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Sunday, July 27, 1997

Wife of principal says she sent death threat to trustee

TYLER, Texas (AP) - The wife of a high school principal has confessed to a radio audience that she sent a letter threatening the daughter of a school trustee in the Alba-Golden school district.

Tammy Ellis, wife of Alba-Golden High School Principal Dwayne Ellis, apologized Friday on Mineola radio station KMOO for the letter, station manager Sam Curry said.

Mrs. Ellis said her husband was unaware until this week that she sent the letter to Alba-Golden trustee Ginger Motley, threatening to hurt or kill her 12-year-old daughter, a junior high cheerleader.

According to the letter, the threat pertained to Mrs. Motley's zeal in investigating some school construction projects that led to an investigation by the state attorney general's office.

Mrs. Ellis told KMOO she had no intention of following through on a threat to hurt or kill Mrs. Motley's daughter.

Mrs. Ellis and her husband declined to comment when contacted by the Tyler Morning Telegraph Friday night.

Mrs. Motley told the newspaper that as a result of Mrs. Ellis' comments, they were ending an investigation into the threat.

No charges had been filed as of Friday night. FBI agents declined to comment on the status of possible charges or arrests.

Mailing a threatening communication is punishable by up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.

The radio station manager said Mrs. Ellis wanted to apologize to the community for her actions and make clear that her husband had no involvement.

The agency opened an investigation into the threat two weeks ago, when Mrs. Motley delivered the handwritten letter, dated July 10 and postmarked in Dallas, to FBI authorities.

"There is a leak from your camp that you are going to try and destroy the rest of the administration and their families with rumors and lies to discredit their characters," said the letter, which was rife with misspellings.

"Continue and your beautiful blonde daughter will never cheer at her first football game. I have been hired to hurt (or) kill her."

Mrs. Motley played a key role in spurring an attorney general's investigation that led to indictments connected with three 1993-94 school construction projects.

A 28-count theft indictment and a six-count forgery indictment issued June 30 accuse Alba Mayor James Reid of skimming more than $55,000 from two school construction projects.

The letter also threatened the children and grandchildren of two other Alba residents who criticized the way school funds were managed during the building of the school's band hall, administration building and a classroom addition.

Alba and Golden are in western Wood County, about 35 miles northwest of Tyler and about 70 miles east of Dallas. Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
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