LIVINGSTON— A 72-year-old Livingston woman arrested in October for writing a threatening letter to city officials now says she regrets writing the letter, but she still has concerns about changes in the city.
Lindie Gibson was arrested on Oct. 15 and charged with making threats to public officials.
Watch Lindie Gibson explain her actions:
She spent two and a half hours in jail overnight, and a felony charge was later dropped, according to the Park County Attorney's Office. Gibson said she never pleaded guilty to the charges.
“It's all just a blur, a nightmare that I will carry with me the rest of my life,” said Gibson.
According to The Livingston Enterprise, she was later convicted of a lesser misdemeanor trespassing violation and fined $500, plus a $90 court fee. She was not sentenced to jail time.
She said she wrote letters to the city manager and city commission chair because she felt the city was not listening to local voices while making changes, such as putting in temporary bulb-outs downtown and considering a plan to remove 26 trees at Sacagawea Park for a parking lot.
“That is the whole crux of everything, is the locals feel we're not being heard. And this is what we want. We love our town, please don't change it. Let it grow, let them come, just don't change the charm and the personality and the beauty of who we are,” said Gibson.
According to Gibson, the letters said, “Dear Charlie Kirk, if you insist on putting bulb-outs downtown, you’re a dead man.” She said she did not sign the letters with her name, leaving them anonymous.
Charlie Kirk was a conservative influencer who was assassinated at a Utah event on Sept. 10, a few weeks before Gibson sent her letters.
Gibson said she regretted putting the letters in the mailbox, but when she went outside to take it out, the mail carrier had already picked it up.
“I panicked, and my heart was pounding. And I thought, oh no, oh no, oh no. What have I done? What have I done?” said Gibson.
“This is not who I am. And anybody that knows me, knows that character I created is not who I am,” she added.
Gibson said she went to city officials in person and told them not to open the letters when they received them, but one official’s family member did open one and called the police.
Gibson was then arrested and given a no-trespass order against the official’s home and city office buildings.
She appeared back in court when she violated that order.
“I didn't know you can't make a phone call. You can't say hi to him. You can't talk to him in the grocery store. You can't mail him a letter. So, then I was charged with violating the no trespass order by writing a letter of apology,” said Gibson.
While the city took away the bulb-outs Oct. 1, the concerns such as removing trees at Sacagawea Park remain.
“We don't want our heart and soul to die. We want it to stay the same,” said Gibson.
MTN left voicemails with the city manager's office seeking comment but has not received a response by deadline.
