Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Douglas Wilford Pace, 69, was charged with threatening to shoot Utah Gov. Spencer Cox.
- Pace allegedly called the governor's office up to 20 times a day with threats.
- Police arrested Pace while citing his history of harassment.
PAYSON — A criminal charge was filed Tuesday against a Payson man who police say threatened to shoot Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and other top Utah leaders.
Douglas Wilford Pace, 69, is charged in 4th District Court with making a threat of terrorism, a second-degree felony.
A receptionist at the governor's office reported last Thursday that Pace had been calling for several days and his calls "were becoming increasingly agitated," according to charging documents.
A Utah Highway Patrol trooper contacted Pace on Friday. When questioned, Pace admitted that he "calls the governor's office up to 20 times a day to remind the governor of 'who he is,'" the charges state. The trooper told Pace to stop calling the governor. Later that day, however, Pace called the Utah Senate Office and asked to speak with Senate President Stuart Adams.
"Once told that Senator Adams was unavailable, (Pace) began yelling profanity-laced threats. He told the legislative assistant, 'Once I get my hands on a gun, I will shoot Gov. Cox, (Lt. Gov.) Deirdre Henderson and Stuart Adams in the head. They need to be erased from the earth because Jesus is coming,'" according to charging documents.
"Pace also said that the governor 'needs to be done away with' and 'he'll finally keep his mouth shut when I'm done with him' and 'I'll send him to hell,'" a police booking affidavit states.
Police say Pace also made threats against several other people, including leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Troopers went back to Pace's home and arrested him on Friday. Police say Pace has a history of making harassing phone calls to state and federal officials.
"His phone calls to the governor's office have been screened for the past four years. Since Dec. 1, Douglas Pace has called the governor's office 50 times. His phone calls in the past year have become increasingly hostile and are showing an increase in aggression," the affidavit states.
Pace was convicted of similar charges in 2022. Police say Pace "has a traumatic brain injury, which is a likely reason for his behavior," and have requested a mental health screening.
