A Kentucky man was arrested Saturday for Halloween decorations in his front yard that resembled body bags and were labeled with the titles of local officials.
Stephan Marcum, 58, of Stanton, was charged with intimidating a witness and third-degree terroristic threatening after police responded just after 2 p.m. to a call about a “potential witness/terroristic threat” at his home.
Upon arrival, officers said they saw five “bodies,” all wrapped in black trash bags, and labeled as different officials. A photo shared by Lex18 shows the “bodies,” four of which were mounted on stakes, with signs on them with titles such as “Mayor,” “SIS,” “C.A.,” and “zoning mgr.”
“The one hanging was labeled ‘district judge.’ There was a rope around the neck of the body,” police wrote in the arrest citation, obtained by the outlet.
Marcum reportedly refused to speak with officers or remove the decorations, which led to his arrest. He is being held at the Powell County Detention Center on a $5,000 bond.
Kentucky State Police took the decorations to their Post 8 office in Morehead, WKYT reports.
The Independent has contacted KSP for comment.
“This is something you just don’t see every day,” Powell County Judge Executive Eddie Barnes, who was not named in the display, told WKYT.
“At first I didn’t know what to think about it because I actually drove by and [saw] it in his yard and I’m thinking you know, wow, you know, that’s kinda harsh,” he said.
Barnes says he has known Marcum for decades and believes he can be a good person, but disagrees with the way he chose to express himself.
Stephen Voss, a political science professor at the University of Kentucky, told WKYT that while the First Amendment protects free speech, it does not cover terrorizing threats.
Last month, a Halloween display in Houston’s predominantly Hispanic Second Ward neighborhood sparked controversy.
The installation featured mannequins dressed in red hats resembling Trump supporters’ “Make America Great Again” caps, black shirts, khaki pants, and black masks, hanging from gallows beneath a Mexican flag. Nearby, a third mannequin in a poncho and straw hat stood over a fourth figure tied to the ground, flanked by two coffins.
The figures also had stacks of zip ties in their pockets, reminiscent of those used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
