Student Arrested For Writing Fiction About Zombies — Accused of a Felony

Published on February 28th, 2005

George Rogers Clark High School, designed in that fine industrial Stalinst motif. Gee, I wonder where the kid got the idea for zombies?

Student Arrested For Terroristic Threatening Says Incident A Misunderstanding

A George Rogers Clark High School junior arrested Tuesday for making terrorist threats told LEX 18 News Thursday that the “writings” that got him arrested are being taken out of context.

Winchester police say William Poole, 18, was taken into custody Tuesday morning. Investigators say they discovered materials at Poole’s home that outline possible acts of violence aimed at students, teachers, and police.

Poole told LEX 18 that the whole incident is a big misunderstanding. He claims that what his grandparents found in his journal and turned into police was a short story he wrote for English class.

“My story is based on fiction,” said Poole, who faces a second-degree felony terrorist threatening charge. “It’s a fake story. I made it up. I’ve been working on one of my short stories, (and) the short story they found was about zombies. Yes, it did say a high school. It was about a high school over ran by zombies.”

Even so, police say the nature of the story makes it a felony.

I recall when I was a kid how we heard in school these terrible stories about the communist regimes where parents and grandparents would turn in their children for crimes against the state. Now it’s here. These grandparents should be ashamed of themselves, although we do not know the whole story yet.

What is amusing is to compare the Zombie story to the first news reports in the Winchester Sun (excerpt below):

Winchester police have arrested a George Rogers Clark High School junior whom they allege was attempting to organize an armed takeover of the school.

William Poole, 18, of 426 E. Broadway, was arrested at GRCHS Tuesday. Acting on a tip from a family member, police reported that he was attempting to “recruit a gang to take over the school,” according to Detective Berl Perdue.

The threat involved the use of weapons, according to Purdue. “He didn’t have a gang, but he was attempting to organize one,” he said. Purdue added that no threat was made against a specific individual.

GRCHS Principal John Atkins said he could not comment on whether Poole has been in disciplinary trouble at the school due to confidentiality reasons. He did comment that, “I know him.”

Police recovered writings in which Poole allegedly attempted to convince other students to participate in an armed takeover.

If indeed the fuss is over a piece of fiction about zombies then these police have to be the dumbest gomers in Kentucky. It’s a humiliation. Oh, and if the zombie story sticks then credit the Winchester Sun for some dreadful reporting too. The lady on the spot will be Managing Editor Jennifer Ginn who, despite the fact that it was a short item written by Tim Weldon, insisted on a “contributed to this story” credit at the end.

13 users responded in " Student Arrested For Writing Fiction About Zombies — Accused of a Felony "

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# 1 Ed Campbell said, on February 28th, 2005 at 6:35 pm

I wandered over to see what might featured in today’s edition?

They have an opinion piece, unsigned, supporting those stalwarts in Congress who are raising the dollar barricades against “indecency”:

“…last year’s Super Bowl half-time show featuring Justin Timberlake and more of Janet Jackson’s anatomy than most Americans considered in good taste, demonstrated it clearly was time for action. Moreover, MTV, which orchestrated that show, continues to air a wide array of questionable and suggestive material that often is in poor taste, especially for the young viewing audience it which it appeals.”

I didn’t fix their typo.

I imagine the grandparents are christians of one flavor or another.

# 2 site admin said, on February 28th, 2005 at 6:47 pm

Overlooked bad news and part of the agenda is the reference to MTV. These crackpots are now going to go after cable TV!! I have been predicting this for a while. Book burning is another stop on that train ride.

# 3 Lindsay said, on February 28th, 2005 at 6:48 pm

Gladder and gladder these days I don’t live in the USA

Its sad what its coming too

# 4 Hank said, on February 28th, 2005 at 9:12 pm

Generally I agree with John but let’s acknowledge some tension here. .. after Columbine and the lesser-but-similar school massacres all over the place, can anyone blame administrators for being hypersensitive to this?

But clearly, the process needed a whole lot more human touch and less legal action.

Hank

PS: I TOTALLY agree with his comment about the photo! I went to a school like that, too.

But that looked good compared to these PortACabin classrooms that now predominate in so many schooled. The ecuational climae has shifted from Stalinist to trailortrash.

# 5 meetsy said, on February 28th, 2005 at 10:35 pm

Detective Berl Perdue is the one that made the determination…..seems that he’s the one making all the assertions….. let’s all call Detective Perdue…and laugh at him. What a BOZO….
http://members.tripod.com/FOP_34/berl_perdue__jr_.htm
a photo of him…mmmm….looks like he would find a terrorist threat on a joke on a popsicle stick.

