A Jackson County woman was arrested Sunday evening after investigators said she used social media to recruit people to assassinate President Donald Trump, a plan described in online posts that prompted a fast-moving inquiry and a single felony count of making a terroristic threat.
Authorities identified the suspect as Morgan L. Morrow, 39, of Ripley. Sheriff Ross Mellinger said deputies and the Jackson County Bureau of Investigations tracked the posts over the weekend and took Morrow into custody without incident. She was booked into the South Central Regional Jail ahead of an initial court appearance expected this week. Investigators said the arrest followed what they called “social media recruitment” to find individuals willing to pursue and kill the president. The sheriff’s office did not release a detailed affidavit Sunday night, citing the early stage of the case and coordination with partner agencies.
Deputies began looking into the account after tips referenced a video and messages that appeared to solicit help in targeting Trump. The posts circulated on at least one mainstream platform and were shared more widely through local community groups, investigators said. Mellinger said his office moved quickly once screenshots began to spread, adding that the arrest was based on language that explicitly sought participants for an assassination. “We took the statements seriously from the outset,” the sheriff said. Morrow was located at a residence in the Ripley area and transported to the regional jail for booking Sunday night.
Officials said the charge filed so far is a state felony for terroristic threats; additional counts could be considered if more evidence is developed. As of Monday, no federal complaint had been announced publicly. The sheriff’s office said it notified appropriate federal partners as a matter of routine when threats involve the president. Investigators did not report the recovery of weapons or a written plan as of the first briefing. They described the case as centered on recruiting language in the social media posts rather than an imminent, operational plot. No other arrests were announced.
Public records list Morrow as a resident of Ripley; local outlets reported she worked at the county library system, though her employment status was not addressed by authorities. The sheriff’s office posted a brief summary of the arrest on its Facebook page and emphasized that the information “was not meant to be a political-oriented statement,” a line included to tamp down early commentary in the post’s replies. The department said further details would follow as investigators collect statements and preserve digital evidence. The jail roster on Monday showed Morrow held pending a bond setting by a magistrate judge.
Incitement cases tied to social media have proliferated across jurisdictions in recent years as investigators triage threats toward public officials. In West Virginia, state law allows prosecutors to charge terroristic threats when a person intentionally makes statements that threaten to commit a violent crime with intent to terrorize or disrupt public services. Cases often turn on screenshots, platform records and whether messages constitute true threats versus protected speech. In federal matters involving the president, the U.S. Secret Service and the FBI typically evaluate credibility and intent and may adopt cases when evidence shows planning or interstate communications.
Deputies said they are pursuing warrants for the account’s underlying data, including registration details, IP logs and any direct messages that could reveal whether others responded to the solicitation. Investigators will also review devices seized during the arrest if a court authorizes a search, a process that can take days as digital forensics teams image and analyze phones and computers. The sheriff’s office declined to specify the platform used, citing preservation steps with the company and requests not to spur copycat posts while the investigation is active.
Ripley, a city of about 3,200 people near Interstate 77, saw a small crowd gather outside the courthouse Monday morning as word of the arrest spread through local media. A handful of residents stopped to photograph the printed jail docket taped to a hallway bulletin board; others expressed concern that national-level threats could originate from their community. There were no protests or security disruptions at county buildings, officials said. Courthouse deputies and city police maintained a visible presence near entrances as a precaution.
Legal next steps include a bond hearing in Jackson County Magistrate Court, where a judge will consider risk factors and any proposed conditions. Prosecutors could seek to keep Morrow held pending further proceedings, pointing to the nature of the alleged threat. Defense counsel had not been listed in the docket by midday. If charges are bound over, the case would proceed to Circuit Court for indictment consideration by a grand jury. Any federal action would run in parallel and could supersede state counts if adopted by U.S. authorities.
In their public note, deputies asked residents to refrain from contacting the department with rumors and to allow the investigative process to run its course. They said the agency would release additional information when court filings become available. The sheriff’s office also reiterated that the post announcing the arrest was intended as a straightforward public safety update. As of late Monday, Morrow remained at the South Central Regional Jail, and officials said they anticipated a brief first appearance early this week once paperwork from the arrest was finalized.
By Monday evening, Morrow was still jailed pending a bond decision, and no federal complaint had been announced. Investigators said the next update would follow after the initial hearing and the execution of digital search warrants in the coming days.
Author note: Last updated January 27, 2026.