Subject Arrested for School/Courthouse Bomb Threats
On the evening of Friday, October 27, 2023, an APSO investigation into the recent Bomb/Shooting threats made toward St. Mary’s Catholic School in Cottonport, LA, and the Avoyelles Parish Courthouse resulted in the issuance of a search warrant and the subsequent identification and arrest of the suspect. APSO Detectives and Patrol Deputies worked diligently to identify the perpetrator. The culmination of interviews, technology, the search warrant, and good old-fashioned police work resulted in the suspect, 42-year-old Krystal Smith of Marksville, LA, being arrested for the offenses of Terrorizing (9 counts), Cyberstalking (9 counts), Obstruction of Justice (2 counts) and Filing false public records (5 counts). The threats were made by emails and text messages she created and sent in an attempt to make it appear that someone else, whom she was angry with, was making the threats. During the investigation, APSO learned this was a case of revenge and retaliation, and was not a real threat.
Sheriff David L. Dauzat would like to thank the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Richland Parish Sheriff’s Office for their assistance to APSO in the investigation. He would also like to thank the Marksville PD, Cottonport PD, and Tunica-Biloxi PD for their assistance in ensuring the safety of the Courthouse, Marksville Elementary, and St. Mary’s Catholic School.