A 73-year-old Wayzata man was found guilty last week of threatening to murder a federal judge who presided over the man’s 2018 criminal trial — during which he was found guilty of threatening to murder a different judge.
A jury found Robert Phillip Ivers guilty on two counts of mailing threatening communications and one count of threatening to murder a United States District Judge.
“Today’s outcome reaffirms the strength of our justice system in the face of intimidation. Those who seek to retaliate against witnesses or judges with threats of violence will be held fully accountable,” U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen said in a Friday press release, which said the mailings included threats to kill a witness and judge from Ivers’ 2018 trial.
According to Rosen’s office, Ivers mailed a manifesto titled “How to Kill a Federal Judge” to a Minneapolis law firm and the University of St. Thomas.
As Alpha News previously reported, court documents describe how Ivers went to the Wayzata library on Sept. 2 last year to make copies of his 236-page manifesto and asked library staff for assistance.
Ivers reportedly told one librarian about his manifesto, and the librarian recalled seeing a page in the manifesto about killing children. Before leaving the scene, Ivers allegedly handed a three-page document to staff.
Library staff called law enforcement the next day and reported the incident. The three-page document was described by authorities as “an apparent advertisement or flyer” for the 72-year-old’s manifesto.
“In this five star blood soaked killing guide Mr. Ivers exacts a violent revenge,” says the document. “He instructs and then encourages on how to kill using his true life masterpiece How to Kill a Federal Judge.”
In an apparent reference to his prior conviction, the document claims Ivers was “convicted in a federal criminal court without one shred of evidence to support their conviction.”
Police later searched Ivers’ vehicle and found 20 spiral-bound copies of his manifesto, lists of federal judges, a photo of “the former Pope” with crosshairs on his head, a copy of “The Anarchist Cookbook,” a box of fireworks, and a box containing a toy replica firearm, Co2 cartridges, and pellets.
In his manifesto, Ivers reportedly focused on “the perceived wrongs done to him by the judicial system,” and “quoted Timothy McVeigh and venerated the Manson family.”
Ivers is in custody at the Sherburne County Jail and will be sentenced at a later date.
Luke Sprinkel contributed to this report.
Anthony Gockowski
Anthony Gockowski is Editor-in-Chief of Alpha News. He previously worked as an editor for The Minnesota Sun and Campus Reform, and wrote for the Daily Caller.
