The suspected gunman arrested near Donald Trump’s golf course wrote a note months ago saying he intended to kill the former president, a court report said.
“This was an assassination attempt against Donald Trump,” the note said.
In documents filed Monday, prosecutors said the letter was dropped off at the witness’ home several months before the Sept. 15 incident in Florida.
Ryan Routh, 58, is expected to appear in federal court later Monday and could face additional charges.
So far he is facing two felony gun charges.
A previously written letter, written to “The World”, appears to exonerate the failed assassination attempt. “I tried my best and gave it all I could,” it read.
Routh, who told the judge during his first court appearance last week that he had no money and no savings, then said in the letter that he would pay cash to anyone who “can complete the job”.
The box containing the letter — along with ammunition, materials, tools and four phones — was dropped off at the home of an unnamed witness before the incident, according to court documents filed by prosecutors.
Documents filed support Routh’s pretrial detention.
In the filing, prosecutors said an unnamed witness, whose relationship to Routh was unclear, opened the box after hearing about the attempted murder.
Routh has been in jail since his arrest on September 15.
A Secret Service agent spotted his face in the foliage while guarding the sixth hole of Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course before seeing the gun, prosecutors said.
The agent then got out of his golf cart, drew his gun and fired after seeing Routh remove his gun, the court report said. Routh did not fire his gun during the incident, police said.
The suspect managed to escape and left the gun and other items at the scene. He was arrested shortly after a witness spotted him on Interstate 95, the freeway.
Court documents reveal that he had 11 bullets, one of which was loaded into the gun.
Investigators also found a handwritten list in his car of the dates Trump appeared in public between August and October.
Phone records show Routh was at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort for about a month between August 18 and September 15.
Routh is from North Carolina and has spent most of his life there, although he recently lived in Hawaii. He has had a number of legal problems in the past, including several cases of stolen property between 1997 and 2010.
In 2022, Routh traveled to Ukraine in a failed attempt to recruit foreign troops to the Ukrainian war following the country’s invasion by Russian forces.
It is reported that the American regularly contacted the military with ideas that the Ukrainian soldier described as “absurd” and “deceptive”.
The suspect also admitted that he was thrown, saying that this was due to his age and lack of fighting experience.
Monday’s hearing will determine whether he should continue in custody. Prosecutors say he is dangerous and a danger to the community.
Routh also has a trial scheduled for Sept. 30, when he is expected to plead not guilty.
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