Utah man 'who was caught driving 130mph while drunk and high on LSD told state troopers he was on his way to kill former Senator Claire McCaskill'
A man who claimed he was headed to Missouri to kill former US Senator Claire McCaskill was arrested Wednesday in Utah after troopers caught him driving up to 130mph while drunk and high, according to court documents.
George William Stahl, 36, of Cottonwood Heights, Utah, made several threats against McCaskill, a Democrat, after he was arrested and told authorities that he was going to kill her, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The two-term senator, 67, lost her seat in the 2018 midterm election to her Republican opponent, state Attorney General Josh Hawley, and has become a political analyst for NBC News.
George Stahl, 36 , has been charged with making a threat of terrorism targeting former US Senator Claire McCaskill, from Missouri
'Obviously, this is not the first time there have been threats, and that is never good,' McCaskill told The Associated Press in a statement. 'But the political temperature is very high right now, which makes it concerning.'
Utah Highway Patrol officers observed Stahl speeding on I-80 in Summit County around 12.45am on Wednesday and tried to pull him over, prompting him to accelerate despite snowy conditions on the road.
Officers arrested the driver after disabling his vehicle with spikes, reported Deseret News.
'Stahl was belligerent and appeared heavily intoxicated,' the affidavit states. 'He smelled of an alcoholic beverage and his eyes were glassy and bloodshot.'
Stahl admitted to police that he had consumed Adderall, LSD and beer. Officers say an empty 12-pack of Budweiser beer and another partially consumed 12-pack were in the vehicle.
The two-term senator, 67, lost her seat in the 2018 midterm election to her Republican opponent and has become a political analyst for NBC News. Pictured: McCaskill is pictured delivering her concession speech on November 6, 2018
Stahl was medically evaluated at a fire station and then booked into the Summit County Jail on charges of making a threat of terrorism, failing to stop at the command of police, reckless driving, speeding, DUI and drug possession.
According to the affidavit, Stahl made three 'real' threats against McCaskill.
'He stated that he was on his way to Missouri to kill former Senator if she wasn’t dead already,' the document stated.
Stahl's arrest came one day after a registered sex offender was arrested in New York City for allegedly making threats against Senator Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democrats celebrating Joe Biden's victory over Donald Trump in the presidential election.