A former Badger football player was charged Monday with threatening to kill University of Wisconsin Athletic Director Barry Alvarez and his family in a series of at least 29 voicemails left last week.
Leonard Taylor, 32, of Indianapolis, played football for the Badgers from 1995 to 1998, while Alvarez was the team’s head coach.
In the messages, Taylor used extreme profanity, saying he intended to come to Madison and kill Alvarez and his family.
He discussed how Alvarez and tennis player Maria Sharapova had somehow done him harm.
“… And I’m going to kill you first motherfucker,” Taylor said in one of the messages to Alvarez. “I’ve got 24 goddamn hours motherfucker. … I’m coming for your goddamn ass.”
The voicemails continued through Monday and Tuesday of last week.
“Barry, you heard that fucking message, goddamn it,” Taylor said after not receiving a response. “I hate that bitch Maria Sharapova. … I just want to look at you one goddamn last time before I pull the goddamn trigger, Barry.”
Detective Peter Grimyser of the UW Police Department spoke to Taylor’s father last week, who said Taylor has been diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic.
The police complaint goes on to say Taylor has been off his medications for several months, has not seen his therapist and has refused to seek treatment at a hospital, even after his father called Taylor about Grimyser’s inquiry.
Taylor was arrested in Indianapolis Nov. 28 and now faces extradition to Wisconsin, UWPD Sgt. Jason Whitney said Monday.
Before his arrest, Taylor called Alvarez again, leaving a voicemail saying he had heard about the warrant and was coming to Madison over Thanksgiving weekend. No warrant had been issued at the time of Taylor’s call.
Grimyser spoke with Alvarez last Wednesday, and Alvarez said he feared for his and his family’s safety due to the threats contained in the voicemails.
According to the complaint, Taylor has made calls to Alvarez’s office many times in the past, dating back to October 2007. In these messages, Taylor was angry about being poorly compensated by a television network for money supposedly due to him. Those voicemails did not appear threatening, and no action was taken at the time, according to the complaint.
On Sept. 16, UW Head Athletic Trainer Denny Helwig told UWPD Taylor had been calling Alvarez’s office since the start of the football season, leaving six to seven messages a night.
The report defined the calls as “not threatening in themselves, but bizarre.” No calls were returned by Alvarez or anybody in the Athletic Department, according to the complaint.
UWPD Detective Bruce Carroll called Taylor after the September voicemails and told Taylor they were unwanted and would not receive responses. Taylor said he understood and agreed to not call again or enter any Athletic Department facilities.
Signs were posted around Kellner Hall and Camp Randall Stadium last week warning students and staff to look out for Taylor and his vehicle, prior to his Friday arrest.
Whitney said he could offer no further information until court proceedings begin.
