New Hampshire man found dead after threatening presidential candidate

A 30-year-old New Hampshire man on trial for making death threats against three former presidential candidates was found dead while the jury was deciding the verdict, according to a court filing Thursday.

The case of Tyler Anderson went before a jury on Tuesday after a three-day trial on charges that he sent threatening text messages to Republican candidates Vivek Ramaswamy, Nikki Haley and Chris Christie.

While the jury was deliberating Anderson’s fate, it was disbanded Wednesday when court officials said “something came up,” local ABC affiliate WMUR reported.

Jurors were scheduled to resume deliberations on Thursday, but were then informed that prosecutors had filed a motion to dismiss the case after the government learned that “the defendant is deceased.”

The jury had previously reached a unanimous verdict on one count of communicating a threat through interstate commerce, but was still debating two other counts when prosecutors moved to dismiss the case.

According to WMUR, the FBI began a search on Wednesday because of concerns that Anderson had threatened to harm himself.

He was later found dead in his vehicle in a parking garage near Concord Hospital, police said. It is unclear how Anderson died.

He was reportedly receiving psychiatric treatment and was also taking prescription medications at the time of his death.

Anderson was arrested in December after responding to a text message about a campaign rally in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, with the message: “Great, another chance for me to blow his brains out!” investigators said.

Around the time the threat was sent, Ramaswamy was scheduled to host a morning event in Portsmouth.

According to prosecutors, Anderson admitted to sending similar text messages to other Republican primary candidates before the text message allegedly received by Ramaswamy’s campaign.

According to the Associated Press, a spokesman for Christie’s campaign previously thanked law enforcement for responding to similar threats of a mass shooting.

Anderson faced up to 15 years in prison, five years for each count, and a maximum fine of $250,000.

Ramaswamy, Haley and Christie had challenged Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination, but both ended their campaigns earlier this year. Ramaswamy and Haley now support Trump. Christie does not.

With News Wire Service