A Kentucky homeowner has been charged with making terroristic threats after putting up a Halloween display depicting local officials in body bags.
Stephan Marcum, 58, of Stanton—about 45 miles southeast of Lexington—was arrested Saturday after refusing to remove the display or speak with police. The display featured five effigies with signs suggesting they represented local officials, including the mayor, county attorney, and zoning manager. One effigy, labeled “district judge,” included a rope around its neck, according to the arrest citation obtained by Lex18.
Authorities say the display followed an online rant by Marcum, in which he expressed frustration over a court ruling that found he had violated several city ordinances. Among those mentioned in both his online post and the display were 39th District Judge Gary Salyers, County Attorney Robert King, Zoning Manager Ann Snowden, Stanton Mayor Willie Means, and the mayor’s sister.
“This is something you just don’t see every day,” Powell County Judge Executive Eddie Barnes, who was not named in the display, told WKYT. Barnes added that while he has known Marcum for years, he recognizes that the display was an inappropriate way to express his grievances.
University of Kentucky political science professor Stephen Voss highlighted that while the First Amendment protects free speech, it does not cover threats. “If you’re actively threatening someone in a terrorizing way, that may not be covered by the general right to free expression,” Voss told WKYT.
Voss also noted that in today’s political climate, especially after incidents such as the Charlie Kirk assassination, there is far less tolerance for violent imagery or rhetoric. “What in the past may have been viewed as somewhat tongue-in-cheek may not be seen as funny or innocent these days,” he said.