Man indicted for courthouse bomb threat

By Chris Edwards
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JEFFERSON COUNTY — A grand jury in Jefferson County indicted a Woodville man last week due to a series of threats made through social media, one of which stated an intention to bomb a courthouse, and another which involved Tyler County.

According to reports, the grand jury indicted Jonathan Mitchell Palmer, 29, on a third-degree felony charge of making a terroristic threat. Investigators, according to reports and a probable cause affidavit, received information about an individual making threatening posts via Twitter (now known as X).

Investigators with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Criminal Investigations Division (CID) followed up on the information received in November of last year about the threats and identified Palmer as the owner of the account from where the threatening posts emanated.

CID investigators contacted Palmer at a motel in Beaumont where he was reportedly staying at the time, and he denied making the threatening posts.

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When Palmer turned over his mobile device to the investigators, they found three posts, one of which stated “Ima bomb that courthouse,” although no specific courthouse was named. Two other posts, worded similarly stated that both Tyler and Hardin counties would be bombed.

Palmer reportedly told the investigators, when questioned about the posts, that they were made due to “people aggravating him,” and investigators noted there were no specific locations or names associated with the latter two posts, other than the counties’ names, and there was no specific location given to the first post about bombing a courthouse.

Palmer told investigators that he knew the posts were inappropriate, and reportedly expressed willingness to remove them.

Booking information from a 2019 arrest in Tyler County lists Palmer as a Woodville resident. He was arrested then for violation of a bond/protective order, and the case, according to court records, was dismissed.

If convicted of the felony charge, Palmer could face from two to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.