Singer-songwriter Jackson Browne has become the unlikely target of a bizarre series of accusations and death threats that have left authorities baffled.
Rising to prominence in the 1970's through hits like 'Running on Empty' and 'The Pretender,' Browne has largely faded from the spotlight in recent years seemingly content in the role of classic rocker.
However, somewhere along the way, he apparently raised the ire of someone who carries a grudge against the soulful crooner.
According to police in the Indiana city of West Lafayette, a litany of leaflets calling for the assassination of Browne were found strewn about a neighborhood near Purdue University on Monday.
Cops investigating the case say that the fliers profanely declared that the musician is the "head of the snake" in a vast Hollywood conspiracy to take down President Trump and, thus, had to be eliminated.
In an unfortunate testament to his current place in the American zeitgeist, one police official conceded that "I had to look up Mr. Browne’s tour schedule to see whether he was coming to Purdue or something."
Fortunately for the man behind the hit song 'Doctor My Eyes,' Browne's tour schedule only sees him performing in Europe this coming June and not anywhere near Indiana in the near future.
One resident who received a flier observed to the Journal-Courier that "I would consider it a rant, rather than a threat to our safety," although that conclusion largely relies on the fact that he is not Jackson Browne.
Indeed, the menacing fliers found this week in West Lafayette come on the heels of an eerily similar series of leaflets distributed throughout Windsor, Ontario last month calling for the killing of Browne prior to his concert there.
Given the considerable distance between the two incidents, it's a strong possibility that the latter series of fliers are a copycat crime committed by someone who caught wind of the news from Canada.
This is especially the case since, one would assume, an obsessed fan would know that Browne is not due to perform at Purdue anytime soon.
Nonetheless, authorities are investigating the case in the hopes of finding some answers as to who was behind the disturbing event that was called "a bit weird" by one official in what may be the understatement of the year.
Source: Courier-Journal