Destin man threatens wife with attack by chain saw, battery acid

DESTIN -- A 28-year-old man was arrested after his wife told Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office deputies on Feb. 27 that he had threatened to "cut her up with a chain saw and pour battery acid on her body" if she told law enforcement he was doing drugs.

On March 10, James Roscoe Landingham was charged with battery, felony drug possession, narcotics equipment possession and obstructing justice by threatening a witness, according to his Sheriff's Office arrest report.

His wife told deputies that he had been verbally and physically abusive to her over the past several days while he was using cocaine, the report said. She said he hit her in the eye and cheek and forced her to snort cocaine with him. She had ruptured blood vessels in her eye and redness on her cheek, the deputy noted.

He then threatened to harm her if she called police.

She told the deputy that he was probably at their home trying to hide his cocaine and marijuana. When deputies reached the home, he had already left but they found drugs and paraphernalia in the bathroom and bedroom.

The next day, Landingham called his wife and told her she needed to "fix what she had done" or he will not provide her with any of their tax refund, the report said. He also told her that if she had quit complaining and let him sell drugs, he would not have had to hit her.