 During the conversation, Zuern expressed general hostility towards the officers, saying "somebody should do something to them sons of bitches".The inmate also had observed Zuern sharpening a straightened portion of a hook from a metal bucket over the course of three days and informed a corrections officer that Zuern either had a knife or a shank.On June 9, 1984, another inmate informed a sheriff's deputy that he and Zuern had argued the day before and that Zuern said he was going to kill him.