A Gwinnett County jail inmate threatened to kill his probation officer during a recorded phone call, and now faces criminal charges as a result.
What happened: On March 23, Stephen Stillwell, held at the Gwinnett County jail, was recorded on a phone call saying he planned to ingest cocaine and kill his probation officer once he got out. Jail staff received the information the same day.
The charges: Investigators interviewed Stillwell and obtained warrants charging him with Terroristic Threats and Acts, a Georgia law that makes it a crime to threaten serious violence against another person.
What we know: The probation officer named in the threat was notified. Stillwell was interviewed by investigators before the warrants were issued.
The path forward: Stillwell now faces the additional charge while still in custody. A conviction under Georgia’s Terroristic Threats and Acts law can carry prison time, which could affect the terms or timing of any future release.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