To make a comment — the town website!
http://www.winchesterky.com/quick_ref.phtml

personally, I’d like to read what this kid wrote…

# 6 Jim said, on March 1st, 2005 at 5:21 am

The kid might get all kinds of free publicity, maybe sell this thing as a movie script or get a book deal and write another story about it and sell that for God knows what and be worth 2.4 million dollars in a few years. What’s the government going to do, give him life for writing about zombies? In my area, we have meth labs getting busted by the DA on a regular basis, some other moron is running around burning down buildings and God only knows what is coming down next. It’s not like the kid is writing software and robbing banks or hacking the CIA. I hope it all works out. I’m sure it will. Many great writers started out by being arrested. Take a look at William Penn. I hope the kid gets a trial by jury and doesn’t get hung. It’s like the Dark Ages, a thin blue line and some bullshit. We are at the point down here that even the cops are getting busted. Sometimes the judges get busted. It’s the old pen and the sword, pain and punishment thing. The police commit more felonies than high school English class students and they use guns to do it. Writing about killing a guy is not like killing a guy. Especially if the guy isn’t real. When we kill somebody, they are dead for the rest of their life. Some people hate writers, write all about it. Heck, if I keep writing they’ll want to put me on death row or something. I’ll take the chance. Rachel Carson wrote her way out of government work. Some jobs are easier than others. I thought they would of arrested Jeff Gannon and indicted these frauds from Talon News. Let’s arrest all the fiction writers in high school, that will make America stronger and more secure. Let’s not and write that we did. I think somebody gave Bush a bad dose of something and he can’t construct with words what’s on his mind. Everybody pays the price of loyalty. Don’t pay with your life. Write for your life, liberty can’t be taxed, jailed or altered. Construct words and deconstruct frauds, you’ll be busy forever.

# 7 Ima Fish said, on March 1st, 2005 at 5:34 am

Is it any wonder high school kids don’t understand our Constitutional rights?! I’ve said it once I’ll say it again, until we start treating kids as if they have rights, they’ll never understand those rights.

http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2005/02/22/63376

# 8 Jim said, on March 1st, 2005 at 5:34 am

There are some undertakers down in Kentucky and there are some overtakers. If folks are getting taken out for writing fictions and such, it may be time to talk this over with a glass of bourbon. I’ll write about it later. Thanks for posting this John. This country may be becoming more like Iraq, than Iraq is become like the United States. People who fall for anything, will die for nothing. That’s a fact. I thought the fiction like Google ads were a problem. Now this kid and zombies. Too weird! I guess words are both slave and master, depending on the writer and the truth.

# 9 Jake said, on March 7th, 2005 at 10:13 am

Such mindless over-reaction is indicative of the zombie like mentality of the average cop.

# 10 -- said, on March 10th, 2005 at 5:37 am

You should read the latest article the Herald-Leader has released. It specifically says the story was not about Zombies and had vivid details about the school and shootings.

# 11 Alex the otaku said, on March 14th, 2005 at 7:48 pm

……………….I am forteen years old lazy and terrible at math.. but my only bright side is that I can write..storys mostly zombies storys that I would use in reports. But the Ironic thing is that I got pat on the back and said I was brillaint writer……….hummmmmm washington state schools….not bad at all.

# 12 Tracy said, on April 1st, 2005 at 8:20 pm

You know I think people should not comment on a situation unless they know the facts. I think it is so funny that after being bailed out
of jail by a group who was so convinced of his innocense is now
gonna lose the bail money because when he was released he went
right into another school after the judge told him not to be around any schools in town. Maybe some of you would like to post his next bail

# 13 david said, on December 8th, 2005 at 9:13 am

Five steps to an attack:

1. Get the idea (from within or from outside)
2. Think about it (total freedom)
3. Write about it (Right-1st Admendment)
4. Make physical preparations (restrictions-Law)
5 Act out (too late most of the times)

It is too easy for attacks to occur. Step (1) is difficult to control. Step (2) can be intefered with by government mind-control; that is, have the citizens think about something all the time so they don’t have time to think about harming others. Step (3) is a call to action by law enforcement if they find out, as they did in this case. Step (4) can be monitored by breaching privacy (Patriot Act, eg.). By step (5) it is too late (9/11, Columbine, and crime in general).

The mind is the most dangerous tool every invented. But everyone gets one for free at birth. They license guns. What about minds?

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