Pa. woman charged with plot to kill controversial cartoonist

    Montgomery County residents were stunned to learn a Pennsburg woman stands accused of conspiring with Islamic radicals to commit a murder in Sweden. Prosecutors say Colleen LaRose, who posted videos under the name of Jihad Jane, traded e-mails with Islamic radicals and plotted to murder a Swedish citizen.

    Montgomery County residents were stunned to learn a Pennsburg woman stands accused of conspiring with Islamic radicals to commit a murder in Sweden. WHYY’s Peter Crimmins reports on an indictment released yesterday.

     

    Prosecutors say Colleen LaRose, who posted videos under the name of Jihad Jane, traded e-mails with Islamic radicals and plotted to murder a Swedish citizen. The likely target of the scheme emerged when police in Ireland arrested seven people in connection with an alleged plot to assassinate Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks, who’d depicted the head of the prophet Muhammad on the body of a dog.

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    According to the indictment, LaRose wrote that her appearance would allow her to blend in with many people, and quote, achieve what is in my heart.

    LaRose apparently blended well in the small suburban village of Pennsburg, where she lived in an apartment building on Main Street. Renee Herbert was her neighbor.

    Herbert: This is a very close-knit, quiet community. This is the most shocking, surprising thing I can remember happening. This is something you expect to hear in the cities – you don’t expect it in the country.

    La Rose was arrested in October and remains in federal custody.

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