ANCHORAGE, AK. - A man already indicted on two counts of murder in Alaska has now also been charged with making death threats against Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood. Like with several previous individuals who've been arrested in other states for threatening Chitwood, it's believed 31-year-old Joshua Wahl did so in response to Chitwood's recent public stance against anti-Semitism.
The communications in question which law enforcement said Wahl made reportedly described a desire to 'blind and kill' Chitwood. According to a report from Anchorage Daily News, Wahl spoke of using 'high-powered lasers' to do so.
"I just wanted to thank you. Your toothless threats to arrest me for the last 3 weeks have woken me from my funk," Wahl allegedly said about Chitwood. "Did you know that a laser like that can get hotter than the sun very fast? You have inspired me to continue my work. So now [I'm] sitting here, armed to the teeth with binary explosives, 37mm launchers, lasers that blind for life in 1/15th a second and [anti-level] 4 tungsten tip ammo with weapons with binary triggers, and it's all (because) of your toothless threats toward me the last 3 weeks. [Thank you] for re-igniting my passions."
He reportedly made these threats on the online forum 4chan, a website known in recent times as a popular destination for racial extremists. It was also the host of similar threats allegedly made by Connecticut's Cristhian Zapata over the summer. Wahl is said to have begun making the threats in April, and continued through July. He's accused not only of doing so on 4chan, but also of emailing Chitwood directly describing his weapons arsenal and burning a photo of the Sheriff.
"Blind and kill Shitwood first [in real life]," Wahl allegedly continued. "Not fucking Minecraft. I have been posting this for a month and I have not been arrested. I also got away with trying to blow up a synagogue. I am an actual terrorist!!!!"
It was after these alleged threats that Wahl was arrested for a more serious crime: the murders of 32-year-old Jennifer Gardiner and 31-year-old Timothy Evans, both Alaskan residents. These two were said to have been Wahl's friends, before they were found shot to death at a residence in Dillingham, AK.
Along with the alleged threats against Chitwood, Wahl is also tied to hate messages repeating neo-Nazi rhetoric. Chitwood became the subject of scorn for several anti-Semites earlier this year when he forcibly condemned hate messages displayed and distributed in Volusia County. He's now running for another term in office as sheriff, as of yet unopposed.
Another message attributed to Wahl said "come and do something about it fedboys, [...] until you get the balls to arrest me, I'll still be here." He remains in Alaskan custody charged with the murder of his two friends, as well as one count of cyberstalking and four counts of transmitting threats in interstate commerce.
“Not every loser threatening violence on the Internet gets caught, but I’m glad one more is getting a dose of reality,” Sheriff Chitwood said in a prepared response. “I am far from the only one getting death threats, and my family is not the only one who’s been targeted and harassed. But I will always be proud to take on hateful idiots and stand up in defense of the community I love.”
A photo depicting Wahl was not made immediately available by authorities. An investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Anchorage Field Office remains underway.
