# Schadenfreudelicious: Mabus finally arrested **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 20, 2011, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schadenfreudelicious-mabus-finally-arrested/593417 "2011-08-20T07:50:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cyningablod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc29f/32.png) [@Cyningablod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyningablod)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schadenfreudelicious-mabus-finally-arrested/593417/1 "2011-08-20T07:50:08Z")
So it seems that an as-yet-unnamed individual (most likely legendary Internet nutjob and Nostradamist wacko Dennis Markuze, alias Dave Mabus, Atheists Wars, TheWarsofAtheism, etc) [has finally been arrested](http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/18/prolific-web-troll-arrested-with-help-from-atheists-on-twitter/), as a result of an online campaign of complaints from members of the skeptical/atheist community. I guess all his overt death threats against PZ Myers, Randi, Shermer, Dawkins, and countless others finally caught up with him. I feel honored and proud to have been one of his many death-threatees, when he told me once on FaceBook that I wouldn’t “live past tomorrow”. (This was about a year and a half ago. :rolleyes:) In any event, I’m glad the Montreal Police are finally taking this seriously enough to put a stop to it. I’m not sure he deserves jail (he’s just a woo-woo crank, albeit an annoying and prolific one), but IMHO the authorities do need to have intervened. Threatening people’s lives isn’t free speech–it’s a _crime_. (For anyone unfamiliar with Markuze/Mabus, you can read the news articles about this, Google him, or even do a search here on SDMB. I think he even posted on here a few times. He posts these copy-and-paste ALL CAPS! screeds on science and atheist blogs and forums, declaring how the death of atheism and the execution of prominent atheists are imminent. He even works in the Pet Shop Boys into his delusions, somehow. In any event, he’s a special kind of crazy. :p) ---
**Author:** ![Pixiesnix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Pixiesnix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixiesnix)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schadenfreudelicious-mabus-finally-arrested/593417/2 "2011-08-20T08:58:02Z")
I remember him. He’s posted several times here under different accounts, mostly late at night. I thought he was just another crank until I read about the death threats. If I recall, he wasn’t just a religious nut, he was a Nostradamus nut, too. The article says he went through more than 330 Twitter accounts in five weeks. Holy shit. I hope he gets the help he needs. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schadenfreudelicious-mabus-finally-arrested/593417/3 "2011-08-20T11:06:31Z")
Yes, I recall his atheism-is-DOOMED & Nostradamus rants. The mods were apparently playing whack-a-mole with him for a while as he kept showing up, posting and being deleted. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schadenfreudelicious-mabus-finally-arrested/593417/4 "2011-08-20T13:59:06Z")
Well, you’d be crazy too if your head was twisted around and glued to your feet. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schadenfreudelicious-mabus-finally-arrested/593417/5 "2011-08-20T14:41:56Z")
Tim Farley posted an epic account of Mabus’ activity over the years and the efforts to get the Montreal police (where Mabus lived) to do something about it. It’s an interesting internet history too. Fear the power of spam! > **[Case Study: How a notorious spammer was brought down via Twitter](https://skeptools.wordpress.com/2011/08/17/case-study-notorious-spammer-brought-down-twitter-tumblr-social-media-mabus/)** > > In this post I explain how infamous spammer and perpetual death threat source “David Mabus” was finally arrested by the Montreal Police, as the result of the attentiveness of one scienc… ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schadenfreudelicious-mabus-finally-arrested/593417/6 "2011-08-20T14:51:06Z")
> **[Case Study: How a notorious spammer was brought down via Twitter](https://skeptools.wordpress.com/2011/08/17/case-study-notorious-spammer-brought-down-twitter-tumblr-social-media-mabus/)** > > In this post I explain how infamous spammer and perpetual death threat source “David Mabus” was finally arrested by the Montreal Police, as the result of the attentiveness of one scienc… This is the best article on the matter, written by a friend. He was fairly involved in how it happened. (I had nothing to do with it at all.) High-five, Mereneith. That being said, I’d be remiss if I didn’t also link his other site. > **[What's The Harm?](http://whatstheharm.net/)** > > This is a list of topics in which we have found stories where a lack of critical thinking has caused unnecessary harm, death, injury, hospitalizations, major financial loss or other damages. Great webpage. Ever wonder what the harm in believing in stuff that ain’t true is? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schadenfreudelicious-mabus-finally-arrested/593417/7 "2011-08-20T15:53:53Z")
He’s been on the SDMB around 60 times, and he did threaten me once. I insisted he finish me off if he could do it, and he said I wasn’t worth it. I think it still counts. In any case the mods have been talking about this story for the last couple of days. I love it. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schadenfreudelicious-mabus-finally-arrested/593417/8 "2011-08-20T16:37:42Z")
Have his posts been deleted? I love a good nutcase. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schadenfreudelicious-mabus-finally-arrested/593417/9 "2011-08-20T16:43:09Z")
I’d never heard of this guy, but apparently he threatened the husband of a colleague of mine a number of times over the years (the husband is active in online skeptic and atheist groups). She told me about the arrest on Thursday. How did this guy have a life? Or a job? Did he live in his mother’s basement? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schadenfreudelicious-mabus-finally-arrested/593417/10 "2011-08-20T16:47:19Z")
