The Missouri Statehouse office of Republican state Sen. Kurt Schaefer is closed until further notice because of a death threat the lawmaker says he received by telephone last weekend.

The Columbia attorney tells KMOX Radio that the threat against him on his Statehouse office telephone's voicemail is being investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and capitol police.

KMOX says the caller insists in the message that "Christianity is dying in this country," and many would like to see Schaefer hanged from a tree.

Schaefer says he doesn't know what prompted the threat, but he says he's taking it seriously.

A sign remained on Schaefer's locked office door Tuesday, attributing the closure to "unforeseen circumstances."

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