Inset: Robert Phillip Ivers (Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The Wayzata Library in Wayzata, Minnesota, where Ivers allegedly showed his manifesto to the staff (Google Maps).
A 72-year-old man in Minnesota has been arrested after he allegedly penned a manifesto titled “How to Kill a Federal Judge,” even showing the macabre work to the staff at a local library he visited to make copies.
Robert Phillip Ivers was taken into custody last week and charged with threatening to assault and murder a federal judge, authorities announced.
“At a time when Minnesota is reeling from acts of violence, the last thing we need is someone spreading fear into our churches, libraries, and courts,” acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson said in a news release following Ivers’ arrest. “Ivers’s threats are bone chilling. After the past few months, we are not taking chances. When someone threatens our community, we believe them, and we will act swiftly to protect Minnesotans.”
Ivers in 2019 was convicted of threatening to kill a federal judge and was subsequently sentenced to 18 months in federal prison.
According to the criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court of Minnesota, authorities on Sept. 3 responded to the Wayzata Library after receiving a report of a man — later identified as Ivers — printing copies of his 236-page manifesto.
Investigators said Ivers even showed the manifesto to the library staff, including one page in particular that talked about “killing children” and had a picture of a gun on it. He is also accused of giving the staff a three-page “flyer” advertising his manifesto before he left the library.
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Per prosecutors, the flyer stated that his manifesto “is designed to teach extremists on how to plan, train, hunt, stalk and kill anyone including judges, their family members, politicians and more!”
“The harsh reality is that judges are going to die,” the work allegedly said.
Later that evening, authorities located Ivers and took him into custody. During a search of his vehicle, investigators reportedly recovered the following items:
(1) a photo of the former Pope with crosshairs centered on his head; (2) twenty copies of a spiral bound printed book titled, “How to Kill a Federal Judge” by Robert Ivers; (3) multiple copies of flyers advertising the contents of the book; (4) lists of federal judges; (5) a copy of the Anarchist Cookbook; (6) a white foam box containing a toy replica firearm, a box of Co2 cartridges, and a container of pellets; and (7) a box of fireworks.
Prosecutors said the manifesto focused on “perceived wrongs” done to Ivers by the judicial system.
“He discussed these wrongs — and his anticipated revenge — at length,” the release states. “The manifesto contains various types of writings and many disturbing sketches, apparently drawn by Ivers. The manifesto also contains handwritten threats to kill, including threats to kill judges, as well as their children and pets.”
Additionally, prosecutors said Ivers made clear that the purpose of his manifesto “was to instill fear.”
“If this book doesn’t instill fear in you then your already dead,” he allegedly wrote.
The release says that among the “many” federal judges named in the manifesto, Ivers was particularly “fixated” on the judge who presided over his previous federal trial and the judge he was previously convicted of threatening to kill.
“Threats of violence directed at federal judges not only undermine the integrity of our legal system but also pose a grave risk to the principles of justice and democracy,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners consider all threats of violence against judges, or any public servants, with grave seriousness. These actions will not be tolerated. As this chilling case confirms, we are fully committed to protecting judges who devote themselves to our communities and legal system.”
Ivers made his initial appearance in court on Tuesday and was ordered to remain in detention pending a bond hearing on Friday.
