Dallas County deputies arrest man accused of placing threatening letter in library book

BUFFALO, Mo. (KY3) - The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man accused of placing a threatening letter inside a library book.

Matthew Fleetwood faces four counts of terrorist threats and one count of making a false bomb threat.

The letter referred to seven devices in and around the city of Buffalo, with one device in the school described as a chemical device that could leave a hole the size of a football field. The letter claimed the author, “Jack,” was paid to kill Matthew Fleetwood. The letter included a list of demands, including locking Matthew Fleetwood and his wife in a motel room and giving them $1.5 million for pain and suffering.

Authorities searched all school buildings and county and city government buildings and found no evidence of any danger.

”It’s scary that there are kids and a lot of people to go in and out of there and that somebody here would be willing to make that threat to our community,” said Kathy Banks, a resident. “It sounds like a mental health issue, and he probably needs to get help, and I’m hoping that that happens for him.”

Banks grew up in Buffalo and said scares like these are becoming too common and that we need to prioritize mental health.

”Several threats have been sent to the school district or to the city, and they took care of it quickly and were transparent about what happened,” said Kris Bone, who has kids in the Dallas County School District. “As a community, we need to look out for each other.”

Bone says she fears threats like these will become the new normal.

”People need to recognize that there are people out there that need help and are not getting help for their mental stability,” said Bone. ”I really think we need to help local law enforcement and start taking care of ourselves and realize that this isn’t a school or law enforcement problem. It’s a community problem.”

A judge set bond for Fleetwood at $75,000.

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