FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – A Palm Coast mother said her family is still shaken years after her son received violent threats through Xbox messages — and she’s demanding answers after the case was dismissed, according to newly obtained court records by News4JAX.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 32-year-old man in Maine in April 2025, accusing him of sending threats to a Palm Coast resident and the resident’s family through Xbox messages. Investigators said the messages included threats to kill the victim, make the victim’s parents “disappear,” and burn the family’s house down.
Alicia, the victim’s mother, said the threats escalated quickly.
“He would tell them that his friends were in the army and they would come after them in their home,” she said.
The Sheriff’s Office investigation lasted over two years, but court documents show the case was recently dismissed.
Because the case is no longer being prosecuted, News4JAX is not naming the man who was arrested.
Online case records from the Flagler County Clerk of Courts show a status hearing was held Jan. 28. However, pretrial and status hearings in February and March were canceled, according to the clerk’s website.
She did not learn the case was being dropped until the state attorney called her.
“I was not aware at all until the state attorney called me on February 3rd,” she said.
Alicia said she was told over the phone that the accused man was deemed incompetent. Court records show an order for a mental examination filed in August 2025, though the results were not immediately available in the documents.
According to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office charging affidavit, the communications occurred on both Xbox and Snapchat, and the victim never met the accused man in person.
Dwann Holmes, a social media expert with Brand On-Demand Media, said threats on gaming platforms can be especially troubling.
“When you’re dealing with gaming platforms, they’re not just games. They really are social networks as well,” Holmes said.
Holmes said parents should watch for changes in their children’s behavior immediately after gaming.
She said her son wrote a letter to the judge intended for a March hearing, describing long-term effects from the threats. The letter ends: “I didn’t have a voice when I was younger and I do now. I hope justice one day will be served.”
“The reason why [my son] did this is so that he would not do this to any other boys,” she said.
News4JAX reached out to the State Attorney’s Office for comment and to find out exactly why the case was dismissed. A response had not been received as of publication.