AI CEO Gets Bloody Pig’s Head in Mail with Chilling Note

Police out in Las Vegas are trying to. figure out who sent a severed pig's head. to the CEO of a company. We're digging. into what we know so far about this. disturbing delivery, a creepy note that. came with it, and the possible motive. behind the Macob mystery right now, and. we're going to break it down with Tom. Smith, retired NYPD detective and. co-host of the Gold Shield Show. Welcome. to Sidebar, presented by Law and Crime. I'm Jesse Weber.

All right. So, this is a story that. seems straight out of the movies. What. kind of movie? Which movie? That's a. separate question. But what do we have. here? The CEO of a Nevada company that's. been working to integrate AI, artificial. intelligence into buying and selling. real estate, received a disgusting gift. in the mail. Maybe that's one way of. putting it. Someone apparently sent him. a box and nestled down in packing paper. and wrapped up in plastic wrap was a. bloody pig's head. This is like the.

Godfather, right? So, the head arrived. at a family member's home via USPS on. July 29th. The unfortunate recipient of. the box, Blake Owens, shared photos. showing the head all wrapped up inside. the box with local media outlets like. the Las Vegas Review Journal. And along. with this gross head was a note. Now, before we dive into what it said, I want. to give you a little bit of background. on Blake Owens. So, the 30-year-old Las. Vegas native is the founder of an AI. startup called Agria. It is named for.

the Roman general Marcus Agria, who. fought against Mark Anthony and. Cleopatra centuries ago. Little history. lesson here on sidebar. So, Owens has. been working to better integrate AI into. the real estate industry. AI is going. everywhere right now. and he has made. some bold statements in recent months. about how eventually AI will make. commercial brokers obsolete. It's pretty. scary. Back in June, local news station. 8 News now did a story about the. shuttered East Side Canery Hotel and.

Casino, the sale of which was assisted. by Owen's new AI tool called Marcus. Marcus Agria, you get it. Okay. So then. in July, Owens posted on X about the. future of AI in the world of CRA, you. know, commercial real estate. On July. 3rd, he wrote PSA for CRA brokers whose. only skill is hitting send on an email. blast. Marcus is coming. A Grippa Inc.'s. AI dealmaker doesn't sleep, doesn't. bluff, and doesn't take a cut. You will. be replaced. I'll make sure of it. Long.

live Marcus. Then he apparently posted a longer tweet. or X or message on July 17th, writing in. part, CRA brokers, brace yourselves. AI. is coming for your commissions. And. don't get me wrong, there are excellent. brokers out there, but many are useless. middlemen adding unnecessary costs. Just. like Grock serves ex users, Marcus is. designed to forecast behavior, provide.

feedback, and uncover hidden leverage. for Grippers users. There's still. significant work ahead. Marcus must. account for all deal types, property. types, user characteristics, and more. But this $45 million deal was an. exciting first step in our thesis of. combining AI and game theory. Long live. Marcus. So, it appears that not everyone. took kindly to Owen's online boast. And. the note that accompanied the head kind.

of gives us an idea of what the sender. might have been thinking. Okay. to talk. about it. Want to bring on Tom Smith, retired NYPD detective and co-host of. the Gold Shield Show. It's an incredible. podcast. Hope everybody can check it. out. Uh Tom, is this the beginning of. threats that we see in the AI space? I. mean, I think I can make a conclusion. here. I don't know for sure. Would it. seem, and I'll get into what the note. says, so let's not spoil it yet, but I. got to imagine making bold posts about.

AI and talking how about how it might. replace people's jobs can be very, very. scary for a lot of people. You think. we're going to be seeing threats against. AI creators? >> Yeah, I think so. Listen, no one wants. to lose their job or the position they. have in companies. I get that. But you. there's a line and this guy crossed that. line. You could be upset, you could be. mad all you want about the innovations. that are coming, you know, in the AI.

world, but when you start doing actions. and creating threats like this, you're. crossing the line and law enforcement's. not going to have it because of, you. know, the assassination of Brian. Thompson in New York City, you know, last year, uh, kind of set off the. watching over CEOs and really paying. attention to threats that are out there. because no one wants to deal with. another assassination of a CEO. >> Let me ask you this. Pig's head. You. ever see anything like that before?

