Former President Donald Trump’s historic January 20 pardons freed nearly 1,600 individuals involved in the U.S. Capitol riots, bringing an end to the most extensive federal prosecution in U.S. history. However, one case remains unresolved, a Texas woman, Abigail Shry, still awaits sentencing.
Shry, 44, pleaded guilty in November 2023 to making a violent and racist threat against U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, the judge assigned to oversee Trump’s election subversion case in Washington.
Now, she faces the possibility of prison, with sentencing scheduled for May 5 at a federal courthouse in Houston.
According to federal prosecutors, Shry called Chutkan’s chambers from her home in Alvin, Texas, and left a disturbing voicemail. In her message, she not only threatened to kill anyone pursuing Trump legally but also used a racial slur to refer to the judge.
The Justice Department further revealed that Shry left a separate voicemail for a member of Congress, stating, “If President Trump doesn’t get elected in 2024, we are coming to kill you, so tread lightly.”
During an investigation on August 8, 2023, authorities visited Shry’s residence. She admitted to making the calls but insisted she had no plans to act on her threats unless the targeted congresswoman ever visited her city.
Shry’s sentencing has been postponed multiple times, as legal teams debate her mental health and risk factors. A defense attorney suggested that she undergo mental health and substance abuse treatment, while a Justice Department prosecutor warned that she could make future threats.
During a May 2024 hearing, the prosecutor expressed concerns, stating, “My greatest worry is that she starts watching Fox News again, gets herself spun up, gets a case of beer, and continues to escalate.”
Chutkan, the judge targeted in Shry’s threats, required additional security following her appointment to Trump’s case. Threats against federal officials have risen sharply since the Jan. 6 attack, with the U.S. Capitol Police reporting an increase in threat investigations from 6,955 in 2019 to 9,474 in 2024.
Additionally, the U.S. Marshals Service has seen its caseload of threats against judges and prosecutors nearly triple from 2019 to 2023.
Despite Trump’s sweeping pardons, Shry’s case remains a stark reminder of the lingering tensions and security concerns stemming from the Jan. 6 Capitol riots. Her sentencing hearing in May will determine whether she serves prison time for her actions.
