Winfield man acquitted of charges he threatened school board candidate

A Winfield has been acquitted of charges alleging he threatened a Wheaton Warrenville District 200 school board candidate in 2023.

A DuPage County judge declared Christopher Strong, 57, not guilty last month after a bench trial, according to court records.

Strong was charged with two felony counts of threatening a public official in August 2023. The charges stem from a letter sent to Amanda “Amy” Erkenswick amid a heated school board race ahead of the April 2023 election.

The handwritten letter read “Book-burning evangelical (vulgar epithet) watch your back, psycho,” according to court records.

After his acquittal, Strong sought an order of protection against Erkenswick’s husband, records show. He contends that after the trial was over, her husband rushed at Strong and his lawyer, and Strong believed the man was going to assault them.

However, the request for a protective order was denied by a judge, according to court records.

https://www.dailyherald.com/20250703/crime/winfield-man-acquitted-of-charges-he-threatened-school-board-candidate/