# NOBODY threatens to kill my mother and gets away with it!(Part rant, part question) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 25, 2004, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nobody-threatens-to-kill-my-mother-and-gets-away-with-it-part-rant-part-question/261486 "2004-08-25T18:59:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![torie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@torie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/torie)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nobody-threatens-to-kill-my-mother-and-gets-away-with-it-part-rant-part-question/261486/1 "2004-08-25T18:59:06Z")
Without going into too much detail, the same shitstain that hijacked my dope account has been making threatining phone calls to my mother from a restricted number. I was recieving them occasionaly, so I changed my number. The minute my number changed, she targeted my mother. Monday night, between 11:30 P.M and 1:00 am, she recieved 25 phone calls from her. Here is a brief transcript of what my mother went through. _Ring Ring_ Hello? “Nigger loving whore” (my mother was dating a black man.) _Click_ **Ring Ring** Yes? “You nigger loving whore, you don’t know where I am. I am going to kill you, you better watch it!” _Click_ _Ring ring_ Hello? “Fuck you, nigger lover, I am driving past your best friends house right now. I am going to tell them that you are sleeping with her husband ahaha” _Click_ _RING RING_ and so on and so on. I callled the police. We even wrote up a written transcription of the phone calls. The cops say there is nothing we can do because we do not have "probable cause that it is her. Is this true? How do we nail this bitch? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nobody-threatens-to-kill-my-mother-and-gets-away-with-it-part-rant-part-question/261486/2 "2004-08-25T19:04:23Z")
Are you absolutely 100% positive that it’s her? ---
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nobody-threatens-to-kill-my-mother-and-gets-away-with-it-part-rant-part-question/261486/3 "2004-08-25T19:04:55Z")
Without offering up legal advice on a message board, I can tell you that it is NOT the case in California. The phone companies here install what is called a “trap” on your line and when said person calls, you punch in a code and all phone information is recorded. This information is then turned over to the authorities. I don’t know what they do in South Carolina, though. Sam ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nobody-threatens-to-kill-my-mother-and-gets-away-with-it-part-rant-part-question/261486/4 "2004-08-25T19:06:13Z")
Will the police even initiate a trace to see where the calls are coming from? According to the phone book provided by my local carrier, you should call your local phone company or police department to request Call Tracing service. The calls will be traced, and the cops should (in theory) arrest this person. Can your mom change her phone number? Robin ---
**Author:** ![Anonymous\_Coward](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/94ad74/32.png) [@Anonymous\_Coward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anonymous_Coward)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nobody-threatens-to-kill-my-mother-and-gets-away-with-it-part-rant-part-question/261486/5 "2004-08-25T19:09:27Z")
> [@GaWd](#): > > Without offering up legal advice on a message board, I can tell you that it is NOT the case in California. The phone companies here install what is called a “trap” on your line and when said person calls, you punch in a code and all phone information is recorded. > > This information is then turned over to the authorities. Same here. It’s detailed in the instructions section of my phone book, and all I have to do is after the call hit \*57 and a recorded voice will let me know that the call has been traced. Then you just call the police, let them know the time that you traced the call, and they can produce a warrent to get the info from the phone company. ---
**Author:** ![torie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@torie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/torie)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nobody-threatens-to-kill-my-mother-and-gets-away-with-it-part-rant-part-question/261486/6 "2004-08-25T19:11:42Z")
> [@Lord Ashtar](#): > > Are you absolutely 100% positive that it’s her? Yeah. She even identified herself at one point and asked my mother “what she was gonna do about it” She can change her phone number and will. We have no land lines, just cell phones. I don’t know if that makes a difference. I can’t believe in a post 9/11 world that they wouldn’t be able to trace the number. Or that they wouldn’t want to. This girl is not playing with a full deck and I am really scared for my mom. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nobody-threatens-to-kill-my-mother-and-gets-away-with-it-part-rant-part-question/261486/7 "2004-08-25T21:42:33Z")
> [@torie](#): > > I can’t believe in a post 9/11 world that they wouldn’t be able to trace the number. Or that they wouldn’t want to. This girl is not playing with a full deck and I am really scared for my mom. Talk to the phone company. They should be able to find out the phone number where the calls originate. Tell them you have been getting threatening calls and they’ll either tell you to go to the police, in which case you fill them in on what the police have already said, or they may have a system for dealing with things like this. ---
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nobody-threatens-to-kill-my-mother-and-gets-away-with-it-part-rant-part-question/261486/8 "2004-08-25T22:00:03Z")
> [@torie](#): > > Yeah. She even identified herself at one point and asked my mother “what she was gonna do about it” > > She can change her phone number and will. We have no land lines, just cell phones. I don’t know if that makes a difference. > > I can’t believe in a post 9/11 world that they wouldn’t be able to trace the number. Or that they wouldn’t want to. This girl is not playing with a full deck and I am really scared for my mom. AFAIK, there is no provision to trap phone calls through cellphone vendors, but they do log quite a bit of information about calls that they do not send you in your monthly bill. You’d have to call your provider. Sam ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nobody-threatens-to-kill-my-mother-and-gets-away-with-it-part-rant-part-question/261486/9 "2004-08-25T22:08:05Z")
I think your cops are fucked up. Go to the District Attorney. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nobody-threatens-to-kill-my-mother-and-gets-away-with-it-part-rant-part-question/261486/10 "2004-08-25T22:13:06Z")
This sounds like one of those goofy cases where the cops won’t do anything until something bad happens. Personally I’d get a gun and shoot the fucker the second they touched my property, but more realistically I’d suggest your mother has a change of venue for a little while, if possible of course. WTF a death threat doesn’t get action anymore? ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nobody-threatens-to-kill-my-mother-and-gets-away-with-it-part-rant-part-question/261486/11 "2004-08-25T22:16:08Z")
