A trans activist has been handed a 20-year prison sentence after being found guilty of threatening to murder a judge and probation officer in Benton County, Arkansas.
Theodore Howell, 29, pleaded guilty on Monday to threatening a judicial officer/juror and terroristic threatening. Howell also goes by the name “Tiffany.”
Howell’s conviction is the result of two separate incidents that occurred in March of this year. Howell sent threats to his probation officer, Nathan Jeffery, and Judicial Judge Brad Karren.
To Jeffery, Howell sent two text messages threatening to stab him the next day and also writing “fuck 12,” an anti-police slogan.
That same day, the Bentonville Police Department received a number of threats sent through their website contact form targeting both Jeffrey and Judge Brad Karren.
“Fuck you Arkansas your [sic] mean to trans people,” Howell wrote, sending the messages from his social media-linked email address — [email protected]. “Your jail was super mean to me the last time I was there.”
While Howell initially attempted to tell police he had been “hacked” and that someone else had issued the threats from his devices, he later admitted to the crime. During his police interview, Howell reportedly “laughed” at every threat read off by the interviewing officer.
Howell was convicted as a habitual offender due to his lengthy history of violent and unruly crimes. Local court reporter Tracey Neal was first to reveal that Howell had been sentenced to 20 years in prison.
In a probable cause warrant seen by Reduxx, another probation officer described Howell as having a history of “extreme violence towards the public and law enforcement.”
In 2018, police were called to an apartment on Southwest Rutland Road after Howell called dispatch and claimed he had murdered his mother. Police arrived to find him wandering through the parking lot, intoxicated. His mother was confirmed as being alive and unharmed, but while being placed under arrest Howell assaulted the officer handcuffing him.
Howell was charged with 2nd degree battery on a police officer, resisting arrest, and public intoxication. In 2019, he was found unfit to proceed with the trial, and was remanded to the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services. He was ultimately sentenced to 72 months probation and 120 days in the county jail, but was given 375 days in time-served credit.
The next year, Howell was charged with uttering terroristic threats after threatening to kill his probation officer, Andrea Griggs.
Howell entered the lobby of the Bentonville Police Department and told dispatch he wanted to murder Griggs. Police noted Howell was wearing “female clothes” at the time.
When confronted by police, Howell expressed remorse for his threats, and stated he wanted to be arrested so he could not murder Griggs.
Howell struck a plea agreement in which he pleaded guilty to the threats, and was ordered to bi-weekly in-person probation appointments. He was also required to pay fines and to avoid all contact with Griggs.
But Howell would yet again be arrested after entering the Bentonville Police Department, this time with a large knife. He was once again noted as being “dressed as female.”
Howell stalked through the station, looking into the windows of secured doors as though searching for someone — but who was never determined.
Howell was arrested after being confronted by police with their weapons drawn, while being taken into custody he said “I did not succeed at my plan.” Howell was charged with terroristic threatening in the 1st degree, criminal use of prohibited weapons, carrying a weapon, and possessing an instrument of crime.
Howell pleaded guilty in 2022 and was once again given probation.
After his most recent threats against his probation officer and Judge Karren, Howell’s probation was called in and the court proceeded to declare him a habitual offender, resulting in the hefty 20-year prison term he has now been sentenced to.
Howell is currently being held at the Benton County Jail awaiting transfer to a state prison. He has been booked as “male” and is recorded under his birth name despite declaring an alias of “Tiffany Howell.”
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