Olmsted County Charges: Probation Officer Target of Death Threats

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Mankato man who was placed on probation last month for assaulting a State Trooper in Byron is now being held without bail and is accused of threatening to kill his probation officer.

A criminal complaint filed in Olmsted County Court charges 29-year-old Cory Lynn Spiess with a felony count of terroristic threats.

Threat Allegedly Made in Detention Center

According to the charge, Spiess was being processed into the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center on March 5 when a detention deputy allegedly heard him say that he was going to get a gun and shoot the probation officer in the face.

Get our free mobile app

During a later interview with an Olmsted County Sheriff's Office investigator, the criminal complaint says Spiess discussed how easy it would be for him to obtain a gun and then indicated he had a gun before stating, “If I was going to kill her, I would have killed her by now.”

Corey's Spiess criminal complaint-Olmsted County court

Knives Hidden in Boot

The court document says the investigator spoke with the probation officer, who had earlier been informed of the threat. She told the investigator that Spiess has posted social media videos of him holding apparent firearms and a machete. The probation officer also indicated that he had three knives hidden in his boot when he was earlier taken into custody in her office. She also told the investigator that she would “not put it past him to carry out his threats.”

Photo by Andy Brownell TSM Rochester

Assault on State Trooper

Olmsted County Court records show that Spiess entered into a plea agreement in February and admitted to a felony assault charge and misdemeanor DWI stemming from an incident in April 2023 in Byron. In that case, he was accused of assaulting a State Trooper following a traffic stop for suspicion of DWI.

The criminal complaint says the officer used his Taser several times before he was able to subdue Spiess, who continued to resist by kicking the trooper and using his fingernails to cut and bruise the trooper's hand. A search of his vehicle led to the seizure of a BB gun and approximately 9.5 grams of methamphetamine.

More Minnesota News: