A Loudoun County, Virginia, jury on Friday, October 9 found Hadyn James Dollery, a 19-year-old trans-identified male and former substitute teacher, guilty on four of five counts for threatening to kill people and go on a "murder spree" at John Champe High School.
Dollery, of Chantilly, goes by "Sophie." He worked as a substitute at Eagle Ridge Middle School, according to Loudoun Now.
What he sent
Prosecutors told the jury that at 1:49 a.m. on April 15, the day after his ex-boyfriend broke up with him, Dollery messaged the ex on Discord, where he used the name "Cotton Candy." He said he planned to:
- kill the ex,
- kill members of his own family and the ex's family,
- go on a "murder spree at your school," and
- cannibalize one of the victims after killing them.
He later asked the ex to return a shirt "if I'm deemed fit to work after this s—t I'm about to do."
The threats were reported through the Safe2Talk app. Prosecutor Dircia Schubert said officials at Eagle Ridge and John Champe judged the threats credible and put extra security on both schools until his arrest. Deputies arrested him on April 20, WJLA reported.
A box cutter was found in his backpack, and phone records showed his phone had been used to search Google about blood.
"Teenage drama"
His lawyer, Mary Swanson, called it a "teenage love triangle" and "teenage drama … blown out of proportion," saying he was "hurt … and desperate for attention."
The jury didn't buy it. After deliberating, the seven men and five women convicted him of two counts of threatening to injure or kill a person, one count of making threats on school grounds, and one count of threatening to damage a building. He was acquitted on one other threat count.
The four convictions carry up to 25 years in prison, with no minimum. Sentencing is set for January 28, 2027. His lawyers say they will ask Judge Matthew Snow to release him on bond in the meantime.
Not just "teenage drama"
This was not just a heartbroken 19-year-old. This was a trans-identified male who, the day after a breakup, sent 1:49 a.m. messages vowing to kill families, go on a "murder spree" at a high school and cannibalize a victim, while a box cutter sat in his backpack and his phone was used to search Google about blood. And he had been working in a Loudoun County middle school.
Loudoun County Public Schools put a 19-year-old trans-identified male in a middle school classroom. Parents deserve to know how he was screened and hired.
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