KENAI, AK – A resident of Kenai, Alaska, was apprehended earlier this week following allegations of issuing a death threat to a U.S. senator. The suspect, 46-year-old Arther Graham, is accused of sending a gruesome message to an unidentified senator on September 28, promising to end their life and use their skin as clothing, according to U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska.
The threatening message, which Graham signed with his name, phone number, and address, revealed his desperation due to impending eviction and a history of homelessness. The chilling threat stated Graham’s intention to “hunt” down the senator, “cut the flesh off your body and wear your skin like clothes,” and live inside them, as he had nowhere else to live.
The senator’s staff received the message through the senator’s website and immediately reported the threat to the U.S. Capitol Police, prompting an investigation. On October 30, special agents from the U.S. Capitol Police and the FBI visited Graham’s residence. Upon their arrival, Graham reportedly admitted to sending the threatening message and acknowledged his awareness of its illegality.
While the identity of the threatened senator remains undisclosed, the complaint referred to the senator using the pronoun “she.” Senator Lisa Murkowski is the only female senator from Alaska, but it remains unclear if the threat was directed at her or a senator from another state.
Graham was subsequently arrested and charged with using interstate communications to issue a threat to kidnap and injure. If found guilty, he could face up to five years in prison. The U.S. Capitol Police, with support from the FBI Anchorage Field Office, Kenai Police Department, and Alaska State Troopers, is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Vandergaw for the District of Alaska is prosecuting the case.
Graham is expected to appear before a U.S. magistrate judge on November 3. This incident follows a similar one where a man was arrested for threatening to kill Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev, just two days prior.