Kentucky man arrested for Halloween decorations appears in court

POWELL COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) – A Kentucky man appeared in court Wednesday, accused of using a Halloween display to threaten government officials.

WLEX reports Stephan Marcum is facing charges of terroristic threatening and intimidating a witness.

Marcum is back in court over decorations that police and public officials believe crossed a line form being just a seasonal display to an alleged threat.

Trooper Austin Miller with the Kentucky State Police says, “The concern there was five trash bags of bodies, one hanging from a noose, which was the district judge.”

At this preliminary hearing, a trooper testified about responding to Marcum’s home for a report of fake body bags in his yard labeled as five public officials.

The special prosecutor said Marcum put them up four days after he was found guilty by a district judge for zoning ordinance violations for not having running water or electricity.

She said three of the public officials, as well as the judge, were involved in the zoning dispute.

However, Marcum’s attorney, Hayley Hoffman, argued for his right to free speech and political speech, noting Marcum also wrote the word Trump on some of the decorations.

She said Trump had nothing to do with the zoning issue.

Hoffman says, “I haven’t heard anything that moves this from a ‘display of discontent’ or political statement as to the surrounding situation that moves it from a political speech/statement into a threat.”

Amanda Morgan, special prosecutor, says, “What is hanging in the yard can arguably go beyond just a political speech and a direct threat.”

The special judge agreed with the prosecutor and found probable cause to move the case forward.

Marcum is charged with intimidating a participant in the legal process and third-degree terroristic threatening.

Special judge Willie Roberts says, “I would take it as a threat and I think anybody out there would take it as a threat.”

The case will next go to a grand jury.

The judge also lowered Marcum’s bond to $2,500 cash, and if he pays it and gets out of jail, he can have no contact with any of the public officials.