Aside from the chopped up horse's head. and the Godfather, have you seen in your. experience, has anything like that ever. been sent through the mail? >> Well, there there's cases of other. things being sent through the mail as. well. uh you know, it's a powerful. statement that people just, you know, think are going to get ahead and and get. ahead of their message, but it doesn't. work because there's so many things that. you have to do in order to mail that. package that inevitably you're going to. get caught. Uh work how does that work?

Like what do police do to look at who. who had the ability to have a pig, have. the head, and ship it in a way where. they wouldn't get noticed? Well, the US. postal inspectors and the US Postal. Police are going to be involved in this. investigation because it is somewhat of. a federal crime. So, the FBI can also. get involved as well and the locals. So, there's going to be a team effort to do. this because like I said, the threats. that are out there because of what. happened in New York City are taken very.

very seriously. So, they're going to go. all out into stopping or or arresting. this person, which I don't think is. going to be a long uh process. Not to. scare everybody about AI, but I got to. say this. If you're a homeowner, you. need to listen to this. In today's AI. and cyber world, scammers are stealing. home titles, and your equity is the. target. Here's how it works. Criminals, they forge your signature on one. document. They use a fake notary stamp. They pay a small fee with your county. And just like that, your home title has. been transferred out of your name. Then. they take out loans using your equity or.

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will spend up to $1 million to fix it. So right now, go to hometitlelock.com, use promo code sidebar. That is. hometitlelock.com. promo code sidebar. Where does someone. even get a pig's head like that? And do. they do testing on the pig's head? >> Uh they could I mean the you know that's. that's going to be another fact of where. you know this guy is and the. accessibility he has to to animals and. and what he did with this. But you know. it it's not so much that Jesse it's the. threat. It's the overwhelming scare.

tactics that are going on in the world. And it's not just this. There's many. CEOs, especially after Brian Thompson's. assassination, that you had wanted. posters up with X's through their their. faces on on postings around New York and. other states. So, it's being taken very, very seriously. >> Before I get into this, let me get into. the note. Okay, so let's dig into what. this note, this letter had to say. And. it starts off by calling Owens Clark.

Kent knockoff. And not to make light of. his serious situation, but Owens does. kind of look like Clark Kent down to the. glasses. Anyway, it says, "Clark Kent. knockoff. A simple Google search goes a. long way these days, especially in. Vegas. Saw your Marcus video. What a. joke. AI, which is in quotes, is not. going to replace brokers. Clearly, you. don't understand. Real estate wasn't. built by developers or investors. And it. sure as hell wasn't built by tech guys.

in Lululemon. It was built by brokers. We did it the hard way. No shortcuts, no. tech, just people. So enjoy your moment. while it lasts and don't get greedy. because pigs get fat and hogs get. slaughtered. And the note is signed with. just an M. Tom, what are the clues from. that note? >> Well, he gives up who he is. He's a. broker. Uh, you know, plain and simple. He goes, >> Unless it's a misdirection. Unless it's. a misdirection,

>> it could be. But you know what? When. people aren't skilled in this, they make. mistakes and that was a mistake because. his, you know, his passion came out and. he forgot to take out the word we after. the word broker, you know. So, it kind. of gives a idea of who he is and and who. else is going to be upset about this? He. he constantly is antagonistic in his. posts, in his videos about getting. brokers out of the way and not have, you. know, them not having jobs and being.

replaced. So the obvious answer is this. individual is a broker. Now whether he. knows him or worked for a company that. they were affiliated with will be seen. down the line. But uh he gives up a lot. of clues in this of who he is. >> So if we assume it's a broker of some. kind and now we have the pig's head, we. have the note. How do they just start. looking at local brokers in the area? I. mean could it be from another state? How. do you what's the next step? Oh, by the. way, by the way, I'm sorry. fingerprints.

on the note. >> Yep. That's exactly what I was going to. say. The box, the note, all that is. going to be printed and processed, and. there's going to be a series of video. surveillance tapes that are going to be. pulled as well in and around that area. And like I said, his identity, I don't. think is is down the line too far. because we've talked about it before, Jesse. The the surveillance capabilities. today of comingings and goings into. establishments or when crimes are. committed are so advanced these days.

