Man charged with threatening to kill US presidential candidates found dead

WASHINGTON: A New Hampshire man charged with threatening to kidnap and injure Republican presidential candidates last year has been found dead, a US attorney said in a court filing on Friday.

The jury had began their deliberations this week in the trial of Tyler Anderson, who had been accused of sending a series of threatening text messages to the candidates.

The US attorney moved to dismiss the indictment against Anderson, saying: “The government has learned that the defendant is deceased. There is no case or controversy.”

The circumstances or location of Anderson at the time of his death were not revealed.

Anderson’s lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Anderson was arrested on Dec 9 after federal agents and police tracked some texts to his home address and searched the premises, finding a cellphone with threatening messages sent to the campaigns of two candidates, according to an FBI affidavit.