No charges for man accused of stalking Taylor Swift
LaPorte County prosecutors have dropped charges against a Long Beach man who allegedly sent Taylor Swift violent messages, tracked her to her Nashville home and resulted in her getting a restraining order against him.
Mitchell Taebel, 36, of Long Beach, Indiana, was charged May 31 with stalking, intimidation, misdemeanor invasion of privacy, and misdemeanor harassment.
Prosecutors filed a motion to dismiss without prejudice on Monday, which still leaves them the opportunity to refile the charges at a later date.
Taebel posted a $750 bond to be released from the LaPorte County Jail on Thursday, according to court records.
As recently as an Oct. 31 hearing, a court denied his petition to lower his bond due to Taebel’s “criminal history, being a moderate risk to reoffend, being a flight risk and a danger to the community,” the court docket states.
Taebel still faces stalking and harassment by phone and computer charges in a separate case filed in June in LaPorte County.
In the Swift case, Taebel was accused of sending erratic, disturbing or threatening messages to her management company, her father and Swift’s official social media accounts between March 25 to May 18.
Taebel posted a “voice” message on March 29 to Instagram he allegedly sent to Swift’s official account saying he would “happily” wear a “bomb” if he couldn’t be with his “soul mate.”
The next day, March 30, he allegedly sent a message to Swift’s father saying he was her “soulmate,” the “only one that can make her feel secure” and “hopes to join
them tonight.”
Taebel reached out to several governor’s offices where Swift was touring, saying he was making his “Presidential” campaign part of her tour. He left “numerous” messages at her management company, saying she should “appreciate” him and he would have “increased” assets after he proposed, according to court documents.
“Taebel still maintains the delusion that he and (Swift) will be married and, if elected President, that (she) will be his First Lady,” according to the affidavit.
He would “wear a bomb” to meet her. To never meet her was “worse than death.”
On April 29, Taebel said Swift should be “shot right between the legs” to learn “self respect.”
He went to a Nashville luxury condominium complex on May 5 where Swift owns a penthouse.
He got in through an unlocked door before security stopped him.
They called the cops, but he left before they arrived.
He managed to get into Swift’s Nissan Stadium concert that night, despite being on a security watch list.
Once he was recognized by security, he was questioned and kicked out.
Lawyers for the management company petitioned in Nashville for a temporary restraining order, granted May 11. Taebel was served in Indiana two days later. It was extended on May 24, ordering he have no contact with her.
He continued to post social media clips tagging Swift, violating the restraining order, which triggered the stalking charges.
Instagram and YouTube accounts with Taebel’s name appear to reference how he wants to marry Swift.
The Post-Tribune could not independently verify their authenticity.