'I'm considering leaving the country': Prosecutors read texts from Glenshaw man charged in Capitol riot

In text messages sent in the days and weeks after the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, prosecutors said, a Shaler area substitute teacher worried that he would be arrested and that his actions would prohibit him from being able to teach in the future.

Robert Morss, 27, was arrested last month and accused of participating in the incident. He is charged with assault, resisting or impeding officers, civil disorder, robbery of personal property of the United States and obstruction of an official proceeding.

On Tuesday, Morss appeared via video conference for a detention hearing in the Washington, D.C., federal district court. Prosecutors are seeking his continued detention, contending that Morss is both a danger to the community and a flight risk.

Although testimony was taken, arguments will resume Wednesday afternoon after defense attorneys have time to review the text messages presented by the U.S. Attorney’s office during Tuesday’s hearing.

U.S. Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey said he will likely not rule on the issue for a couple days.

“I’m going to want to consider what the parties present here,” he said. Referring to the Capitol detention cases, Harvey said, “They are complicated, and the case law seems to advance every day.”

During Tuesday’s hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Jackson told the court that just hours earlier, investigators had turned over to her a number of text messages recovered from Morss’ phones from the days previous to the Capitol attack until a few weeks after.

She read a few of them into the record.

On Jan. 7, Jackson said, Morss confirmed he’d been at the riot.

“I’m good to go,” he wrote. “No bars, no scratches. (Stuff) went down. Cannot talk about it over the phone.”

Later, Jackson said it seemed like Morss felt regret and referenced teaching. On Jan. 24, he wrote: “I feel ice cold inside. I want to make a positive difference in life,” Jackson read. “I’m begging God that I’ll still be able to do that later in life.”

He also wrote, “I’m pretty shook up right now. Ha ha ha. Please pray for me. I’m wigging out. I’m considering leaving the country. They’re crushing everyone.”

He went on to say he didn’t want to fly but thought he should drive out of town, Jackson told the court.

Based on those messages, the prosecutor said, “The government now does believe Morss is a danger to the community, and there’s a preponderance of evidence he’s a flight risk.”

In addition, Jackson told the judge that that investigators recently recovered a number of items belonging to Morss in a residence where he previously lived, including the tactical vest they believe he wore during the attack, as well as the scissors and knife that were visible in images taken that day from the Capitol.

An additional knife was recovered that was tucked in a belt they believed he wore that day. Investigators also found three additional handguns.

Jackson conceded that she didn’t believe Morss was hiding evidence but that it was with other belongings at the former residence.

During Tuesday’s hearing, the defense called both Morss’ parents to testify.

Angela Morss said her son enlisted in the U.S. Army at age 17. He served for four years, including three tours in Afghanistan as an Army Ranger. He was honorably discharged, Mrs. Morss said, and won numerous commendations.

“Of course, it’s very hard on somebody, too,” she testified.

Following his military service, Morss enrolled at Penn State University with plans of becoming a history teacher.

While there, his mother said, he worked with a veterans’ group and participated in THON.

“Being a teacher is something he’s always wanted to do — to support and encourage students.”

Robert Morss graduated from Penn State in December and was then hired to be a long-term substitute teacher at Shaler Area Middle School.

There, his mom testified, he became popular with his students — dressing up as the painter Bob Ross when he filled in for an art class, and as other historical figures when teaching history.

“He was just in it 100%, and the kids loved it,” Angela Morss testified.

Both of his parents are teachers from Nevada, where Robert Morss grew up.

Angela Morss told the court that she retired at the end of this school year and has since moved into her son’s apartment with hopes of being able to live with him if he is released from detention.

“We made the commitment together. We’re going to be in this 100% for our son,” she said. “I’m very comfortable with anything the court expects.”

Morss’ father, Andrew, told the court that his son fell in love with Pennsylvania after visiting with one of his friends from the Army.

When Robert Morss was to start at Penn State, he and his father made the cross-country drive together from their home in Nevada, stopping off at Mount Rushmore, Monticello and Gettysburg along the way.

“We’re willing to do whatever it takes to help support Robert,” his father testified.