Judge Threatened in Pharmacist Case

The judge hearing the case of an Oklahoma City pharmacist charged with first degree murder after killing a would-be robber has received death threats in phone calls to her chambers.

Judge Tammy Bass-LeSure said the calls began shortly after she raised the bond on Jerome Ersland from $50,000 to $100,000.

"They were threats on my life," Bass-LeSure said. "There were a lot of racial epithets and just things of that nature."

Ersland was charged with murder after the investigation of the robbery showed he shot one of the would-be robbers, an unarmed 16 year old, chased the other two from his pharmacy, then returned inside and shot the bleeding suspect an additional five times.

In a nationally televised interview with Bill O'Reilly, Ersland said he was fearful for his life when he fired the additional shots.

He has turned all his weapons over to his attorney at the order of the judge.