New York man 'obsessed with Jodi Arias threatened anchors for their negative coverage of murder trial'
- David Lee Simpson, 48, from Bath, New York, has been indicted on charges relating to computer tampering and stalking
- Maricopa County Sheriff said Simpson was 'infatuated' with convicted murderer Jodi Arias, whose trial was concluded in May
- Investigators found guns, a knife, handcuffs, ties and a newspaper cutting of December's mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, in Simpson's car
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David Lee Simpson, 48, has been indicted on charges of computer tampering and two counts of stalking
David Lee Simpson of Bath, N.Y, was infatuated with Arias and became upset by comments from the two female anchors, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said.
Investigators found guns, handcuffs and other items in Simpson's car after taking him into custody in Bath, Arpaio said.
Sheriff Arpaio told a press conference: 'Evidently, Simpson was infatuated with Jodi Arias. He also told an employee where he worked previously that he wanted the hang the commentator by her feet and gut her like a deer. These were some of the Tweets that came over.'
The sheriff declined to name the two anchors because he says Turner Broadcasting had asked his agency not to publicly identify them. But he did say one works out of Atlanta and the other out of New York.
An indictment that charges Simpson, 48, with three counts of computer tampering and two counts of stalking had not yet been made publicly available late Monday afternoon.
Simpson also is accused of threatening a Phoenix woman who defended the anchors online.
Arpaio says Simpson quit his job last week at a Bath auto repair shop and was later pulled over by police as he was leaving town.
The sheriff said investigators don't know whether Simpson was intending to carry out his threats, but he said items found in Simpson's vehicle were disturbing.
Authorities found several guns, handcuffs, zip ties and a news clipping about last December's mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.
Investigators found several guns, handcuffs, zip ties and a news clipping about last December's mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, in Simpson's car
On May 8, a Maricopa County jury convicted Arias of murder in the death of her boyfriend Travis Alexander. He had been stabbed 27 times, his throat slit open and was shot in the head at his Arizona home in June 2008.
Throughout the 18-day trial., Arias, 33, maintained that the killing was in self-defense.
The jury failed to reach a unanimous decision on whether to sentence the former waitress to life in prison or death.
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said told the media Simpson was evidently 'infatuated' with Jodi Arias
In court filings, prosecutors have asked the judge to begin new penalty-phase proceedings on July 30.
But defense attorneys asked that the proceedings be delayed until January because of scheduling conflicts and the possibility that Arias might want to call witnesses to speak on her behalf.
A new hearing was set last week for August 26, giving Arias' lawyers additional time to file motions as want the jury's finding that made her eligible for the death penalty vacated.
Jodi Arias, pictured as she stood trial for the murder of her boyfriend. A new hearing was set for August 26, for Arias' lawyers to file motions to drop her eligibility for the death penalty
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2374875/New-York-man-David-Lee-Simpson-obsessed-Jodi-Arias-threatened-anchors-negative-trial-coverage.html#ixzz2ZuciYHIL
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