{"id":2497798,"date":"2025-10-11T07:55:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-11T11:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kentucky-man-jailed-over-halloween-decorations-that-depicted-local-public-officials-being-hanged\/"},"modified":"2025-10-11T07:56:28","modified_gmt":"2025-10-11T11:56:28","slug":"kentucky-man-jailed-over-halloween-decorations-that-depicted-local-public-officials-being-hanged","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kentucky-man-jailed-over-halloween-decorations-that-depicted-local-public-officials-being-hanged\/","title":{"rendered":"Kentucky Man Jailed Over Halloween Decorations That Depicted Local Public Officials Being Hanged"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fkentucky-man-jailed-over-halloween-decorations-that-depicted-local-public-officials-being-hanged%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2497798&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A Kentucky man named stephan Marcum, 58, was arrested after displaying Halloween decorations in his front yard that depicted fake bodies labeled with titles of local goverment officials, which was perceived as a threat. The display, located in Stanton, Powell County, alarmed residents adn led Commonwealth Attorney Miranda King to notify Kentucky State Police. Marcum was charged with third<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/arkansas-democrat-candidate-arrested-for-allegedly-making-terroristic-threats\/\" title=\"Arkansas Democrat Candi... ... for Allegedly Making Terroristic ...s\">-degree terroristic threatening<\/a> and intimidating a witness. Powell County Judge Executive Eddie Barnes, whose title appeared on one of the mock body bags, expressed concern despite knowing Marcum personally. A University of Kentucky political science professor explained that such threatening imagery is not protected under the First Amendment. The decorations were confiscated, and an official investigation by the Kentucky state Police is ongoing. Marcum was held on a $5,000 bond.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>A Kentucky man was arrested over the weekend after placing Halloween decorations in his front yard that depicted fake bodies labeled with titles of local government officials.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wkyt.com\/2025\/10\/06\/ky-man-arrested-after-threatening-halloween-decoration-display\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">According to<\/a> WKYT-TV, a 58-year-old Powell County man named Stephan Marcum was taken into custody Saturday after being accused of terroristic threatening.<\/p>\n<p>People passing by the man&rsquo;s home in the community of Stanton saw a Halloween display they found rather haunting.<\/p>\n<p>Commonwealth Attorney Miranda King reported the scene to the Kentucky State Police.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >decorations included body bags marked<\/a> with the titles of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/late-night-restaurant-owners-want-to-play-fair-so-far-they-say-newsom-hasnt\/\" title=\"Late-night restaurant owners want to play fair. So far, they say, Newsom hasn&#039;t\">local officials<\/a>, although no names were on the effigies.<\/p>\n<p>  <script> console.log(\"A\/B Test Video Player\"); \/\/ Helper function to set a cookie function setVideoCookie(name, value, days) {     var expires=\"\";     if (days) {         var date=new Date();         date.setTime(date.getTime() + (days*24*60*60*1000));         expires=\"; expires=\" + date.toUTCString();     }     document.cookie=name + \"=\" + (value || \"\")  + expires + \"; path=\/\"; }  \/\/ Helper function to get a cookie function getVideoCookie(name) {     var nameEQ=name + \"=\";     var ca=document.cookie.split(';');     for(var i=0; i <ca.length; i++) {         var c=ca[i];         while (c.charAt(0)==' ') c=c.substring(1,c.length);         if (c.indexOf(nameEQ)==0) return c.substring(nameEQ.length,c.length);     }     return null; }  \/\/ Function to determine or retrieve the split test group function assignSplitTestGroup() {     var group=getVideoCookie('splitTestGroup'); 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            if (!container) return;              const script=document.createElement(\"script\");             script.src=\"https:\/\/player.anyclip.com\/anyclip-widget\/lre-widget\/prod\/v1\/src\/lre.js\";             script.setAttribute(\"pubname\", \"westernjournalcom\");             script.setAttribute(\"widgetname\", \"001w000001jULVcAAO_M12924\");              \/\/ append inside the container so player shows in correct spot             container.appendChild(script);         }         function findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) {             const targetElement=document.querySelector(selector);             if (!targetElement) {                 console.warn(\"Target element not found.\");                 return null;             }              \/\/ Get all \n\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document             let paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));              \/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element             let targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING); 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        observeElement(paragraphToObserve);     }); }  \/\/ stn function stnPlayer() {     \/\/ may want to pass in         document.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() {         function loadScript(src) {             const script=document.createElement(\"script\");             script.src=src;             script.async=true;             document.body.appendChild(script);         }         function findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) {             const targetElement=document.querySelector(selector);             if (!targetElement) {                 console.warn(\"Target element not found.\");                 return null;             }              \/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document             let paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));              \/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element             let targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);              if (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) {                 console.