Death threats to troopers lands Willow man in jail

WILLOW — Alaska State Troopers arrested a man Sunday saying that for months now he’s been threatening to kill them.

Adam Cardwell, 45, of Willow, was jailed on a single count of third-degree assault.

According to an affidavit trooper Lt. Nils Monsen filed in the case against Cardwell, from Nov. 3 to Feb. 2, Cardwell made a number of threatening statements directed at troopers.

Monsen’s affidavit quotes Cardwell during incidents over that time period saying of troopers, among other things, “I am going to hunt them down,” “I will take them by force,” “I will skin them alive,” and “I am going to take them out.”

On Feb. 2, when Cardwell’s wife, Debbie Cardwell, called for trooper assistance, Monsen wrote that he talked to Cardwell who told him if troopers showed up he would shoot them.

On Saturday, Monsen wrote, Cardwell, “Telephoned the Matcom Public Safety Dispatch Center and again made threats of death if he was not given (a videotape) recording he considered evidence of the state troopers assaulting (his) wife Debbie. During these threats to kill troopers, Adam Cardwell names troopers Andrew Adams, Skip Chadwell, Rodney Johnson, Sergeant Helgoe, Cody Lister and Odean Hall.”

Cardwell was not an unknown to troopers. For years he has insisted that troopers sexually assaulted his wife. Debbie Cardwell has made similar accusations.

“Something like that is not taken lightly,” and troopers have investigated, trooper spokeswoman Megan Peters said of the allegations. “There was no merit to them. But this individual believes that it’s true. He maintains that it happened.”

According to Monsen, Cardwell told troopers he wouldn’t just go after the troopers he named but would kill innocent troopers to get to the ones he felt were guilty. He also said he would shoot innocent people to prompt a trooper response and run over cars on the Parks Highway for a similar reason.

“I am getting a divorce over this and I won’t let it go and I would rather be dead than let it go, which makes me more dangerous; yes I would rather be dead then let it go. They can kill me on sight because I will kill them if I get a chance,” Cardwell said in an exchange Monsen quoted in his affidavit.

The same day he called Matcom, Cardwell’s wife also called troopers to warn them about what he was up to.

“Debbie Cardwell reported that he kind of snapped and cannot get access to the medications he needs. Debbie Cardwell reported that she has previously had to jump on the truck to keep him from leaving and wrestle the shotgun away from him 2-3 times,” Monsen wrote.

Trooper Andrew Adams, for one, was aware of what Cardwell had threatened, according to Monsen’s affidavit, and was afraid for his life and the safety of his family.

Sunday, troopers, with help from the state’s South Central SERT team — a team similar to what other agencies refer to as the SWAT team — converged on Cardwell’s home and arrested him without incident shortly after 3 p.m.

His bail was set at $150,000 cash and he will need to find someone to watch over him before he can be released.

As of late Monday afternoon prison records showed Cardwell was still jailed at the Mat-Su Pre-Trial Facility.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.