You can literally track someone from. getting out of their car to inside the. store to back in their car and getting. license plates and all that. So, I think. that's going to be the first step on top. of, like you said, processing the box, the note, and everything for any. possible fingerprints that are on there. >> Now, right off the bat, the suspect was. indicating that he's done at least a. little bit of research into Owens, right? He knows he lives in Vegas. Obviously, he was able to find Owen's. home address to send the package. So. then I wonder is there a way where they.

can track I mean I guess they first have. to get a suspect before they can look at. what the search history was. >> right you know once he's identified and. arrested that's going to take place his. digital footprints searches he did. because that's going to all build up to. the motive of this and the prosecution's. going to build that in their case. Uh so. that's going to be afterwards as well. The letter takes a darker turn at the. end. Tells Owens to enjoy the moment, not get greedy, talks about a slaughter.

You couple that with the actual pig. head. You know, this is not just. somebody commenting on X. This is a. different kind of step. How dangerous is. this suspect? >> Oh, very. You have to take a threat like. this to for someone to go to the steps. that he did in in putting all this. together. You He's dangerous. I mean, you have to be aware of the dangers and. mental capabilities of some people out. there and how hard things hurt. You. don't know what triggers people in their.

lives, in their, you know, their jobs. and all that. So, all of these, you. know, threats are very dangerous until. you grab this person, get them off the. street, and have the ability to talk to. him and see what's going on. By the way, according to the uh Las Vegas Review. Journal, the sender's name on the. package was Marcus Agria. So, another. reference to the company, it's new AI. tool. And I would say unlike a lot of. threatening letters that are featured on. TV and movies, this one isn't typed or,

you know, uses cutout letters from a. newspaper, it appears based on the. reporting to be handwritten. Could a. handwriting analyst help narrow down the. suspect? How does that work? Yeah, no. doubt about it. All the analy all the. analytical work that's going to go into. this is going to be broad from. fingerprints to handwriting analysis to. listen the the package had to be dropped. off somewhere. So you have a starting. point that's not a mystery. So you have.

a starting point of where this took. place. Then you're going to go back into. some cases. Has this happened before? And you go you're going to go into other. investigations of similarities of this. Did it happen before? what who were the. suspects in that? So, there's going to. be a lot to do with this. This is not a. simple investigation. This is going to. be pretty broad and hopefully not too. long and they get this guy. >> Talking about that, okay, Las Vegas. Metropolitan Police, they released. surveillance photos of a person of.

interest in this case. According to the. Las Vegas Review Journal, police said in. a press release that the man was seen. entering a post office on July 28th, so. that's the day before the package was. delivered to a home in Summerland. This. is just outside Vegas and Metro Police. officers reportedly spoke with Owens on. the 30th according to the Review Journal. and filed a report for harassment, but. Owens says they classified the incident. as a nonthreat. H seems like a threat to me, Tom. No. >> Yeah, very much. Uh you can't, you know,

kind of take this lightly. Uh, and you. would think there'd be more of a push in. this, but because of it being again in. the in the US Postal Service, it is a. federal offense and a federal crime. So, the federal agencies that need to be. involved are going to be the US Postal. Inspectors, postal police, the FBI if. needed. Uh, but this has to be, you. know, run down because the ramifications. of not doing it could be dreadful and. could be really bad. >> and also copycats.

>> Yeah. Uh, that's going to happen. You. know that happens in every crime because. of here's why the notoriety. Look at the. press he's getting. Look, it may have. had an impact on this. So, people are. going to take extraordinary steps to try. to get their point across, but those are. going to be perceived as threats. So, they're going to be held accountable for. those actions. By the way, just just to. go back to put a fine point on it, why. would police, if we're understanding the. reporting correctly, why would they. classify this as a non-threat?

