Former Wis. grad student allegedly threatened to kill professor’s kids, hide their flesh in burger meat

DETROIT (TCD) -- A former graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison was arrested at Detroit Metro Airport last week after he allegedly sent a string of violent emails to his professors and other students.

According to the University of Wisconsin Police Department, on Friday, March 10, federal officials took Arvin Mathur into custody as he tried to "re-enter the United States from Europe." Mathur allegedly "made online threats against specific members of the UW-Madison community," and university police contacted federal law enforcement officials once they learned Mathur planned to return to the U.S.

Mathur was studying anthropology and received a prestigious fellowship in 2020 from the National Science Foundation. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, he flew back from Copenhagen, where he was in school.

The Detroit News reports a federal criminal complaint against Mathur alleges he sent threatening emails to nine people associated with the university. A detective with the University of Wisconsin Police Department reportedly wrote in the affidavit that one of the victims, a teaching assistant and fellow graduate student, "was worried Arvin Mathur was fixated on him and was trying to ruin his professional reputation."

Mathur allegedly filed reports about that victim with the CIA, claiming he was a "Chinese operative."

An email to an anthropology professor allegedly contained the subject line "Call the police," with the body of the email saying, "If you don’t, I will show up and murder every single person that you have ever been close to."

That email reportedly named two others, an anthropology department fellow and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee assistant professor, and said, "Call the police and a lawyer, otherwise, I will kill their children and hide their flesh inside of their burger meat."

Another message sent to an assistant anthropology professor reportedly had the subject line "We are going to kill your daughters," in which he threatened to kidnap the professor’s daughters and "skin them alive."

Emails obtained by the Wisconsin Law Journal show Mathur allegedly sent another victim a message saying, "We are going to kill your family. You are going to be kidnapped and put in a cellar. This is a threat. Call the police, otherwise you will wake up with your legs soaking in hydrofluoric acid."

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Mathur is charged with transmission of a threat to kidnap or injure.

MORE:

• UWPD Threats Suspect Arrested by Federal Authorities in Detroit - University of Wisconsin Police Department
• Feds arrest man at Detroit Metro after threats targeting Wisconsin university - The Detroit News
• Former UW-Madison graduate student charged with threatening professors, students - Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
• Federal agents arrest man at Detroit Metro airport after threats targeting University of Wisconsin - Wisconsin Law Journal