A Maine man is facing charges after police say he sent disturbing and threatening messages through the Xbox gaming network to a teenager he had never met in person.
Maine man threatens teenager over Xbox
According to authorities, 32-year-old James Maynard of Pittsfield was taken into custody on April 25 on a charge of making written or electronic threats to kill, following an investigation that spanned more than two years.
The case originated in November 2022 when a juvenile in Palm Coast, Florida, reported receiving hostile and terrifying messages from an anonymous user.
Investigators say the suspect was utilizing different Xbox profiles to send the messages, which included numerous spelling errors and violent threats.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said the victim also reported being contacted via Snapchat.
Maine man sent disturbing threats
According to the arrest affidavit, the threats included plans to harm the teen, destroy their home, and target the victim’s parents.
“The victim stated they had never met the suspect but had interacted with them through Xbox and Snapchat,” the sheriff’s office announced in a statement issued Tuesday.
The affidavit also notes that the victim recalled the suspect having a speech impediment and mentioning that he lived with his mother.
These details contributed to the eventual identification of the Maine man. Law enforcement was able to trace the threats to Maynard by early January 2025.
A warrant for his arrest was secured in April, and Maynard was subsequently apprehended and booked into the Kennebec County Correctional Facility in Augusta. Authorities plan to extradite him to Flagler County.
Son kills father over video games
While that investigation was unfolding, a violent case in Florida has now led to a guilty plea from a man accused of fatally shooting his father and injuring his mother during a dispute reportedly linked to video games.
Joseph David Voigt, 24, of Polk County, admitted guilt in connection to the December 7 shooting that killed 63-year-old Marvin Voigt and left his 58-year-old mother seriously wounded.
Originally charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder, Voigt accepted a plea deal that lowered both charges to second-degree offenses, according to court documents.
Deputies from Bartow Police responded to the Voigt residence and found the elder Voigt deceased in the driveway, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.
Inside the house, officers discovered the suspect’s mother with serious injuries.
She managed to tell police that her son had shot both her and her husband before fleeing the scene.
“She is currently in critical condition, but stable,” deputies said at the time of the incident.
Following the shooting, local authorities issued an alert across Polk County and neighboring jurisdictions.
Investigators tracked Voigt’s vehicle to International Drive in Orlando, where he was stopped and taken into custody. He was initially booked into the Orange County Jail and later transferred back to Polk County.
“PCSO deputies spoke to Voigt and he admitted to shooting both his father and mother,” deputies stated in a release.
“He said his father was upset with him about spending the majority of his time playing video games and ‘riding his a—’ about making something of himself and getting a job.”
Voigt’s past includes arrests for discharging a firearm in a residential zone and for battery, according to police.
Officials said sentencing has not yet been scheduled, but Voigt could face a prison term ranging from 26 years to life.
Son found playing video games after murdering father
Another tragic incident unfolded in Texas earlier this year, where authorities say a man killed his elderly father and severely beat his mother before police found him playing video games inside their apartment.
On January 19, San Antonio police performed a welfare check at the Three Fountains apartment complex after a home health agency was unable to make contact with the elderly couple living there.
Officers arrived around 6 p.m. and entered the unit with help from maintenance staff.
Inside, they discovered the body of an 85-year-old man concealed under a pile of blankets.
His wife, found injured in another room, said her son had attacked them both two nights earlier.
When officers encountered the couple’s son, 45-year-old James Gordon Barber, he was reportedly sitting calmly and playing video games. Police said he did not resist arrest but was speaking incoherently.
Authorities believe Barber used a ceramic bowl to kill his father, who died from blunt force trauma. A broken, bloodied bowl was recovered at the scene.
The suspect’s 57-year-old mother sustained severe injuries including fractures and head trauma and was hospitalized in critical condition.
The attack reportedly occurred nearly 20 hours before police were able to access the apartment.
According to a family member who spoke to local news station KENS-TV, Barber had a long history of mental health issues and had recently moved in with his parents after a divorce. Neighbors noted that the couple had lived in the complex for several years.
Barber now faces charges of murder and aggravated assault. His bond has been set at $400,000.
