A 57-year-old Traverse City man is facing a felony charge punishable by up to 20 years in prison after authorities say he threatened to kill the Grand Traverse County prosecutor — first by hiring someone to do it, then by vowing to do it himself. Edward Manseau was arraigned in the 86th District Court in Traverse City on one count of making a terroristic threat or false report of terrorism.
According to the Traverse City Record-Eagle, the charge against Manseau was announced by the Michigan Attorney General's office in a press release. Authorities allege that in August, Manseau told a social worker employed by the Traverse City Police Department that he wanted to hire someone to kill the Grand Traverse County prosecutor, according to MLive. He later allegedly said he wanted to take the prosecutor's life himself instead.
Manseau faces one count of making a terroristic threat or false report of terrorism, a felony that carries a potential 20-year prison sentence, as reported by The Detroit News. The statute at issue, Michigan's false-report-of-terrorism law, applies when a person threatens to commit an act of terrorism and communicates that threat to another person, per the Michigan Legislature.
Court Dates Loom as Case Moves Forward
Manseau is scheduled to appear before the 86th District Court for a probable cause conference on October 23, with his preliminary examination set for October 30, the same outlet's report notes. Court records listed no attorney for Manseau as of Thursday.
The Michigan Attorney General's office identified the charge in its own press release, describing it as a 20-year felony tied to the alleged threats against the county prosecutor, according to the Michigan Attorney General's Office.
AG Points to a Troubling Statewide Pattern
Attorney General Dana Nessel tied the Manseau case to what she called a growing problem nationwide. “The number of threats of violence made against elected officials are rising across the country and, sadly, local leaders, even prosecutors, are not immune to this disturbing trend,” Nessel said, according to the same mlive.com report. She added that her department will continue to prosecute these offenses to the fullest extent of the law.
Several other Michigan cases in recent months echo that pattern. In Detroit, Sterling Anthony Peters, 55, was accused of making a terrorist threat against Mayor Mary Sheffield and threatening to shoot up the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, according to CBS News Detroit. Peters was arraigned on one count of false report or threat of terrorism and released on a $50,000 bond with a GPS tether and house arrest.
In Lake Orion, Anthony Dekinderen, 61, was charged with threatening to kill Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and the Michigan Supreme Court, facing nine counts of false report or threat of terrorism and a $5 million bond, the same station reported. Also named in that report was Alicia Choucair of Roseville, who was charged with threatening violence against a mosque and Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud.
A Separate Threat Disrupted a Crowded Reopening
In Oakland County, Daniel James Gibson, 26, of Holly, was charged with one felony count of false report or threat of terrorism after allegedly threatening to shoot people at an outdoor celebration, according to ClickOnDetroit. About 100 people were attending the reopening celebration at the time of the alleged threat, that report states.
No details on Manseau's plea, custody status, or legal representation have been confirmed. His case remains pending ahead of the probable cause conference later this month.
