Pro-Trump Texas woman who made series of violent (and racist) threats is missing after failing to report to prison

A Texas woman with a history of making racist and violent threats against public officials has disappeared after failing to report to federal prison, prompting a judge to issue a warrant for her arrest.

Abigail Shry, who previously lived in Alvin, Texas, was ordered to begin serving a 27-month sentence at a federal correctional facility in Tallahassee, Florida, on Tuesday. Instead, she did not surrender as required, and authorities say they are now trying to locate her. A federal judge in Houston has authorized law enforcement to take her into custody.

Shry’s criminal case stems from a series of threatening messages directed at elected officials and government institutions. In November 2024, she pleaded guilty to a federal charge in Texas related to a voicemail she left for U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan. The message was left shortly after Chutkan was assigned in August 2023 to oversee President Donald Trump’s 2020 election interference case.

According to court filings, Shry used a racial slur in referring to the judge and warned that if Trump were not elected in 2024, “we’re coming to kill you,” adding that Chutkan should “tread lightly.” Prosecutors described the language as explicit and alarming.

Shry was also accused of threatening then-Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Democrat from Texas. Court documents say she left a message stating she intended to kill Lee and target her personally and publicly, along with her family. Jackson Lee died of natural causes nearly a year later, unrelated to the threats.

In addition to the federal case, Shry faced scrutiny at the state level. Texas court records show she was investigated in 2023 for threats made during impeachment proceedings against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Trump ally. Authorities alleged that she left voicemails for two state senators in the Houston area warning of “war on the Texas Capitol” if Paxton were impeached.

Police said Shry claimed any confrontation would involve weapons and would be more violent than the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. She allegedly warned that people would “come to Austin and annihilate the government.” In that case, she pleaded no contest and agreed to serve a 90-day jail sentence as part of a plea deal.

Law enforcement reports also indicated that Shry contacted several members of Congress in 2023 with similar threats, allegedly warning of an attack on the U.S. Capitol if Trump was not returned to office.

Earlier court proceedings highlighted concerns about her behavior. During a detention hearing in August 2023, shortly after the threat to Judge Chutkan, a federal prosecutor argued that Shry appeared unstable and could escalate her actions. The prosecutor told the court there was no reliable way to predict what she might do next, pointing to the pattern of threats in the preceding months.

In recent months, Shry had sought to delay her prison sentence through multiple court filings, but those requests were denied. Her failure to self-surrender now exposes her to additional legal trouble.

Greg Rosen, a former federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C., said that skipping a court-ordered surrender can carry serious consequences. He explained that judges rely on defendants to comply with release conditions, and failing to report can lead to new criminal charges under federal law, as well as stricter treatment in future proceedings. It may also factor into how authorities pursue and prosecute her once she is apprehended.

One of Shry’s defense attorneys declined to comment on her disappearance. Another lawyer has moved to withdraw from representing her following her failure to report to prison. Authorities have not publicly disclosed her whereabouts, and the search for her is ongoing.

Source: CBS NEWS