I used to work for a cell phone company in South Carolina. We definitely would have had logs of phone calls…I know because I was the one who processed this information when we were served with a subpoena (which happened quite frequently). I don’t know what you would have to do to get the information you need, but I do know we only released that sort of stuff to a cop who had a subpoena. I would escalate this with the police or follow Liberal’s suggestion. ---
**Author:** ![harmless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/2acd7d/32.png) [@harmless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmless)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nobody-threatens-to-kill-my-mother-and-gets-away-with-it-part-rant-part-question/261486/12 "2004-08-25T22:22:53Z")
Good luck with it, **torie**! Start off by calling the cell number and see if they have a way to trace the calls. I was told by my local sheriff’s dept. that if someone is blocking their number and calling on a land line, you can enter #something something and for a nominal fee it will trace the call back and record the information which can then be turned over to law enforcement as harassment. I would hope that cell companies do this too. Has she left any messages on your mom’s v-mail? Maybe take it to the police and see if they can give this girl a “courtesy call” to stop. When some dumb heff called threatening me, that’s what I did. The police officer lied to me about it to make his job easier; claimed that “they can threaten all they want but the police can’t do anything about it until they actually do something.” Found out from FDLE that was complete BS. :rolleyes: People are just crazy. Sorry you’re still having to put up with this crap. ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nobody-threatens-to-kill-my-mother-and-gets-away-with-it-part-rant-part-question/261486/13 "2004-08-25T22:36:51Z")
**Torie** , I had this problem with someone a few years back. Calling at 2am, making threats, calling from a blocked number. Talk with your local phone carrier. We pay an extra $2/month for a feature called “privacy manager.” It screens blocked calls and tells the caller “This number does not receive calls from blocked numbers. To unblock your number please dial…” I think its \*72. Or they can give their names, and your mom can decide whether or not to take the call. The crank calls stopped INSTANTLY. Best money I ever spent. ---
**Author:** ![legion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/838e76/32.png) [@legion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/legion)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nobody-threatens-to-kill-my-mother-and-gets-away-with-it-part-rant-part-question/261486/14 "2004-08-25T22:41:53Z")
> [@torie](#): > > Without going into too much detail, the same shitstain that hijacked my dope account has been making threatining phone calls to my mother from a restricted number. So there’s a very good chance that she’s reading this thread! :eek: Yikes, I’m out of here! ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nobody-threatens-to-kill-my-mother-and-gets-away-with-it-part-rant-part-question/261486/15 "2004-08-25T22:45:38Z")
> [@Maureen](#): > > **Torie** , I had this problem with someone a few years back. Calling at 2am, making threats, calling from a blocked number. Talk with your local phone carrier. We pay an extra $2/month for a feature called “privacy manager.” It screens blocked calls and tells the caller “This number does not receive calls from blocked numbers. To unblock your number please dial…” I think its \*72. Or they can give their names, and your mom can decide whether or not to take the call. The crank calls stopped INSTANTLY. Best money I ever spent. Of course, it would have helped had I read the part where you said your family only uses cells… :smack: I’m not sure if they offer this for cell phones or not. But it’s worth it to check. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nobody-threatens-to-kill-my-mother-and-gets-away-with-it-part-rant-part-question/261486/16 "2004-08-25T23:12:48Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > I think your cops are fucked up. Go to the District Attorney. Either that or the Sheriff’s Dept. They tend to be better at taking this stuff seriously than your local PD. Even with cell phones, the originating number can be found I’m sure. I can’t imagine using my cell phone to make a threat to the Governor’s office and not be found. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nobody-threatens-to-kill-my-mother-and-gets-away-with-it-part-rant-part-question/261486/17 "2004-08-26T00:39:43Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > Either that or the Sheriff’s Dept. They tend to be better at taking this stuff seriously than your local PD. > > Even with cell phones, the originating number can be found I’m sure. I can’t imagine using my cell phone to make a threat to the Governor’s office and not be found. The police or the feds can and do trace the originating number. They work with the phone company to figure out who made the call, and who they called. I know this because I did jury duty on a case where they did exactly that. It’s just a matter of checking the records and copies of phone receipts. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nobody-threatens-to-kill-my-mother-and-gets-away-with-it-part-rant-part-question/261486/18 "2004-08-26T06:25:07Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > The police or the feds can and do trace the originating number. They work with the phone company to figure out who made the call, and who they called. I know this because I did jury duty on a case where they did exactly that. It’s just a matter of checking the records and copies of phone receipts. 😉 Man, it feels soooo good to have a back-up! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nobody-threatens-to-kill-my-mother-and-gets-away-with-it-part-rant-part-question/261486/19 "2004-08-26T12:40:56Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > Man, it feels soooo good to have a back-up! 🙂 It _does_ make a nice change from having your back up, eh, **duffer**? 😉 I’ll add my voice to the “call your phone company” chorus. Be sure to mention that the police aren’t taking this seriously, and I’d be willing to bet they’ll have some good suggestions for you on how to get action before anything bad happens – including which public safety agency is your best bet for prompt help. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nobody-threatens-to-kill-my-mother-and-gets-away-with-it-part-rant-part-question/261486/20 "2004-08-26T13:09:59Z")
I’d say this chick is now officially stalking you. Here is a link to South Carolina [stalking laws](http://www.ncvc.org/src/main.aspx?dbID=DB_SouthCarolina120) from [this](http://www.ncvc.org/src/main.aspx?dbID=dash_Home) site. I bet there are some good suggestions for getting help with this problem. Consult a lawyer maybe too, so they can be an advocate? Good luck, I hope you can safely take care of this problem. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nobody-threatens-to-kill-my-mother-and-gets-away-with-it-part-rant-part-question/261486.md?page=2)