Hey, there! Log in / Register

Rhode Island man gets 21 months for threatening to dismember and eat a Harvard professor

A federal judge yesterday sentenced Matthew Haviland, 30, of North Kingstown, RI to 21 months in federal prison for an online hate spree in March, 2019 in which he sent 28 messages to a Harvard professor threatening to rip the professor limb from limb, after first eating his or her eyeballs, because of the professor's support of abortion and opposition to President Trump.

Haviland had pleaded guilty to one count of stalking and two counts of transmitting a threat in interstate commerce in August.

Prosecutors say that in addition to terrorizing the professor and his or her family, Haviland sent similar messages to the particular Harvard school where the professor taught, threatening to blow it up - and followed that up the next month by making similar comments on a pro-choice article on the medium.com Web site. And he left roughly 114 threatening voice-mail messages at a Rhode Island women's health center, according to prosecutors.

In a statement, US Attorney Andrew Lelling noted that the right to free speech does not extend to threatening to eat somebody's eyeballs:

Today’s sentence affirms that these are serious crimes that warrant punishment.

Following his prison time, Haviland will be let out on "supervised release" for three years.

Neighborhoods: 
Topics: 
Free tagging: 
AttachmentSize
PDF icon Prosecution sentencing memo45.96 KB


Ad:


Like the job UHub is doing? Consider a contribution. Thanks!

Comments

He seems nice...

up
Voting closed 0

I wasn't so sure about this RI travel ban but yeah, let's get that going ASAP.

up
Voting closed 0

the Trump administration hasn't given him a job.

up
Voting closed 0

I'm surprised that Trump hasn't pardoned him yet.

up
Voting closed 0

I think you meant the professor's opposition to abortion *restrictions*.

up
Voting closed 0

Thanks, fixed.

up
Voting closed 0

"Have a Snickers."
"Why?"
"Because you get a little weird when you're hungry."

up
Voting closed 0

When the 21 (possibly less) months are over and this guy is free is he going to get mental health help? Will he get it in prison? Seems like there's a lot wrong with this guy that needs to be addressed by psychiatry and not just incarceration.

up
Voting closed 0

In 21 months he will still be a crazy, violent republican. Maybe his buddy Trump will join him before he gets out.

up
Voting closed 0

...like eyeballs, improves with age. I guess. Not sure.

OK, so our eyeball eating wannabe has been locked up since, um August of last year? No, that was the hearing. Good news folx...with counting time served (and I believe they do that) he's out in six to nine months.

Probably will get counseling about threatening to eat eyeballs.

Oh, and bomb threats.

up
Voting closed 0

I question his taste in professors.

up
Voting closed 0

I always thought BU professors were more flavorful.

up
Voting closed 0

I prefer my professors well sauced.

up
Voting closed 0

Suffolk

up
Voting closed 0

are sufficiently sauced

up
Voting closed 0

You eat one lousy foot and they call you a cannibal - Dan Torrance The Big Bus

up
Voting closed 0

Was it with some fava beans and a nice chianti?

up
Voting closed 0

with pinto beans and muffins.

up
Voting closed 0