Threats suspect not yet charged

Published 7:00 am Friday, September 7, 2007

A 17-year-old Bainbridge High student arrested in connection with threats toward the school was not charged with any crime this week, prosecutors said.

“We’ve asked police for a follow-up investigation,” said Kitsap County Deputy Prosecutor Alexis Wallace.

Bainbridge Deputy Police Chief Mark Duncan said early investigation of computers seized at the teen’s home yielded a log of “chat sessions” in which the teen made threats toward the school.

According to the police statement of probable cause for arrest, the student on May 3 allegedly wrote to another youth, “I’ll make sure to spare you when I blow up the school,” then went on to talk about the recent homicides at Virginia Tech university. Bomb threats at BHS were also the subject of an exchange involving the student on June 18, police say.

Several other computers have yet to be examined.

Ryan Witt, the teen’s attorney, said this week that there still has been no evidence linking his client to any threat.

The youth was first arrested in June, shortly after a threat of violence against students at BHS closed the school.

Police seized explosives-making materials and marijuana plants from the boy’s home, and eventually charged him with three crimes, none of which were connected to the school threat.

The boy pleaded guilty to all three crimes and served an eight- day sentence over the summer.

On Aug. 31, the day after the boy was released from custody, he was arrested again by police based on the computer evidence.

He appeared in court Thursday, at which time prosecutors asked police to continue the investigation. To avoid re-arresting the youth several times, Duncan said police will turn over the remaining forensic evidence once all of the work is completed.

The student is under “emergency expulsion” while school officials review the matter.