Christopher Casteel

Name:
Casteel, Christopher Lance

Date of Booking:
11/19/2025

Reason(s) For Booking:
TERRORISTIC THREATS AND ACTS

Exploitation and intimidation of disabled adults, elder persons, and residents; (Misd)

Officer’s Narrative:
[Please note: The following is a direct transcription from the official initial incident report. The Georgia Gazette does not fix any spelling or grammatical errors that may exist. Any changes or redactions made by our staff are placed inside brackets. Some errors may exist. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The topics discussed may be sensitive to some readers. Discretion is advised.]

On the above date and time I (Ofc. Shaw) responded to a elderly man (78) ([VICTIM #1]) who had received a death threat that was written on a envelope in which was placed in his mail box. Upon my arrival I made contact with [VICTIM #1].

[VICTIM #1] informed me that the night prior around 7 P.M. he had two vehicles pull into his drive way. He noticed both vehicles on his cameras, he informed me that someone had gotten out of their vehicle and was walking around his house so he addressed them. [VICTIM #1] came around the corner and was met with a female ([WITNESS #1]) [VICTIM #1] told [WITNESS #1] that she needed to leave and she told [VICTIM #1] that she was just looking for her dog.

[VICTIM #1] then stepped onto his porch and [VICTIM #1]’s daughter had come out of the house and tried to bring [VICTIM #1] back inside, telling [VICTIM #1] that it was a scam. [VICTIM #1] then took his pistol that was on his hip and showed the two people in the drive way and told them once more to get off of his property. Both parties that arrived on his property then left.

The very next morning (The morning of 11/19/25) [VICTIM #1] checked his mail. To his surprise inside the mail box was a big brownish, empty envelope. On the envelope was a threating message. The message stated that [VICTIM #1] would be handled tomorrow and that he was a dead old man.

[VICTIM #1] took this as a threat and it placed him in a weary state of mind, [VICTIM #1] then called E-911 to have us make a report. I asked [VICTIM #1] if he knew who pulled into his drive way and he told me that his neighbor knows who they are. Shortly after talking with [VICTIM #1] his neighbor arrived on scene. She informed me of where the suspects lived, With that information I drove down the street and stopped at one of the suspects house. I knocked on the door and [WITNESS #1] answered, her husband ([WITNESS #2]) also came outside.

I asked both parties about the issue that to place the night prior, [WITNESS #1] informed me that she was the one that stopped in his driveway along with one of her neighbors (Christopher Lance Casteel). She stated that she was looking for her dog that had gotten loose that night, and Christopher is missing his cat so he tagged along to see if he could find his cat. She said that she got out of her car and did not knock on the door to [VICTIM #1]’s house due to the fact that she did not want to alarm anyone home.

She said she walked about 30 feet in front of her car to look around for her dog and then [VICTIM #1] came around the corner and demanded her to get off of his property. She said she then went back toward her car and [VICTIM #1]’s daughter came out onto the porch, [VICTIM #1] then walked up onto the porch. She said [VICTIM #1] then drew his fire arm and swung it around demanding her to leave. She then got into her car and left the scene.

I then showed both [WITNESS #1] and [WITNESS #2] the letter that [VICTIM #1] had received. Both [WITNESS #1] and [WITNESS #2] denied putting the letter into the mail box. [WITNESS #2] informed his wife after I had left that Christopher had stopped at the end of their driveway earlier in the day and told [WITNESS #2] that he left a nasty letter in [VICTIM #1]’s mailbox and said it was taken care of. I then went to Christopher’s residence but no one was home.

I then returned back to [VICTIM #1]’s residence and asked if he wanted to press charges he said no just a report. I then asked if he wanted to trespass both parties and he said no. He informed me that he served in the Vietnam war and if Christopher returned to his property and threatens [VICTIM #1] then [VICTIM #1] would handle it. I informed [VICTIM #1] to be careful with what he says and on what he decides to do. I informed [VICTIM #1] that he is well within his right to protect his self and others along with his property but he should not chose deadly force if Christopher comes over and doesn’t show any threat to life or bodily harm for it could end badly on [VICTIM #1]’s part.

Later in the day I received a phone call from one of the neighbors of [VICTIM #1]. She informed me that her mother was receiving text messages in reference to [VICTIM #1], stating that he wanted information regarding [VICTIM #1]. [VICTIM #1] and [VICTIM #1]’s neighbor wanted to have Christopher trespassed from their properties, in fear for their safeties.

With both the neighbor and [VICTIM #1] wanting Christopher to be trespassed, I filled out two different trespass forms and had both [VICTIM #1] and his neighbor sign the form and also having them say into my body cam that they did in fact want Christopher trespassed. With this information and all that I had gathered I determined that taking a warrant for the crimes committed would be the best option to keep the victim safe due to the fact that the victim lives down the street from the suspect.

Due to all the evidence and statements I had acquired from the scene I went back to the station and filled out a warrant for Christopher’s arrest. I then went and made contact with the on call judge and the judge approved the warrant and signed off on it. With the warrant in hand I contacted another officer and we both went to Christopher’s address to serve him the warrant and the trespass forms.

Upon our arrival I made contact with Christopher’s aunt and she informed us that Christopher had left to go to the store but would be back shortly. Roughly 5 minuets after our arrival Christopher pulled into the driveway, once he stepped out of the vehicle I approached him and had him sign the trespass forms. I also explained the trespass form to him along with the consequences that come with violating the trespass form. I then informed Christopher that I had a warrant for his arrest and placed him in handcuffs.

I then checked the handcuffs for fit and double locked them, I then read him his miranda rights and asked if he would like to continue to speak with me, he agreed. I then asked him about the threating letter in the mail box down the road and he informed me that yes he placed the letter in the box and it was not intended to be a threat but a warning. I informed him when he said “DEAD OLD MAN” in the letter, then the warning stepped up to a death threat.

I informed him that any reasonable person that may receive a letter of that magnitude would take that as a death threat and he understood where I was coming from. I then searched him incident to arrest and he had nothing but loose change in his pockets. I then placed him in the back of my patrol car and handed the loose change over to his aunt. I then transported Christopher to the Floyd County Jail without incident and he was turned over to the deputies at the jail.

Miranda read.
Handcuffs checked for fit and double locked.
Back seat checked before and after transport.

[End of Narrative]