Razor blades, used condoms: Panthers CEO reveals story behind vile death threat and its tragic end

Penrith Panthers boss Brian Fletcher has revealed fresh details of a disturbing parcel he was sent at work which contained razor blades and threats. EXCLUSIVE VIDEO.

Panthers CEO Brian Fletcher has revealed more details about the disturbing package he was sent in the mail which contained used condoms, a death threat and razor blades.

Having only just returned to Sydney from a family funeral, Fletcher said he had no immediate fears for his safety until police intervened at the club’s request.

He was then advised to spend time away from Penrith to ensure everyone’s safety while the matter was addressed.

While regretful the bizarre episode resulted in the sender’s suicide, Fletcher has only recently been struck by the enormity of what transpired.

Panthers CEO Brian Fletcher. Brian was the recipient of a worrying envelope addressed to his office that included a death threat. Picture: Richard Dobson

Speaking exclusively to News Corp from his Penrith office, Fletcher revealed the timeline of events.

“I had to go back home because my sister’s husband passed away,” he said.

“I arrived back at work on the Friday morning and found an envelope on my desk with some other mail. I opened it up and it had some really weird parcels inside it.

“It really upset me straight away but I didn’t take the enormity of it until I took it to senior staff and they asked me to contact the police straight away with it.

“The razor blades were what concerned me and the little packet of powder and on the outside it had ‘I’m a serial killer rest in peace’ when I started to think about that I got a bit nervous.”

While advised to step away from the club, Fletcher was not given any security detail at his home on the north shore with authorities satisfied he would be safe.

“The police took the envelope and went away, I had a week away from work and worked from home on advice,” he said.

Penrith Panthers CEO Brian Fletcher speaks to the media. Picture: AAP

“I didn’t want to put anyone else in danger in case it was something drastic.

“I was quite OK, I didn’t go out that much.

“The envelope was addressed to Panthers so I felt comfortable that they didn’t know my home address.

“The words “I’m a serial killer” and the razor blades, the more I thought about it the more it bothered me, it’s something you wouldn’t want to carry around for the rest of your life without an end result.

“Unfortunately at the end of the week I got news that the gentleman had done away with himself.

“As sad at the end result was it was a good result for me.”

RAZOR BLADES, USED CONDOMS: PANTHERS BOSS SENT SICK DEATH THREAT

Panthers chief executive Brian Fletcher was subjected to a vile death threat in which a deranged man sent razor blades, used condoms and white powder in an envelope with the words: “I’m a serial killer, Rest in Peace.”

NSW Police tracked down the perpetrator late last week but he had committed suicide.

Fletcher spent last week holed up at home for protection before returning to his high-profile role at premiers Penrith on Monday.

A rattled Fletcher also revealed the words “ha ha” were written on both sides of the razor blades.

He immediately informed the NRL and Panthers chairman Peter Graham.

Fletcher, who has presided over Penrith’s back-to-back premiership success, described the death threat and letter as “disturbing, scary and confronting.”

“I came to work on Friday morning the week before last and when I got there the mail was delivered. It gets put on each manager’s desk because this (Panthers) is such a big place,” Fletcher said.

“When I came to my office I had a letter - along with some other mail - addressed to ‘Brian Fletcher, CEO of the Panthers’. I naturally opened it and it had all this weird stuff in it.

“There were razor blades with the words ‘ha ha’ written on both sides. There was a plastic bag filled with white powder which I didn’t open.

Brian Fletcher . Picture: Richard Dobson

“Written on the bag was: ‘I’m a serial killer, Rest in Peace.’ Those words affected me. That made me nervous. There were also what looked like used condoms in the envelope as well.

“There was other garbage in the envelope as well. There was a letter but you couldn’t make any sense out if. The thing that really concerned me were the razor blades.

“The envelope was full of scary stuff. It was very disturbing and not something you want to carry around for the rest of your life, not getting an end result.

“It upset and affected me straight away but I didn’t take in the enormity of it until I spoke with some of my staff.

“I told my chief financial officer and PA and they straight away said that I should get the police involved, which I did.

“The police came out and interviewed me and took all the stuff away, the envelope and evidence.

“Over the next few days, the police sent me the case number and were going to inform me of anything they found out.

The letter was sent to Panthers Leagues Club.

“I felt obliged to stay away the following week until we could get some answers. I didn’t want to put anyone else in danger either. I worked from home on advice to be on the safe side.

“My main concern was, at a big place like this (Panthers), that if there was someone who wanted to attack me…if I’m here at work and this place is full of people and you get some disturbed person come in, I couldn’t put everyone at risk or danger in case it was something drastic.

“It wasn’t addressed to my home so I felt protected there. It’s a strange world.

“I told the NRL, they were very helpful, and also informed my chairman.”

Fletcher attempted unsuccessfully to determine who may have sent the letter.

“At the close of last week, I got advice that the police had tracked down the person who had sent the letter. It was one of a few letters the person had sent out to other people with a profile around Sydney,” Fletcher said.

“I was then told that the person who sent the letter had taken his own life. He must have had mental health problems and ended his life.

“I couldn’t recollect anything that I had done over the previous few years that would have resulted in something like happening. I didn’t feel that way at all.

“Actually, I tried to think of a reason why someone would do that to you but I couldn’t come up with a reason.

“But it’s not something you get and throw in the garbage bin and say: ‘That’s all right’. I was nervous because I felt it was somebody who had mental problems.”

The NRL was informed of the threat.

Despite being a hardened and veteran official, the episode shook Fletcher.

“When I started to think about it, that’s when I became a bit rattled. I know it rattled my wife and my two daughters,” he said. “They were all pretty concerned about it.

“Fortunately, or unfortunately, it was a matter where there was an end. It could have stayed open-ended, which would have been a lot harder to deal with.

“When I was at home, I didn’t go out that much, I felt okay. Given the envelope was addressed to Panthers, I felt comfortable the person didn’t know my home address.

“It was one of the most confronting and unsettling moments I’ve had in my professional career, no risk.

“I had 28 years as CEO at Hawkesbury Race Club and have been here (at Penrith) for seven years and been associated as a board member and chairman for 14 years.

“But this is something you never want to experience and you don’t wish it on anybody. The more I thought about it, the more it affected me.”

Asked where the deceased lived, Fletcher only said: “He lived in the Sydney area. The main thing was that nobody got hurt.”

Originally published as Razor blades, used condoms: Panthers CEO reveals story behind vile death threat and its tragic end