Posted on Tue, Oct. 03, 2006

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SUMMONS ISSUED

Viers accused in menacing calls to wife's suitor

Man says callers threatened harm to family, vehicle

By Travis Tritten

The Sun News

Thad Viers

State Rep. Thad Viers and others threatened to assault a man last month who was dating his estranged wife, according to an affidavit signed in Richland County Magistrate Court.

Viers, R-Myrtle Beach, called James Zeigler six times, saying he would assault him, sexually assault his mother and father, and damage the man's vehicle, according to an incident report filed by the Columbia resident.

Viers, 28, a business consultant who was elected to the state legislature in 2002, denied the allegations Monday.

"This incident report is nothing more than a political hit job. I did not make the comments asserted in this incident report and did not threaten Mr. Zeigler, his family or his car," Viers wrote in an e-mail statement to The Sun News.

An arrest warrant was issued Sept. 22 for Viers and then voided. The Richland County magistrate court decided instead Sept. 29 to issue a courtesy summons for Viers, a type of summons newly created by South Carolina that allows suspects to remain free until their case is heard, Chief Magistrate Judge William Womble said late Monday.

The incident report filed Sept. 11 by Zeigler claims there were nine phone calls from unindentified people threatening to hurt him on Viers' behalf.

Zeigler declined comment Monday.

Zeigler "could not identify the other people calling but has saved the recordings for investigators from his voicemail," the sheriff's office wrote. "Zeigler does wish to prosecute."

The unindentified callers may have been acquaintances of Viers, according to the state lawmaker.

"A number of overzealous acquaintances, sometimes using my cell phone, may have placed lewd, lascivious or threatening calls but I deny these blatantly false accusations," Viers wrote in the e-mail statement.

Viers and his wife, Natalie, were separated July 12, two months before Zeigler filed the incident report, according to Richland County court records. Viers said the two considered trying the marriage again.

"Furthermore, this report was only made after Mr. Zeigler found out that my wife and I were attempting a reconciliation and had been seeing each [other] at length this past summer," Viers wrote.

Viers had not been served a warrant and had not been summoned to court on Monday, said Tom Herron, a political consultant working with Viers.

The recall of the arrest warrant and the issuance of a courtesy summons is an unusual occurrence, according to the Richland County Sheriff's Department.

"We never go through this situation," department spokesman Lt. Chris Cowan said.