Judge: Ex-SIU student's note admissible in threat trial

EDWARDSVILLE -- A Madison County judge says a rampage-threatening note found by police in a car on Southern Illinois University's Edwardsville campus can be used during the trial of the former student suspected of writing it.

Attorneys for Olutosin Oduwole argued that the note found in July 2007 was illegally seized from the car found abandoned on campus and should be thrown out.

Authorities say the handwritten note threatened a deadly rampage similar to the one at Virginia Tech would take place if a certain payment wasn't made to a PayPal account.

Oduwole has pleaded not guilty to attempting to make a terrorist threat, as well as charges of unlawful weapons possession, theft and computer fraud.

Federal authorities say Oduwole ordered four semiautomatic guns online shortly before his arrest.