Lang
1/6/24
An Iowa City arson suspect is accused of threatening to kill her own son.
That’s according to Iowa City Police, who say 40-year-old Ashley Bunting of Maggard Street sent multiple text messages to a different son while he was at City High School on the morning of December 12th. Bunting allegedly said in the texts that she was going to kill the teen’s little brother, and that it was going to happen that day. She allegedly said she had no other choice, that she was sorry, and that she was a “crazy mother”.
The son immediately reported the messages to a school counselor.
Bunting was booked into the Johnson County Jail just after 4:45 Friday afternoon and charged with 1st Degree Harassment. If convicted, she faces a maximum of two years in jail.
Bunting is already facing felony arson and stalking charges after she allegedly tried to set a truck on fire on the 1600 block of Aber Avenue last August over child custody issues with the vehicle’s owner. Trial in that case is set for March 19th. If convicted on both charges, Bunting faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.