cletus_jethro — X Posts
@cletus_jethro is a self-described former USMC explosive breacher (credentials self-reported and unverified) whose December 2025 thread proposed the shaped-charge crucifix-pendant variant of the concealed-explosive theory. The thread was reshared June 21, 2026 by @matt82704417 (post) and its screenshots are archived on this site. Everything below is the author's stated analysis and opinion, not established fact — no explosive device has been recovered, and the official finding remains a rifle shot.
Claims from X posts
- Skeptic of the lapel-mic version — argues an explosive in an unanchored lapel microphone "makes no sense" because the blast would push the mic away rather than drive a penetrator inward. See Mic Explosive.
- Proponent of the pendant version — proposes a cone-shaped PETN micro-charge in the center column of Charlie Kirk's crucifix, anchored by the heavy silver box chain, using the Munroe effect to focus an upward blast toward the neck. Full write-up: The Exploding Pendant.
- PETN math — cites PETN's relative effectiveness (1.66 vs TNT) and 8,400 m/s detonation velocity; argues if a bullet had struck, neck damage would appear before the strange shirt movement, not after. Thread screenshots: Mic Exploding Pendant cluster.
- Electrocution trigger — proposes detonation made dependent on electrocution through the target's own body, arguing this builds in redundancy and synchronizes the blast with a cover sound. Rated SPECULATIVE on electrocution trigger.
- Linked the reported federal search for the necklace to a hunt for explosive residue — see necklace and residue.
Investigative value
The most technically detailed proponent of any concealed-charge mechanism — and simultaneously a rebuttal source against the rival mic-pack version. That proponents place the alleged device in three different locations (mic, pendant, ear) is itself documented as a weakness of the theory.