A federal jury on Thursday convicted a Kansas man for threatening to kill U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner.
Chase Neill, a self-described Trump supporter, was found guilty after acting as his own attorney and questioning the congressman on the witness stand, The Topeka Capital-Journal reports.
Prosecutors said the 32-year-old from northeastern Kansas fixated on LaTurner before leaving the death threat in a June 5 voicemail in the Republican congressman’s Topeka office that included, “I will kill you.”
Representing himself in court, Neill told jurors that he was a messenger from God and that he threatened LaTurner for ignoring his concerns about extraterrestrials, sorcery, wizards, and a war for people’s souls.
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“This is not me saying, ‘I’m going to chase you down with a knife,’ or something like that,” Neill said in his closing argument, The Capital-Journal reported.
Neill claimed that his special relationship with God causes natural events, including a hurricane and fires. He said he conveyed messages to LaTurner even though he knew it would likely result in his being prosecuted. “I’m really trying to explain how I interact with God, and it’s a difficult explanation,” Neill told jurors during his testimony.
Neill could be sentenced to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
