A Lafayette man pleaded guilty to a felony intimidation charge after he threatened Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita.
It’s one of a growing number of threats made toward public officials at all levels of government.
Matthew Williams, 47, made the threats amid a child custody dispute, according to court documents. In text messages and social media posts, Williams said that he believed Rokita should have investigated “crimes against” his child.
In an August 2023 text message to Rokita, Williams said he would hold those involved accountable. “Do your job or pay the consequences,” he texted, according to court records.
The same day, Williams posted on Twitter, now X, a screenshot of Rokita’s cell phone number and a message saying he knew where the attorney general lived.
“I KNOW WHERE YOU SLEEP,” Williams wrote, according to court records. “I CAN REMOVE YOU AT ANY TIME. NOBODY IS UNTOUCHABLE. I WILL KILL THE ENEMY IF I’M LEFT NO OTHER OPTION.”
Marion Superior Court Judge Clark Rogers sentenced Williams on June 4 to more than two years in jail.
An attorney for Williams did not respond to request for comment from IndyStar.
At the time Williams made the threats against Rokita, he was already under investigation for a separate threat against a Clinton County judge. He pleaded guilty to multiple felony intimidation charges in that case and was sentenced to three years in prison.
Public officials, including many in Indiana, have experienced a growing number of threats, aggressive rhetoric and violence. IndyStar previously spoke with a number of local and state officials who detailed a sharp spike in personal and violent messages.
Earlier this month, Indiana State Police arrested a man who allegedly mailed Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Loretta Rush a 12-page letter that caused her to fear for her safety. An Indianapolis woman was charged with sending death threats to U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-South Carolina. A Lafayette judge and his wife were shot in their home in January — an act of violence police believe was intended to derail an upcoming trial.
Within the past two years, U.S. President Donald Trump has been the target of multiple assassination attempts, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed on a college campus, and Democratic Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed in their home.
In his victim impact statement, Rokita, a Republican, thanked Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears, a Democrat, and his staff for their skill and attention to his case amid their heavy caseload. Mears has faced significant criticism from Republicans alleging he is soft on crime.
Rokita said this case stuck out as a true threat among the thousands of comments he receives. He said he understands that praise and criticism come with being a public official, and the First Amendment protects Hoosiers’ rights to express those opinions. But Williams’ comments made him fear for the safety of himself and his family, he said.
Rokita said he indirectly interacted with Williams when the Lafayette man represented himself in a case during a related court appearance. Rokita said he believes that Williams was in a “particularly bad spell in his life and fatherhood” and hopes he is on a better path.
“As a father myself, I can understand his terrible frustrations with life. It does not excuse the behavior, and he must take responsibility for it,” Rokita wrote. “My hope is that he can use this one day as an example to help others, from members of his own family, outward to others in the community.”
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Have a story to tell, tip or question? Reach Cate Charron by email at ccharron@indystar.com, on X at @CateCharron or Signal at @cate.charron.28.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana man pleads guilty after death threat against AG Todd Rokita
Reporting by Cate Charron, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Cate Charron, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
