Carroll County Georgia Authorities Continue To Work With FBI Investigating Likely Anti-Gay Hate Crime

Carroll County, Georgia authorities are working with officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigations attempting to determine who threatened 43 year old openly gay Christopher Staples and then followed through on the threat hours later, the Times-Georgian reports. A rock wrapped with a threatening note containing anti-gay slurs was thrown through the window of Staples home Saturday night. Sunday morning, the house was burned. Carroll County Sherriff’s Office Capitan Shane Taylor says investigators were called to the home at 8:30 pm Saturday night after the rock was discovered, and at that time “Our investigators recovered the evidence and began the process of developing suspects,” adding that given the nature of the investigation he could not discuss the specifics of the note attached. “Then at 5:50 am Sunday, we were called again with the residence on fire,” said Taylor. “In my time here, I’ve never seen anything quite like this.” Staples’ mother, Wanda Morris, who lives adjacent to her son, says that the note in part read “we know you are gay,” contained crude anti-gay insults, and threatened that Staples would “burn in hell.” Staples escaped the fire without physical injury, but is distraught, and fearing for his safety, is staying with friends at an undisclosed location. The FBI would not comment on whether hate crime charges will be filed, but continue to work with local authorities.