Marathon County man charged with BHS terrorist threats pleads not guilty by reason of mental disease
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
MENOMONIE — A 20-year-old Weston man charged with terrorist threats, a bomb scare and intimidation of a victim in connection with an incident at Boyceville High School has pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.
Alexander J.D. Tillou, along with his attorney Richard Louis Yonko, appeared for a preliminary hearing and an arraignment hearing before Judge Christina M. Mayer on May 12.
Tillou is charged with felony counts of bail jumping, making terrorist threats, bomb scares, and intimidation of a victim and threatening force, and one misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana.
During the preliminary hearing, Yonko argued for the court to dismiss the charges, but Judge Mayer found probable cause and bound Tillou over for trial.
During an arraignment hearing that immediately followed the preliminary hearing, Tillou entered a plea of guilty and not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.
Section 971.15 of the Wisconsin Statutes defines not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect, which is also referred to as “NGI.”
A defendant can be considered NGI if the defendant lacks the capacity to understand his or her conduct was wrong and is so ill, he or she cannot understand what has been done is illegal.
A defendant also can be considered NGI if the person is so ill, he or she cannot control his or her actions.
In the case of a trial where a defendant has pleaded NGI, the prosecution must prove the person is guilty of the crime, and it is then up to the defendant to convince the jury that he or she is not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.
According to the criminal complaint, Boyceville High School and Middle School Principal Tyler Moy contacted Boyceville Police Chief Greg Lamkin on April 26 about an in-progress situation of threats made to students and to the school in general.
Police Chief Lamkin met with Moy, a Boyceville teacher and a 14-year-old alleged victim (Victim 1), who said that her friend was dating someone, and that she was going to the prom with her friend (alleged Victim 3) and that Victim 3’s boyfriend wanted to add Victim 1 as a Snapchat friend so he could confirm Victim 3 was going to the prom with another girl and was not cheating on him.
Victim 1 said she saw a comment by the boyfriend that he was 20 years old and that she had told him he could get in trouble for getting nudes of a 15-year-old girl.
The boyfriend, Victim 1 said, had responded by threatening to kill her, the complaint states.
Victim 1 said she had also discovered the alleged suspect had learned where she was by the Snapchat user locator, according to the complaint.
Police Chief Lamkin reviewed screen shots of the messages in which Tillou said, after Victim 1 informed him he could go to jail for having nude photos on his phone of Victim 1’s friend, “I’m a murder u for being a snitch.”
Victim 2 told Police Chief Lamkin that AJ (identified as Alexander Tillou) had called her repeatedly and had also made mention of Victim 3 being raped.
Police Chief Lamkin observed the following: “Tell ur friend I just gave location to many people Boyceville wi at Boyceville wi middle school right. So guess she better watch herself her school might get shot up or bombed who knows. I just gave her snap to the guy an(d) (s)aid have fun … Don’t worry I paid 85$ to see her get harassed more and followed.”
Based on the information, the Boyceville school district placed the school complex on lockdown, and Police Chief Lamkin requested additional units to respond to establish a perimeter outside the school, the complaint states,
The Boyceville police chief contacted Elk Mound Police Chief Chad Weinberger for assistance with the investigation.
Police Chief Weinberger contacted Snapchat, and the company provided user data for the username associated with the threats to the school and that GPS coordinates plotted to an area near Schofield Avenue in Schofield, Wisconsin, according to the complaint.
Police Chief Lamkin contacted Everest Metro PD and asked for their assistance in locating and detaining Tillou and securing any electronic devices he might have.
Police Chief Lamkin executed a search warrant on April 26 at Tillou’s home in Marathon County and placed him in custody, the complaint states.
Judge Mayer set bail for Tillou at $3,000 cash during an initial appearance April 28.
At the time of the preliminary hearing and arraignment hearing on May 12, Tillou remained in custody at the Dunn County Jail.
Judge Mayer also issued an order May 12 that Tillou should undergo a mental evaluation under Wisconsin state statute 971.