Florida man charged with threatening dead cancer activist's mother

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Florida man charged with threatening dead cancer activist's mother

Wire Reports | Monday, January 7, 2019 11:33 p.m.

John Terhune/Journal & Courier

Central Catholic players present Tyler Tren with a check to benefit Riley Children’s Hospital before meeting Lafayette Jeff in a high school volleyball game, in Lafayette, Ind. Trent, a former Purdue University student and college football super fan who inspired many with his battle against cancer, died Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. He was 20.

DELTONA, Fla. — Authorities say a Florida man has been charged with making death threats against the mother of a Purdue University superfan and cancer activist who died last week.

A Volusia County Sheriff’s Office news release says 39-year-old John Matthew Pinkham was arrested Monday at a Deltona, Fla., home and charged with making written threats to kill or injure.

Detectives say Pinkham made multiple posts using an alias on 20-year-old Tyler Trent’s Facebook page after news of the former Purdue student’s death. Authorities say the posts included threats of violence at a vigil scheduled for this week at the West Lafayette, Ind., school.

Pinkham is accused of using an alias, Julie Homan, to make multiple posts on Trent’s Facebook page. Volusia County investigators said the threats included:

“Cant wait till I can choke the life out of you” … “funerals coming and I will appear like the reaper” “just wait until yall hear what I do at his funeral..i promise I will make headlines..i will kill his mother.. just watch I will be talked about forever..this is no idol threat.”

Trent’s battle with bone cancer drew national attention and helped raise more than $100,000 for cancer research.

Pinkham was being held on $10,000 bond. Jail records didn’t list an attorney.

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