>> I don't know because maybe just the. wording of it, there's not a legitimate. I'm going to kill you. Uh, be prepared, watch your family, you know, anything. like that. But you have to think outside. the box a little bit of, you know, hidden messages and things like that. So, you can't just go on face value of. what you're looking at to classify a. crime. You have to look more into it. And like I said, the ramifications of. not doing anything are a lot worse. >> Well, I guess the question would be, can.

you send anybody anything you want? Can. you write anybody anything you want as. long as it's not a direct threat to. violence? So, if he's upset by the this. message and he instead of sending a. pig's head just sent the letter, you. know, would that be enough? is the pig's. head. You know, I'm sure a defense. attorney would say it's not symbolic of. death. It's he's saying he's a pig. You. know, you can't send a live pig to him, so he sent this. I don't know. Is that.

an avenue? >> Well, that's why you have people in the. DA's office who went to law school and. spent a lot of money doing so to make. those decisions, you know, and to look. into the crimes and what could be. charged. detectives jobs are to run down. the guy, get him, get enough evidence. and probable cause to lock him up, and. then the DA is going to take over from. there as far as what to charge him and. what can be what he's going to be held. accountable for in the criminal justice. system. >> By the way, talking about Owens, he.

seems to kind of be taking the whole. thing in stride, saying it seems almost. too theatrical to be taken seriously. I. say that because in an interview with. outlet KAS, Owens spoke directly to the. sender, whoever they are, saying to that. person, I know they have my information. I'm happy to speak with them perhaps. over email instead of a mail package, but whatever I can do to help people. embrace change, I think is what I'd like. to do. Now, what do you make of that.

message? Well, that's kind of trying to. quell this the storm a little bit and. maybe get someone to to calm down a. little bit with their threats and future. threats. You know, you don't want to. constantly get this and that's going to. be part of this investigation as well, going into his emails and his social. media post, did any other threats come. in of a similar nature or just maybe the. same wording that was sent to him. So. all that's going to be part of it as. well. But I think that step that he's.

taking is for to stop future threats. from coming in. >> But the sender wouldn't take the bait. If they had a meeting in the park or at. a restaurant, wouldn't police swarm. them? >> Absolutely. I mean, it's a good shot, you know, but you know, sometimes. criminals fall for things like that, you. know, so you give it a shot. If it. doesn't work out, you go the next step. But like I said, with with the evidence. set, they got the the surveillance. picture, having a photo of someone is. enormous because someone's going to know.

him. Someone at his work, his family, his job, whatever it might be, someone's. going to recognize him, and the next. steps of this investigation, I think, are going to be pretty quick. >> By the way, you talked about this being. a a federal crime, possibly a state. crime. What, generally speaking, what. charges could this person potentially be. facing if they're arrested? Uh well the. threat itself is going to be you know a. terrorist threat can be perceived from. this and then you have all federal. crimes as far as mail goes a mail fraud.

and wire fraud and all that of things. being sent through the mail. So all. that's going to be you know gathered and. the best charges or the highest charges. that they can go forward with are going. to be laid out. >> Tom Smith, I bet you uh didn't think. that we were going to be talking about. this kind of case this week, but things. always change rapidly. Uh, thank you so. much for taking the time. Got a great. background, by the way. It's amazing. that it always stays on sunset. What a. beautiful view you have. I don't know. how that happens, Tom, but that's.

amazing. Just it stays on sunset. >> Yeah, you know what? It It's the New. York thing. Uh, it's always sunny in New. York, but not really. >> Uh, I want everybody to go check out. Gold Shields. Thank you so much. Really. appreciate you taking the time. >> Always a pleasure, Jesse. Thanks for. having me. >> All right, everybody. So, before we wrap. things up, I want to tell you real. quickly I am going to be hosting Quuomo. tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern on. NewsNation. Hope you can all watch it. Hopefully, I can take some calls from. you out there. We'll see. Hopefully, we. have enough time. A lot of stuff.

happening in the world, but check it. out. 8:00 p.m. Eastern tonight. NewsNation. I'll see you then. And that. is all we have for you right now here on. Sidebar. Everybody, thank you so much. for joining us. And as always, please. subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcast, Spotify, wherever you should get your. podcasts. I'm Jesse Weber. I'll speak to. you next time. [Music].