August 11, 2019 – Dodge Co., WI –
UPDATE: As a result of the investigation of the below threats, a suspect was identified and confessed to sending the threats. That person is a juvenile, and therefore will not be identified. Reports and a request for charges will be forwarded to juvenile court in that person’s county of residence.
Shortly after 9 am on August 11, 2019, two separate elders of the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witness, which is located in the Township of Beaver Dam, received text message threats while at their homes.
The threats indicated the meeting and congregation were going to be blown up today.
The elders who received the threats, are involved in the Spanish-speaking meetings that occur at that location.
The threats were sent from a “spoofed” phone number, preventing direct contact/identity of the sender of the threats. However, the investigation was able to determine the device used to spoof the number, and eventually the suspect.
The threats made were determined not to be hate crimes directed towards any religion or ethnicity. The building was searched with a dog trained in explosive detection and no explosives were found.
The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office was assisted in the investigation by the Fond Du Lac County Sheriff’s Office, Madison Police Department, Sun Prairie Police Department, WI Department of Justice – Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office.
Initial post:
The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating threats reported to our office.
As the investigation is very active, specific details will not be released at this time to allow for the investigation to be productive.
No persons or property in Dodge County are known to be in danger at this time in regards to the reported threats.
Precautions have been taken to ensure the safety of anyone and anywhere the threat may have been directed towards.
All who threats may have been directed toward have resumed normal activity.
Additional information on specific details are expected to be released in coming days, pending the outcome of the investigation.