The Lynchburg Police Department on Tuesday arrested a Forest man accused of sending threatening text messages to Del. Wendell Walker, R-Lynchburg, the day before, according to court documents.
Walker is currently running for reelection in the 52nd District in the Virginia House of Delegates. He was first elected to represent the district in 2019.
On Monday, Walker “received text messages from an individual stating that he was going to die, and ‘die today,’” according to a criminal complaint submitted to the Lynchburg General District Court by Detective Sara Bond. Walker’s campaign staff reported the incident to police, and a following investigation identified 47-year-old Ronald Reynolds as the sender, according to court documents.
Reynolds was arrested Tuesday on the charge of making a threat of death or bodily injury in writing. According to state code, any person who knowingly communicates such a threat is guilty of a class 6 felony if the threat places the person who’s the object of the threat “in reasonable apprehension of death or bodily injury to himself or his family member.”
“I want to thank the Lynchburg Police Department for their swift and professional response,” Walker wrote in a press release. “I greatly appreciate their commitment to keeping our community safe. Political violence has no place in our country, and I’m grateful to law enforcement for taking this matter seriously.”
Sen. Mark Peake, R-Lynchburg, said Walker is the third state legislator to receive threats this election cycle. He recognized the pattern on the Senate floor in session Wednesday and introduced two amendments to ask the General Assembly to consider a resolution to condemn political violence. Both failed.
Del. Geary Higgins, R-Loudoun County, received a text message that threatened him and his family in August, according to reporting by Fauquier Now. The sender, Purcellville resident Patrick Daniel Murphy, was arrested on the charge of making a threat in writing. He was arraigned on Sept. 4 in Loudoun General District Court, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 24.
Del. Kim Taylor, R-Dinwiddie County, received a death threat in September, according to reporting by Virginia Mercury. Dinwiddie County resident Michael Strawmyer was arrested on Sept. 25 after being accused of sending the text message. He was charged with a class 5 felony in Dinwiddie General District Court for making a threat with “intent to intimidate a population,” according to court records and Virginia crime code. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 15.
In a phone interview, Peake urged voters to “keep conversations cordial” and respect each other and their elected representatives as Election Day approaches. No one should have to join Higgins, Taylor and Walker’s list, he said.
“Please remember that these are just political differences. Keep it that way. Violence is never appropriate,” Peake said.
Reynolds was released on recognizance, meaning that he was released from police custody without having to post bail, in exchange for a written promise to appear for all future court dates. His arraignment is scheduled for Nov. 12, according to court documents.