Looking like he’s a 30-something loser living in his mother’s basement, i.e. _exactly_ the stereotypical internet troll. Shocker. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schadenfreudelicious-mabus-finally-arrested/593417/11 "2011-08-20T16:47:26Z")
I believe that he did, in fact, either live with his mother or she supported him. And I don’t think that he pursued any activity other than his mission to spread the word. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schadenfreudelicious-mabus-finally-arrested/593417/12 "2011-08-20T16:47:37Z")
> [@Kolga](#): > > Did he live in his mother’s basement? Apparently yes, as cliched as that is. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schadenfreudelicious-mabus-finally-arrested/593417/13 "2011-08-20T17:03:35Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Have his posts been deleted? I love a good nutcase. > > Regards, > Shodan [Here’s a sample.](http://www.disclose.tv/forum/atheism-is-dead-forever-t13674.html) ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schadenfreudelicious-mabus-finally-arrested/593417/14 "2011-08-20T17:19:16Z")
> [@Kolga](#): > > I’d never heard of this guy, but apparently he threatened the husband of a colleague of mine a number of times over the years (the husband is active in online skeptic and atheist groups). She told me about the arrest on Thursday. > > How did this guy have a life? Or a job? Did he live in his mother’s basement? From the level of disorganization in his rantings I would expect that he was probably too mentally ill to be able to work or socialize normally, although [his mom apparently thinks people just didn’t understand him](http://www.torontosun.com/2011/08/11/montreal-cops-probe-internet-death-threats) ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schadenfreudelicious-mabus-finally-arrested/593417/15 "2011-08-20T17:19:22Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Have his posts been deleted? I love a good nutcase. The first link provided by **E-Sabbath** actually has a link to a SDMB post as one of the examples of the variety of boards he spammed: [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=572531). ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schadenfreudelicious-mabus-finally-arrested/593417/16 "2011-08-20T17:21:19Z")
Reading about the incident where he showed up at the atheist convention, I find it hard to believe that someone couldn’t get the police to come pick him up at that time. Are you telling me that in Canada there are no laws against harassment or disorderly conduct that would cover his behavior at the convention? That you can’t even have someone taken in for a psychiatric evaluation if they are acting unstable? In the places I’ve lived in the US, if someone is acting oddly in a way that indicates they could be dangerous, it was pretty easy to have the person picked up by police and taken to a hospital for a psych evaluation. ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schadenfreudelicious-mabus-finally-arrested/593417/17 "2011-08-20T17:38:28Z")
> [@lavenderviolet](#): > > Reading about the incident where he showed up at the atheist convention, I find it hard to believe that someone couldn’t get the police to come pick him up at that time. Are you telling me that in Canada there are no laws against harassment or disorderly conduct that would cover his behavior at the convention? That you can’t even have someone taken in for a psychiatric evaluation if they are acting unstable? > In the places I’ve lived in the US, if someone is acting oddly in a way that indicates they could be dangerous, it was pretty easy to have the person picked up by police and taken to a hospital for a psych evaluation. Wasn’t it in the US that Scott Roeder killed an abortion provider? Before that he was already known to be sending threatening mails, internet posts, and even staking out the church Dr. Tiller attended several times before finally committing the murder. After the murder it came to light that he had even been arrested once in Topeka a few years earlier for having bomb making materials, guns and ammunition in his car during a routine traffic stop. It just goes to show you, something. And this nutcase will be out again too. Despite his potential to act on the threats as far as I know so far he hasn’t. Even his arrest is but a small bump in his long journey of delusional righteousness. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea5d25/32.png) [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Scrappy_Hero_Pup)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schadenfreudelicious-mabus-finally-arrested/593417/18 "2011-08-20T17:44:02Z")
What did the chick that teaches typing ever do to you people? This is a piss-poor attitude to take over someone who’s just trying to educate. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schadenfreudelicious-mabus-finally-arrested/593417/19 "2011-08-20T17:44:38Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Have his posts been deleted? I love a good nutcase. > > Regards, > Shodan [This is the only one we didn’t quickly hide or delete because I wanted to see if I could talk to the guy.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=572531) I edited a lot of the OP but I think it will still give you a general idea, and it’s easy to find more on the web. ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schadenfreudelicious-mabus-finally-arrested/593417/20 "2011-08-20T17:48:36Z")
> [@Crazyhorse](#): > > It just goes to show you, something. And this nutcase will be out again too. Despite his potential to act on the threats as far as I know so far he hasn’t. Even his arrest is but a small bump in his long journey of delusional righteousness. Well, yeah, I’m sure he will get out of jail and/or the psych hospital sooner rather than later and most likely will be up to his old tricks again soon. It just seems really odd to me that it sounds like nobody even tried calling the police about his behavior at the convention - and if someone did, I’d be very confused by why the police didn’t do anything about it then. I would expect that a mentally unstable man behaving disruptively in front of a public place would be of interest to the police even if they don’t take threatening emails seriously. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schadenfreudelicious-mabus-finally-arrested/593417.md?page=2)