BOSTON (AP) — An Oklahoma man accused of throwing a pipe bomb on the Massachusetts headquarters of a gaggle referred to as The Satanic Temple pleaded responsible Thursday in federal courtroom.
Sean Patrick Palmer, 49, of Perkins modified an earlier plea of not responsible on one rely of utilizing an explosive to wreck a constructing following the assault final 12 months on the headquarters. The constructing can be used as an artwork gallery.
The Salem-based group says on its web site that it campaigns for secularism and particular person liberties, and that its members don’t really worship Devil.
Investigators stated surveillance cameras confirmed a person strolling as much as the constructing quickly after 4 a.m. on April 8, 2024, carrying a face protecting, a tactical vest and gloves. The person then ignited an improvised explosive gadget, threw it on the predominant entrance and ran away. The bomb partially detonated, leading to some minor harm, authorities stated.
The bomb seemed to be made out of a chunk of plastic pipe, authorities stated, they usually have been capable of extract a DNA pattern from a single hair on the bomb.
An legal professional for Palmer couldn’t be instantly reached for remark.
The U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace stated investigators discovered a six-page be aware in a flowerbed close to the constructing addressed to “Expensive Satanist” and urged repentance. Authorities stated Palmer had posted comparable feedback on social media. Additionally they stated surveillance footage confirmed a black Volvo registered to Palmer driving erratically within the space earlier than and after the incident.
Palmer, who can be sentenced June 12, faces 5 years to twenty years in jail, three years of supervised launch and a advantageous of as much as $250,000.
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