The increased funding for the reward is available because of privately donated funds.  $5,000 has been offered by the Penn State Alumni Association.

Anyone with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person who made this threat should contact University police at 814-863-1111.

A reporter for the student newspaper, the Daily Collegian, received a letter on Friday, April 20, that directed a death threat at a female African American student at Penn State.

Immediately after the threat was received, the University and the Alumni Association posted a $10,000 reward.

"We hope that with the increase in reward someone who can assist the many law enforcement agencies working on this case will step forward with useful information," said Graham Spanier, Penn State president.

"In addition, the high level of the reward should make it clear to anyone how we feel about such acts of hate. This is a University and a community that will go to great lengths to stop this kind of activity."

In response to the death threat and other racist letters that were postmarked in Altoona, Pa., and an earlier series of racist e-mail notes that were traced to a computer lab in Philadelphia, a number of police agencies have been involved.  The FBI, state attorney general's office, U.S. Postal Inspectors, local and campus police are involved in these cases.

*****

Contact:  Bill Mahon (814) 865-7517 or np3@psu.edu by email