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\");                 return null;             }              return paragraphs[targetIndex - x];         }          \/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver         function observeElement(element) {             if (!element) return;              const observer=new IntersectionObserver(                 (entries)=> {                     entries.forEach(entry=> {                         if (entry.isIntersecting) {                             console.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim());                             loadScript(\"https:\/\/embed.sendtonews.com\/player3\/embedcode.js?fk=s28Az7AY\");                             observer.disconnect();                         }                     });                 },                 { threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed             );              observer.observe(element);         }          \/\/ Add custom styles for STN player         const style=document.createElement('style');         style.textContent=`         #videoPlayer {             min-height: 460px;             margin-bottom: 10px;         }         @media only screen and (max-width: 780px) {             #videoPlayer {                 min-height: 200px;             }         }         `;         document.head.appendChild(style);          \/\/ Add needed div for STN player         const stnDiv=document.createElement(\"div\");         \/\/ add data-stn-player attribute         stnDiv.setAttribute(\"data-stn-player\", \"s28Az7AY\");         document.getElementById(\"videoPlayer\").appendChild(stnDiv);           \/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #videoPlayer and observe it         let paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#videoPlayer\", 2);         observeElement(paragraphToObserve);     }); }  \/\/ Assign user to a group window.adUserGroup=assignSplitTestGroup();  \/\/ Example usage if (window.adUserGroup==='A') {     console.log('Running Aditude player for group A');     aditudePlayer(); } else if (window.adUserGroup==='B') {     console.log('Running Anyclip player for group B');     anyclipPlayer(); } else {     console.log('Running STN player for group C');     stnPlayer(); } <\/script> <\/p>\n<p>According to an arrest citation, Marcum was taken into custody not long after.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This is something you just don&rsquo;t see every day,&rdquo; Powell County Judge Executive Eddie Barnes, whose title was on one of the bags, told WKYT.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Ky. man arrested after &lsquo;threatening&rsquo; &lsquo;Halloween decoration&rsquo; display: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/0BcOllU2dZ\">https:\/\/t.co\/0BcOllU2dZ<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/GmLti6xY3k\">pic.twitter.com\/GmLti6xY3k<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; WKYT (@WKYT) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WKYT\/status\/1975357933463478745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 7, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Even though Barnes was not named in the display, he said he was bothered.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;At first I didn&rsquo;t know what to think about it because I actually drove by and [saw] it in his yard and I&rsquo;m thinking, you know, &lsquo;Wow, you know, that&rsquo;s kinda harsh,&rsquo;&rdquo; Barnes said.<\/p>\n<p>Barnes said he has known Marcum for decades.<\/p>\n<p>The judge told WKYT he views Marcum as someone who can be &ldquo;a good person,&rdquo; and was confused by the Halloween display.<\/p>\n<p>University of Kentucky Political Science Associate Professor Stephen Voss told WKYT that Marcum&rsquo;s display was not protected by the First Amendment.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;If you&rsquo;re actively threatening someone in a terrorizing way, that may not be covered by the general right to free expression,&rdquo; Voss said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think we&rsquo;re seeing a little bit less tolerance for violent communication or violent imagery because there seems to be a greater risk people will enact it or carry it out,&rdquo; he added.<\/p>\n<p>WKYT reported that Marcum was held at the Powell County Detention Center on a $5,000 bond.<\/p>\n<p>Police said the Halloween decorations were collected and taken to a nearby Kentucky State Police station.<\/p>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kentuckystatepolice.ky.gov\/news\/p8-10-7-2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a news release<\/a> Tuesday, the Kentucky State Police said it had launched an investigation into the perceived threats directed toward the government officials.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The initial investigation indicates that Stephan Marcum, 58 years old, from Stanton, Kentucky, placed several items appearing to be Halloween decorations in his yard. However, closer inspection of the items indicated a perceived threat toward several individuals who serve as government officials in Powell County,&rdquo; the statement read.<\/p>\n<p>Marcum was charged with third-degree terroristic threatening and intimidating a witness in the legal process.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! 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WKYT-TV reported that Stephan Marcum, a 58-year-old from Powell County, was taken into custody Saturday on charges of terroristic threatening. Neighbors who saw the display in Stanton found it disturbing<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2497799,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Halloween-display-arrest.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[28600,16159,12830],"class_list":["post-2497798","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-decorations","tag-halloween","tag-kentucky"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Halloween-display-arrest.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2497798","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2497798"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2497798\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2497802,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2497798\/revisions\/2497802"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2497799"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2497798"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2497798"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2497798"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}