Left inset: Alex Reichert (St. Charles County Sheriff's Office). Right inset: Skye Reichert (Hutchens Funeral Homes). Background: The Missouri high school that Alex Reichert allegedly targeted in a series of threats related to the death of his wife Skye Reichert (KSDK/YouTube).
A Missouri man parked his dead wife's car at the school where she worked and district offices at least 15 times while threatening and blaming staff for her suicide, prosecutors say.
Alex Reichert, 36, allegedly made numerous threats online against St. Charles High School — located in the city of St. Charles, roughly 25 miles away from St. Louis — where his wife, Skye, worked as a teacher.
Reichert targeted a female employee at the school who was "involved with Alex and his wife" and is described in court papers as his "paramour," according to police and prosecutors. He and the woman ended things at some point and Reichert allegedly blamed her and St. Charles High School for Skye's suicide in March.
Police say Reichert stalked and threatened the school, the staffer, and students who were set to graduate earlier this month. He is charged with making a terrorist threat and stalking.
"The suspect has lost his job, his wife and his paramour," prosecutors alleged in a May 14 bond request. "His behavior and social media posts indicate he has nothing left to lose and will take his anger and frustration out on innocent civilians."
Proseuctors accuse Reichert of engaging "in a pattern of harassment and stalking affecting not only [the staffer], but the entire community," accoridng to the court filing. He allegedly "possesses guns and implied that he will use them" at the aforementioned graduation ceremony.
"The suspect presents a danger to [the staffer] as well as the attendees of the ceremony and community, prosecutors said. "The suspect has already been served with an order of protection and continues on his campaign of harassment and stalking. The victim has pursued all legal remedies for self-protection and yet, does not feel safe going to work because the suspect's behavior escalates."
Students and police officials told local NBC affiliate KSDK that Reichert was seen "circling the school" in his wife's car before parking it "outside and in close proximity" to the St. Charles campus and local district offices.
"He even placed a bumper sticker on that vehicle … that read, 'I'm unpredictable,'" St. Charles Police Lt. Daniel Gibbons told KSDK.
"It's been very scary," a high school senior said. "It makes students uncomfortable."
Gibbons and prosecutors allege that Reichert made "a lot of different comments" online referencing countdowns. "All of those countdowns all ended on this Sunday, which is the graduation for St. Charles School District," Gibbons said.
A criminal complaint describes how Reichert "communicated an implied threat to cause an incident or condition involving danger to life … by making social media posts with a countdown to an incident that will occur at an upcoming ceremony implying the use of guns and a fight."
One of the social media posts Reichert allegedly made about his wife's death said:
For the teachers she worked with that immediately erased her and all the work she did: you can continue to teach, but students will always be reminded of your role as people who treat others this way; as people that selfishly erase people and don't show any support to people around them. They deserve better teachers who don't continue to gossip and spread rumors, particularly when based on exaggerations and harmful lies, without actual evidence of wrong doing. But there's plenty of examples that can be shared in time to help show the difference.
Court records show that Reichert and his wife, Skye, had previously filed a defamation lawsuit against an anonymous staffer in March before Skye's death. The staffer allegedly sent emails to Reichert's employer that claimed Reichert had posted photos on social media where he was providing alcohol to children and engaging in inappropriate behavior with them, including accusations of sexual abuse, according to KSDK.
It has not been confirmed whether the staffer who was sued is the same person that was being threatened by Reichert. Gibbons told KSDK that the person being threatened "was involved with Alex and his wife."
Reichert was ordered held without bond and is due to appear in court next week.
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