all these people when our previous president was spending billions of dollars in a war under false pretenses (Iraq)? did they take to the streets in outrage? and that was for a war where people die! and now they are outrage because of health care for everybody? no wonder the rest of the world thinks americans are stupid!

[dakotaclark]

Hmmm...

Well, upon his conviction, maybe this nut job will get a chance to rest and relax for 10 years without any chance of early release. Too bad it could not be for an extended stay, like 20 or 25 years.

[bluegrass101-2009]

The Taliban is dangerous, Al Queda is dangerous,---- Nothing is more dangerous than the Republican Party . They are capable of every deceitful, greed, devious methods known to mankind. All you have to do to see there potential is look at Glenn Beck, Limbaugh, Bachmann, and the Two faces of John McCain. If it wasn't for the Democrats the Repiglicans would be a horde of Racist, Bigots, and Pitchfork brigades. Right now they are ripe for another Stalin or Hitler.

[nearl451]

The fellow is a domestic terrorist,obviously.

[mike 901]

Hope these domestic terrorists get punished to the full extent of the Law.

[mike 901]

What Church does this guy go to ? This'll be good. FYI eastern Washington (Yakima) is mostly Republican, high desert,and full of right- wingers (poor ones).

[rightbehind]

What's amazing is the right wingers that are all too willing to follow their corporate masters.

[wjksea]

Yeah, poor ones and not so poor ones living in what would have been a barren desert had it not been for socialist Roosevelt and his public works like the Grande Coulee dam that brought free water and cheap electricity to lands that produced much for the ignorant ingrates.

[mike 901]

by luadda22 April 6, 2010 10:57 PM EDT
What "large Majority" are you talking about?? Only around 37% of registered voters voted for Obama. That leaves almost 2/3 that did not.

The Majority that Won, heh heh heh. BTW 100% minus 37% equals 2/3 ??? Your made up math is even incorrect. just shut-up

[mike 901]

The People have spoken. And by a large Majority. God Bless America, and God Bless Barack Obama. Deliver us from evil.

[luadda22]

What "large Majority" are you talking about?? Only around 37% of registered voters voted for Obama. That leaves almost 2/3 that did not.