Staff Report

WARSAW — A man arrested Wednesday, April 28, after allegedly threatening to bomb the Kosciusko County’s probation department, apparently wrote several practice notes he left at home prior to leaving one tied to the door of a downtown business.

Travis Lee Henson

Travis Lee Henson, 38, 504 E. Fort Wayne Street, Warsaw, was taken into custody and placed on a 48-hour prosecutor hold.

According to court paperwork, DNA, video evidence and some previously written notes from the suspect aided police in the investigation.

Police were dispatched to a local business at about 7 a.m. Wednesday in reference to a bomb threat.

Upon arrival, an officer spoke with an employee who said she arrived at work and saw a piece of paper tied to the door. The note read, “I will detonate a bomb sometime this week at the Probation Dept. Good Luck! You’ll need IT!”

The note was handwritten on a piece of white paper, torn on one edge and written in what appeared to be a black marker. There was a piece of twine attached to the note, used to tie the note to the door handle of the building.

Officers collected the note and twine as evidence.

The Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office was advised of the threat. Multiple officers searched the area and did not locate any suspicious items around the area of the Justice Building. The interior of the Justice Building was also searched, with nothing suspicious found.

Upon searching the area, officers used exterior surveillance video from businesses in the downtown area and reviewed video from the evening of April 27 into the morning hours of April 28. 

In the surveillance footage, an individual was seen wearing what appeared to be a gray sweatshirt, baseball cap, jeans and white tennis shoes walking west on Main Street before turning south on Buffalo Street on April 28. 

The person could be seen on the surveillance footage holding a white piece of paper as he continued southbound on Buffalo Street before turning and walking eastbound on Center Street.

The subject was seen on additional security cameras approaching the door of a business at approximately 6:36 a.m., pausing and then walking east on Main Street. He is then seen walking south on Buffalo Street, down an alley near Old National Bank, and then near the Warsaw Public Library before heading toward a CVS pharmacy – just a few blocks from his residence.

Police observed security footage showing the subject enter CVS. An officer was able to identify the person as Henson due to previous and unrelated incidents involving him.

It was confirmed that Henson was currently on probation through Kosciusko County, with a Fort Wayne Street address on file.

Testing was performed by the Indiana State Police Laboratory, with a DNA match from evidence at the scene matching a known sample of DNA from Henson. 

A search warrant was obtained for Henson’s residence.

Police executed the search warrant and Henson was taken into custody without incident.

During the search, officers found a glass smoking device used for methamphetamine and a piece of paper with “I will detonate a bomb this week in this building. I will continue this terror. Good Luck” written on it as well as a box containing methamphetamine and rolled-up dollar bill on the floor, along with a piece of paper and notepads.

On the piece of paper, the words, “This week! I will set a bomb off in this building! And terrorize it’s employees. Good Luck!”

Another notepad contained the words, “I will detonate a bomb sometime this.”

Henson agreed to speak with an officer and allegedly admitted that he was behind on his court-ordered payments, had missed a probation appointment and was using methamphetamine again.

Henson admitted to trying to buy some time with the bomb threat. He said he did not have a bomb.