Man convicted of making terroristic threats now charged with threatening judge

SALT LAKE CITY — A man convicted a year ago of threatening to cause a terroristic incident in Utah is now accused of threatening the people involved in the court case.

William Lansing Taylor, 51, of Salt Lake City, was charged Tuesday in 3rd District Court with threatening a judge and stalking, both third-degree felonies; and four counts of electronic communications harassment, a class A misdemeanor.

On April 29, Taylor sent an email to the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office threatening to kill a prosecutor, a defense attorney and a state judge, according to charging documents.

In the email, he stated he would burn the defense attorney and kill the prosecutor, the charges state. He claimed he even waited outside the office of one of his potential victims with fuel, the charges state.

On April 30, Taylor allegedly sent six more emails, all within 30 minutes, which again mentioned "his hatred" for the three potential victims, making statements such as "you cut me deep" and "you forced me to confess to a felony when I am not a criminal — for those things, I am your permanent enemy," according to the charges.

Taylor made additional comments about kidnapping and torturing his victims.

On April 26, 2021, Taylor pleaded guilty to making a terroristic threat. In that case, court documents state Taylor said he was "angry at the state of Utah" and made statements such as "I will dedicate my life to the destruction of the state of Utah," and threatened to "steal a plane and crash it into a building," as well as take a fuel tanker truck to the Utah State Capitol.

When he was arrested in 2021, Taylor threatened to fight officers and stated that he expected to be shot by police in the courtroom, according to the charges.

Taylor's guilty plea in that case was held in abeyance. He was sentenced to three years probation and ordered to obtain a mental health evaluation and complete any recommended treatment. Taylor also pleaded guilty to stalking in 2019.

When he was arrested last month for newly alleged threats, officers took him into custody at gunpoint, a police affidavit states. Prosecutors have requested Taylor be held in the Salt Lake County Jail on no bail, pending trial.

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