Texas woman who made series of violent threats fails to report to prison
#Abigail Shry #violent threats #federal prison #bench warrant #Texas woman #public officials #legal jeopardy #flight risk
📌 Key Takeaways
- Abigail Shry failed to report to federal prison to begin serving her 27-month sentence
- She made violent threats against multiple officials including Judge Tanya Chutkan and Texas legislators
- A bench warrant has been issued for her arrest
- Shry faces additional criminal charges for failing to surrender
- Prosecutors previously described her as 'unmoored' and a potential danger
📖 Full Retelling
Abigail Shry, a Texas woman who made a series of violent threats against public officials, failed to report to a federal correctional facility in Tallahassee, Florida on Tuesday, February 18, 2026, where she was scheduled to begin serving a 27-month prison sentence for threatening a federal judge. The 47-year-old woman from Alvin, Texas, had pleaded guilty in November 2024 to leaving a threatening phone message for Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington, D.C., calling her a 'stupid slave' and threatening to kill her if former President Trump was not reelected in 2024. Federal authorities have now issued a bench warrant for her arrest after her disappearance. Shry's pattern of threatening behavior extends beyond this single incident, as she has targeted multiple public officials with violent rhetoric over the past two years. In addition to her federal charges, she previously pleaded no contest to making threats against Texas legislators during impeachment proceedings against then-Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, warning of an 'armed attack' on the Texas Capitol that would be 'more violent than the Jan. 6 insurrection.' She also allegedly threatened then-Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee with violence against her and her family. Legal experts warn that Shry's failure to surrender will likely result in additional criminal charges under federal law, as former prosecutor Greg Rosen explained that such behavior 'undermines the trust judges place in defendants' and creates 'additional criminal exposure.' At a previous detention hearing, a federal prosecutor had expressed concerns that Shry was 'unmoored' and posed a significant danger, drawing parallels to historical cases where threats preceded violence.
🏷️ Themes
Political violence, Legal consequences, Public safety
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Original Source
Politics Pro-Trump Texas woman who made series of violent threats is missing after failing to report to prison By Scott MacFarlane Scott MacFarlane Justice Correspondent Scott MacFarlane is CBS News' Justice correspondent. He has covered Washington for two decades, earning 20 Emmy and Edward R. Murrow awards. His reporting has resulted directly in the passage of five new laws. Read Full Bio Scott MacFarlane February 19, 2026 / 1:13 PM EST / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Washington — Abigail Shry's verbal threats against public officials have been racist, violent and detailed. Her targets have included a federal judge in Washington, a Democrat in the House and the Texas Capitol. She allegedly once said she would "annihilate" the Texas government in an "armed attack" that would be more violent than the Jan. 6 insurrection. At one point, a federal prosecutor said Shry was "unmoored" and posed a danger. Now there's a new concern: The feds can't find her. Shry was supposed to report to prison Tuesday in Florida, but she failed to show up and has gone on the lam. A judge has issued a bench warrant for federal agents to find and arrest her. Shry was due to begin serving a 27-month federal prison sentence in her most recent threat case. She pleaded guilty in November 2024 to a federal charge in Texas for a phone message she left in the Washington, D.C., chambers of Judge Tanya Chutkan. The threat came hours after Chutkan was assigned to oversee President Trump's 2020 election conspiracy case in August 2023. According to the Justice Department, Shry called Chutkan a "stupid slave " and said, "If Trump doesn't get elected in 2024, we're coming to kill you. So tread lightly." Shry, who has lived in Alvin, Texas, south of Houston, was also accused of threatening then-Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Democrat. Court documents said Shry left a phone message saying she wanted to kill Lee and would target her "personally, publicly, your family, all of it." Lee died by natural causes 11...
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