Mississippi Man Charged For Allegedly Threatening To Kill US Senator

A Mississippi man was charged Wednesday after he allegedly threatened to kill U.S. Senator Roger Wicker.

The 58-year-old man, identified as William Carl Sappington, was charged with threatening to injure or kill a United States official during a preliminary hearing in District Court in Oxford, Mississippi on Wednesday.

During the hearing, Magistrate Roy Percy denied Sappington bail and ordered to keep him detained until the case is presented to a grand jury, according to Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.

The judge noted that Sappington had a history of violent offenses, including felony and misdemeanor, along with failing to abide by the conditions of release. Judge Percy added Sappington was on parole for a theft conviction at the time of the latest offense.

FBI special agent Jason Nixon, who testified during the hearing, stated Sappington went to the residence of George Wicker, the senator's cousin, in Benton County, on April 26. At the residence, he told the cousin he wanted to connect with Sen. Roger Wicker.

When questioned why, Sappington replied, he wanted to kill the senator.

"Because he knows," Sappington said, according to court records.

The cousin called the senator and told him about the matter. The senator then informed the police, who arrived at the scene and apprehended Sappington.

"Sappington reportedly said he intended to kill Roger Wicker because of his involvement in an incident he had with law enforcement back in 2014," Nixon disclosed.

The alleged killing plan stemmed from a February 2014 incident, during which Sappington was arrested for an alleged aggravated assault of his brother. When he attempted to escape arrest, he was taken down by a police dog. During this encounter, Sappington was bitten by the police dog in his arm and was taken to a hospital in Memphis for treatment by law enforcement.

In the criminal complaint, FBI special agent Matthew Shanahan wrote that during this incident, Sappington felt he was kidnapped and was taken out of the state without a hearing. He alleged the jurisdiction laws were violated.

"Sappington felt that speaking to the senator representing his area was his last course of action to obtain justice," the FBI said in court records, Rival Times reported citing CNN.

He was recently released from jail in November 2022 in connection with a theft of property worth over $10,000. After release, he attempted to retain a lawyer to get justice for the alleged illegal actions against him in 2014, but failed. As a result, he sought to talk to Senator Wicker, who represented the area, as a last resort.

"He said they done him wrong, railroaded him," Sappington's sister Yvonne Shook testified in his defense. "He said he just wanted them to hear his side. I told him he needed to move on." Sappington had been living at Shook's house since his release.

Some of Sappington's misdemeanor convictions announced by Judge Percy include assault, leaving the scene of an accident, threats, driving under the influence, malicious mischief and vandalism. Among many felony convictions, the magistrate named possession of a sawed-off shotgun, assaulting a federal law enforcement officer, attempted burglary, two aggravated assaults and theft.