SEABROOK — The Seabrook man accused of threatening to kill a local family over an unpaid debt had his charges reduced to misdemeanor level and may now face trial at Hampton District Court in Seabrook.
Robert E. April, 40, of 6 Janvrin Drive, was arraigned two weeks ago on charges of threatening to kill a 17-year-old boy and his family because the boy's brother owed April $30. Originally charged with felony level charges, police reduced the charges to a misdemeanor because of legal issues, Seabrook police Lt. Michael Gallagher said recently.
"The crime as described by the witnesses didn't fit all the elements of felony criminal threatening as required by state law," Gallagher said yesterday.
April has been out on $1,000 cash and $4,000 personal recognizance bail for about a week. Unless he violates his bail conditions, he will remain out of jail until his trial.
Although arrested on criminal threatening charges recently, it was comments April allegedly made to the 17-year-old victim about his involvement in the 8-year-old Curt Pishon missing person case that drew swift attention from police.
According to the Oct. 14, 2008, criminal threatening arrest affidavit filed by Seabrook Officer Mark Richardson and Officer Frank Brown, April approached his 17-year-old victim about 6:30 p.m. that evening and said: "When I see your brother boy, I'm gonna slice his throat and nobody will find his body just like the missing person from Seabrook, ya that's right I (expletive) killed him and your brother is next and nobody will find ... an ounce of blood. I buried him in my yard, and your brother's next."
April has been a person of interest in the 8-year-old disappearance case of Curt Pishon for some time, Gallagher said. April's alleged admission to killing Pishon two weeks ago, however, gave police a new lead on the case, Gallagher said.
Yesterday, Gallagher said Seabrook investigators are looking closely at the new information, trying to obtain a search warrant. The investigation into Pishon's disappearance was renewed within past months and is still ongoing, Gallagher said.
Gallagher said there is more than one person of interest in the Pishon case.
In July, police and the Pishon's family launched a new initiative in that case to try to find Pishon's body for family burial. The new campaign to find Pishon includes a $6,000 reward for anyone coming forward with information leading to the conviction of those responsible for his disappearance.
Pishon, 41, a security guard at the former Seabrook-based Venture Corp., disappeared during the early morning hours of his shift on July 5, 2000. Gallagher confirmed earlier this year leads point to Pishon being killed by "persons of interest," after Pishon stumbled across criminal activity during his shift at Venture.
Gallagher urges those with information to contact the Pishon family Web site www.findcurt.com, or call the police at 603-474-5200 or its anonymous Crime Line at 603-474-2640.
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