Alexander Dietmar Willer’s death prompts dropped charges

A 72-year-old Maroochydore man who allegedly sent threatening letters to several high-profile politicians including the Queensland Premier has died before his day in court.

A 72-year-old Maroochydore man who allegedly sent threatening letters to several high-profile politicians including the Queensland Premier has died before his matters could be finalised.

Alexander Dietmar Willer – who was charged with 11 counts of using a postal service to make a threat to kill between 2015 and 2020 – died on February 21, 2022.

Court documents state Mr Willer allegedly sent the threatening letters to high profile politicians including Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, former politician Christine Forster-Abbott, Anne Ruston, Joe Hockey, federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Amie Frydenberg.

He also sent letters to Sonjia Kruger, Marion Morrison, Brad Bonhomme and Leigh Sales.

The documents state a majority of the letters included threats directed to another person separate to those who received them.

However the letters sent to Anne Ruston were written to menace, harass or offend the current Minister of Families and Social Services of Australia.

In November, 2020 Mr Willer was originally facing two counts of written threats to murder and an unrelated charge of unlawfully stalking a woman between January 1, 2019 and November 2, 2020.

During a mention of the matters on November 23, 2020, Maroochydore Magistrates Court heard another woman received a letter which included a threat to kill Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on September 16, and Ms Palaszczuk herself received a second letter threatening to kill her on September 22.

Mr Willer’s then lawyer Belinda Robinson told media outside court that the threats charges related to funeral restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The three matters were committed to the district court on February 11, 2021 where they remain on a call-over list.

The Maroochydore man’s 11 counts of using a postal service to make a threat to kill were dropped on April 22, 2022 when police offered no evidence.

A Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions spokesman confirmed they had ended their prosecution against Mr Willer after his death on February 21, 2022.

The court documents also stated Mr Willer had died and the charges had been dismissed.