Man leaves threatening voicemails for Rep. Kevin Parker

A 40-year-old Spokane man was arrested late Monday after Washington state Rep. Kevin Parker reported threatening voicemails left on his office phone from the suspect. Joseph Michael Vannett was ordered held on $15,000 bond Tuesday, faces one count of telephone harassment with threats to kill. Parker, a Republican who has served in the Washington Legislature since 2008, gave police voicemail recordings in which Vannett identifies himself and his address, then threatens to shoot Parker’s loved ones with a shotgun, according to court documents. Vannett was contacted at his home in Airway Heights by police. He told police he was upset about a voicemail Parker left on his home phone. Parker told police his office makes automated calls, but hadn’t done so in at least a month. Vannett has no felony criminal history in Spokane. At a hearing Tuesday, a judge said Vannett has “mental health issues” and was previously charged with making a bomb threat.