Man Who Complained Ex-Proud Boy Was Plotting to Kill Him Is Found Dead

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Daily Beast

Rachel Olding 5 hrs ago

An Arizona man who claimed he was targeted in a terrifying Proud Boys “assassination” plot has been found dead in a suspected homicide, according to authorities.

Officers from the El Mirage Police Department found Thomas Christopher Retzlaff, 55, dead at his home on Sept. 1 with unspecified “fatal injuries,” spokesperson Timothy Mason told the Phoenix New Times. Police had been asked to do a welfare check by his wife. The death was ruled a homicide by the Maricopa Medical Examiner, the New Times reported.

Hanszen Laporte, a law firm that was representing Retzlaff in a slew of convoluted lawsuits, confirmed his death to The Daily Beast on Friday.

While police have not disclosed any further details about Retzlaff’s death, and not named any suspects, The Daily Beast previously reported that he had been complaining for years about what he said was a campaign of “threats of murder and mayhem” carried out by Jason Lee Van Dyke. The Texas lawyer previously represented the Proud Boys and was once a member of the far-right “Western chauvinist” group.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/man-who-complained-ex-proud-boy-was-plotting-to-kill-him-is-found-dead/ar-AAP2R1h

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The Target of an Alleged Proud Boys Plot Has Been Found Murdered in El Mirage
JOSH KELETY OCTOBER 1, 2021 5:32AM

Members of the Proud Boys, a far-right group of "western chauvinists."

A man who allegedly was the previous target of a surveillance and assassination plot by a former attorney for the Proud Boys was found murdered in El Mirage, Arizona, earlier this month.

On September 1, 2021, El Mirage Police Department officers discovered 55-year-old Thomas Christopher Retzlaff dead at his home with unspecified "fatal injuries" after responding to a welfare check requested by his wife, according to agency spokesperson Timothy Mason. The Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner later ruled the death a homicide.

In recent years, Retzlaff had been entangled in a vicious and convoluted legal battle with Jason Van Dyke, a Texas-based attorney who is a former Proud Boys member and once served as the group's lawyer.

Van Dyke filed a $100 million libel lawsuit in federal court in 2018 accusing Retzlaff of falsely calling him a Nazi and a pedophile in blog posts. Retzlaff had also filed bar complaints against Van Dyke in an attempt to derail his potential job as a prosecutor in the Victoria County District Attorney's Office, according to a report by The Daily Beast.

More:
https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/tom-retzlaff-found-dead-proud-boys-jason-van-dyke-el-mirage-12117784

[Judi Lynn]

1. On Recording, Former Proud Boys Leader Jason Van Dyke Lays Out Plans for Stalking, Terror Campaign

June 02, 2020

Brett Barrouquere

The detailed plans – never carried out – spelled out on a recording of Texas attorney Jason Van Dyke involved close surveillance, a potential ambush attack resulting in a killing, an escape, a faked death and – if violence wasn’t feasible – a psychological terror campaign.

“I want this guy cowering in a corner with his dogs wondering when I’m going to show up and come for him,” Van Dyke said.

An informant captured Van Dyke discussing the potential plots on a recording obtained pursuant to an Open Records Act request by Hatewatch from the Oak Point, Texas, police department. Van Dyke was once a prominent leader in the hate group the Proud Boys.

The existence of the alleged plots surfaced in a lawsuit between Van Dyke and Thomas Christopher Retzlaff of Arizona, an antagonist of Van Dyke.

More:
https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2020/06/02/recording-former-proud-boys-leader-jason-van-dyke-lays-out-plans-stalking-terror-campaign

[RockRaven]

2. How many Proud Boys are there in the ranks of the El Mirage PD and Maricopa Sheriff Dept?

The number almost certainly isn't zero. Will they catch and prosecute the killer, or nah?

[Hoyt]

3. In article, Proud Boyz are referred to as "a far-right group of "western chauvinists."l

[RFCalifornia]

5. More like a Neo-Nazi cult tied to Thule and Hitler

[UpInArms]

6. And trump

eom

[RFCalifornia]

7. That too n/t

[UpInArms]

9. And ... welcome to DU!

Long may you post

[RFCalifornia]

10. Thank you sir!

[UpInArms]

11. Lol!

Ma’am …

a getting very old ma’am …

20 years and nearing 50,000 posts …

So glad to see others are stepping in and up to keep fighting along with us … and after us

[RFCalifornia]

12. Sorry, thank you Ms n/t

[RFCalifornia]

4. Book 'em Dan-O!

Seriously, this shouldn't be hard

[monkeyman1]

13. welcome aboard !

[RFCalifornia]

15. Great to be here!

A communitarian place for us to be

[burrowowl]

16. Welcome to DU!

I like your quote!

[IronLionZion]

8. Can we call them terrorists yet?

or since they have advanced to killing people do we now have to pretend they have mental illness and aren't political?

[monkeyman1]

14. domestic terrorist ! republican Taliban !

[BlueWavePsych]

17. Yup, the GQP surely are ....

[pandr32]

18. I sure hope this will be part of a massive RICO case

[bucolic_frolic]

19. This sounds suspicious

I bet police suspect foul play.

[gopiscrap]

20. fucking cops probably helped kill him

or at the very least turned a blind eye while it was happening

[msfiddlestix]

21. So this horrific murder occurred over a month ago, yet there are no arrests?

When they have a suspect, sure seems like that thug should be investigated and charged.

[ck4829]

22. Kick