‘I prolly should be in jail’: McHenry man who threatened judge and to ‘shoot up’ courthouse gets probation

A McHenry man pleaded guilty Tuesday to harassment of a witness, a charge stemming from texts messages he sent a woman threatening to “shoot up” the McHenry County courthouse and attack the judge presiding over his child custody case.

Jonathon T. Larson, 26, was sentenced to 24 months of probation and 180 days in the county jail. Because he has already spent 119 days in the jail and just half the sentence is required, DeKalb County Judge Philip Montgomery, who presided over the case, said Larson would be “released immediately” after the hearing.

Because the threats Larson was accused of making were directed at McHenry County Judge Robert Zalud, who also is the husband of State’s Attorney Randi Freese, an out-of-circuit judge presided over the case. Also due to conflict, the state’s case was handled by special prosecutor Brian Towne, who appeared on Zoom Tuesday.

Larson is not allowed to have any contact with Zalud, Freese or their family. He was also ordered not to have contact with the woman to whom he texted the threats, unless related to childcare, or with any courthouse personnel, and is not permitted on courthouse property unless it’s for official business, Montgomery said. Larson must also follow any recommendations from a psychiatric evaluation, refrain from alcohol and illicit drugs and submit to drug screens, the judge said.

In exchange for Larson’s guilty plea, additional counts were dismissed, including intimidation and unlawful communicating with a witness, the judge said.

At Larson’s initial court appearance in February, McHenry County Assistant State’s Attorney Brian Miller read the threatening text messages Larson was accused of sending to the mother of his child regarding child support. The texts included the statements: “If you could stop pressuring me tho cuz I’m like 99% of the way to just saying [expletive] everything and going into the courthouse and killing everyone. I’m so dead serious I prolly should be in jail. ... My hatred for the justice system is beginning to conquer me, and if that happens, that will be a sad day. ... They shouldn’t have let me out of the psych ward.”

Authorities said that at the time he sent these texts, he owed the woman child support; she attached the messages to a motion filed in the courthouse seeking full custody of their child, and a clerk saw the messages and reported them.

Authorities allege that Larson also texted threats of violence aimed specifically at Zalud and called the judge vulgar names.