Man Who Threatened to 'Blow Off' Priest's Head Had Previous Run-ins With Police

The mother of a man charged with threatening a Canonsburg priest told police that he has long-standing mental health issues, and that she "didn't know what he is capable of."

Police on Tuesday charged Sam Kinkus, 56, of Washington, with criminal attempt to commit aggravated assault, harassment and making terroristic threats after he told an employee at St. Patrick's Church to tell the Rev. John Batykefer he was going to "blow his head off."

The complaint (see attached document) also indicates the man told police he was upset that the priest had "released some demons at the church."

Kinkus was described in court documents as a regular attendee at Mass, although he is not a member of the church. Employees told police they thought he was "on some type of medication and has some mental problems."

When Canonsburg and North Strabane police visited the address provided by St. Patrick's employees, they spoke to Kinkus' mother, who said that her son is "schizophenic and and insane," and had been in and out of mental hospitals. While living in Florida, she said Kinkus attempted to commit suicide between 13 and 18 times.

His mother told officers that the pair had returned to Pennsylvania in 1999, and that Kinkus was on medication, was employed and had "his life back on track" until February, when she said he went off his prescription drugs and moved from her home to an apartment in the City of Washington.

That's when she told police she began receiving phone calls from departments in Fayette County and one from officers in Kentucky regarding various arrests.

"She said she fears for her safety and is not sure what he is capable of doing," police said in the criminal complaint.

Court documents also reveal that North Strabane police had arrested Kinkus three other times, once in 2003 for assaulting his mother.

Kinkus was arraigned before district Judge David Mark on Tuesday and remanded to the Washington County Jail in lieu of $125,000 straight bond. His preliminary hearing is set for 11:30 a.m. June 1 in Mark's courtroom.