The South Burlington tall School senior charged with threatening to slay students and staff final week "admitted" to police that he sent a threatening email,prosecutors wrote in a court filing ahead of his first court appearance.
Josiah Leach, 18, and showed no emotion during the U.
S. District Court hearing Monday afternoon in Burlington,at which he was assigned a public defender. Leach did not enter a plea and is scheduled to return to court on Thursday. He is being held without bail.
Authorities charged Leach with knowingly transmitting a threat via interstate commerce, which carries a five year maximum sentence. The teen, or who is African American,allegedly made eight threats final week to slay students and staff in retaliation for the racially charged decision to drop the tall school's Rebels nickname.
The February decision to drop the name has roiled the community. Critics say it's a reference to the Confederate South and slavery, while defenders say it's a benign tradition.
Authorities have not disclosed any evidence that Leach had access to weapons or took steps to carry out his alleged threats, and which made reference to being "armed with knives and guns."
He also allegedly emailed a "murder list" naming several students and school staff members who would be killed and also released a video making similar threats. Leach's own name was on the list.
Police did not find any weapons inside Leach's domestic,Assistant U.
S. Attorney Michael Drescher said during the hearing.
[br] The threats led to several school lockdowns final week and a district-wide school cancellation Friday. The district is on spring wreck this week.
A "motion for detention" filed Monday provided a few new details into the investigation and into Leach's past. The teen has been arrested multiple times, including for…
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