A Canadian reporter writes about David Mabus, real name Dennis Markuze, the lunatic who leaves comments and sends threatening emails to me, PZ and a hundred other people every day.
A Montreal man who uses the name David Mabus, and who has been identified as Dennis Markuze of Saint-Laurent, Qué., has allegedly been issuing death threats to American science journalists and bloggers over the course of the past three years, first by email and lately via twitter. However, despite repeated complaints to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and Montreal City Police (SVPM), no action has been taken.
All true. PZ has turned over all those materials many times and nothing has happened. You’d think after seeing all kinds of loonies snap, from the whacko who tried to blow up the Tides Foundation to the Norway terrorist, you’d think the police would take this kind of thing more seriously. But nope, Markuze continues to send us all death threats on a daily basis and they don’t do a damn thing about it.
Considering the number of death threats and abuse researchers in Montreal receive from around the world, it is appalling and shameful that our own police service is not acting rapidly and decisively to protect their international colleagues. It is appalling and shameful that our police react promptly to threats to Quebec journalists but not to those based abroad. The SPVM on the other hand has claimed that they have not received any reports, but that concerned citizens may forward any information they may have to relations.medias@spvm.qc.ca for referral.
“My big concern is that he needs to be taken in and evaluated psychologically, and it needs to happen before he does something violent that matches his words,” Farley said. Markuze is known to hang around science events in Montreal – the following photo was taken of him at the American Atheist Convention which took place here in October 2010. In other words, it appears that Markuze is moving off the Internet and into the real world. Action needs to be taken now, before someone gets hurt.
I couldn’t agree more. This guy should be in a rubber room in a straight jacket, where he can’t hurt anyone.
Update: PZ reports that the police have opened an investigation into Markuze. But the guy’s mother actually defends him. The nut clearly doesn’t fall far from the tree.
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