GREENFIELD — A Greenfield father told a court-appointed volunteer in a text that he was a cannibal and would cook and eat her if she failed his children, according to court documents.
Now, Greenfield Police Department detectives are asking for the public’s help in locating the man, who faces felony charges accusing him of threatening the woman and others who were investigating his family.
Ryan Luker, 43, was charged at the end of March but has yet to be arrested, records show. He faces two Level 6 felony counts of intimidation.
Luker reportedly sent aggressively-worded notes to the caseworkers from the Indiana Department of Child Services and the court-appointed special advocate, or CASA, volunteer who were appointed to oversee an investigation surrounding the welfare of his children, according to court documents.
In the notes, he threatened to harm anyone who tried to take his children away from him, court documents state. The criminal case was filed after Luker told one woman he would kill her and eat her body, court documents state.
The first text police found concerning was sent in late January; the most recent one was sent in mid-March, records show.
Luker exchanged notes with a DCS caseworker in January trying to arrange a meeting that grew more and more hostile as the conversation went on, court documents state.
At one point, Luker said the caseworker, “I want to end your life,” and “I will end you physically, legally, legitimately,” according to charge documents.
That same month, Luker sent texts to another caseworker that said, “You present an agency that intentionally ruins children’s lives,” before adding, “I will smite thee,” court documents state.
The messages between Luker and the CASA volunteer were sent in late February and mid-March.
The conversation started with the volunteer asking to arrange a meeting with Luker’s young children. It took Luker nearly three weeks to respond.
Luker wrote, “You do know I’m a cannibal, right? I am going to cook you and eat your body if you fail my children,” court documents state.
“Anyone who has anything to do with me not getting my kids will definitely die,” he also said, court documents state.
Greenfield police put a photo of Luker on their department Facebook page asking those with knowledge of the man’s whereabouts to call the investigating detective at 317-325-1286 or to call 911.
Each of the Level 6 felony counts Luker faces carries penalty range of six months to 2½ years.