Former SIUE Student’s “Terrorist Threat” Conviction Overturned

EDWARDSVILLE, IL (KTVI)-  An Illinois appeals court has overturned the conviction of an SIU Edwardsville student.   Prosecutors say he threatened a massacre like Virginia Tech.

The ruling is detailed in an 18-page document from the 5th District Illinois Appeals Court in Mount Vernon, IL .  It was unanimous. All three judges agreeing to overturn a key part of the 2011 conviction and five year prison sentence of Olutohsin Oduwole.

Oduwole, now 27, was convicted of attempting to make a terrorist threat and illegally possessing a gun in a public building.

This all started in 2007 when SIUE police found a note inside Oduwole’s car on campus. the note said that if $50,000 was not put in a Paypal account within 7 days, then a murderous rampage like the Virginia Tech shooting would occur at another University. It did not specify SIUE.

Oduwole was an aspiring rapper and has always insisted that the note was just lyrics. Police also found a loaded handgun in his on-campus apartment and also learned that Oduwole had ordered four other semi-automatic weapons and was waiting for them to be delivered.

But the Appeals Court said the Oduwole did not take a substantial step toward completing the threat and because of that, the words were just thoughts.  Oduwole has been jailed in Florida and could soon be released.  He has already served the time for the gun conviction and did not appeal that part of the case.