Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Now The Violence in the Valley podcastwith retired Parkersburg Chief of Police Bob Newell
and others, brought to you byInteresting Insurance three generations of insurance excellence.
The use of bombs and explosives havebeen an unfortunate consequence in a state where
coal mining, along with the oiland gas industry, readily lends itself to
(00:21):
the availability of dynamite, gunpowder,and other bomb making materials. Sadly,
one of the most tragic incidents occurredin Point Pleasant, West Virginia, along
the Ohio River in the Middle oHigh Valley. In February nineteen seventy six,
a teenaged mother was arrested for stranglingher two month old child to death
and was awaiting trial in the MasonCounty jail. One evening, her husband
(00:44):
forced officers to let him into thejail while armed with a shotgun. He
was also carrying a suitcase which,unknown to the police, contains several pounds
of dynamite he had stolen from hisworkplace. Once inside the jail sail with
his wife, the young husband detonatedthe dynamite. He and his wife,
along with the chief deputy, werekilled instantly. The sheriff and his jailer
(01:04):
died within days of the blast.A dozen more people were injured in the
explosion as well. Several of ustraveled to Point Pleasant for the funerals of
the fallen law enforcement officers. Theexplosion occurred just a few years after the
tragic collapse of the Silver bridging PointPleasant, killing nearly fifty people as their
vehicles plummeted into the High River.These back to back tragedies led many to
(01:26):
believe Point Pleasant was cursed. Priorto this, the High Valley had only
seen bombs or other explosive views bythe mob or for revenge, as in
the nineteen sixties card bombing of Wheelingmob boss Paul Hankish or the bombing of
a house of prostitution and popular restaurantin Parkersburg. Homemade bombs used to kill,
(01:46):
retaliate, or simply send a messagehave always had a place in organized
crime, but the thought of someonewithout experience in bomb making seeking to eliminate
competition over a love affair is lesscommon. On November fourth, night eighty
two, a bomb exploded in downtownParkersburg in the morning, hours before most
people had gone to work. Thebomb was detonated at the front door of
(02:08):
a building that housed offices for somelocal attorneys and an eye doctor at four
o six Avery Street, just oneblock from the Parkersburg Police and Fire departments.
A few people living in the Parkerapartments next door heard the low level
explosion, but didn't know where itmay have come from or exactly what it
was. The low level ordinance devicehad caused some damage to the front of
(02:30):
the building, which at first glance, appeared to have been an attempted arson.
Local attorney Bill Kaiger discovered the damageafter arriving to open his office.
City police were called to investigate whatwas initially thought to be a case of
vandalism. However, it was discoveredthat a homemade explosive device commonly called a
pipe bomb, had been placed onthe front porch of the building at the
(02:53):
main entrance. Officers from the UniformDivision quickly determined it was more than vandalism.
The initial investigation revealed that a devicehad been wired with a feature that
would allowed to be detonated by someonewith a remote control. Detective Jerry Lyns
was assigned as a lead investigator.I collected fragments of the bomb found quite
(03:15):
a bit. Actually, I notifiedatf and an agent came alcohol to baking
for our arms. A damaged sistemband radio more commonly called a CBE radio
was found, along with what appearedto be pieces of a galvanized pipe used
in making a pipe bomb. Sistemband radios were so popular in the nineteen
(03:37):
seventies into the eighties that thieves wouldbreak into cars almost on a nightly basis
to steal the radios and then sellthem to other criminals for resale or to
pawnshop owners who were unaware they hadbeen stolen. It was not unusual for
the Detective Bureau to receive a dozenand more reports of car break ins to
investigate some days. Luckily, thebomb exploded prematurely before thee was supposed to
(04:00):
open for the day. It waslater determined that a driver of attractor and
trailer passing through the intersection began transmittingon the CB radio, sending a radio
wave to the device and causing itto detonate. Special agents from the Alcohol
to Back and Firearms and the CharlestonOffice were also called to assist and would
lead the prosecution. On the federallevel. The possession of explodesis as a
(04:23):
federal offense as well as a statecrime, but charging someone through federal court
was usually easier. As the investigationproceeded, police began piecing together a suspect
and a motive. After investigation concerningthe CB radio, which was really very
much intact. Serial numbers were onand it was very apparent it was a
(04:44):
CBO check and determined that the CBradio had been purchased from a pawn shop,
and they told us who had purchasedthe CB radio, which was John
Cook. Investigators and began checking hardwarestores and found that Cook had also purchased
(05:05):
other items such as small sections ofthreaded galvanized pipe and metal caps to screw
on each end of the pipes.John Cook had no criminal past. He
was a local businessman who owned adry cleaning business and had served as a
city councilman during the Al Smith administration. While the bombing of an attorney's office
was unusual, the motive was asold as time. John Cook had been
(05:27):
jiled by a secretary working in thelaw office. Arrests and search warrants were
issued for his arrest in the searchof his home and car, more evidence
of materials used in ball making werefound. Interviews of Cook's neighbors revealed another
interesting piece of information. Some hadheard Cook detonating an explosive on a prior
occasion in his driveway. According toone neighbor, he had heard a loud
(05:51):
explosion about one o'clock in the morningdays before the bomb was planted at the
Kiager Law office on Avery Street.He looked out his window and saw John
Cook standing his driveway with white smokeall around him. When he rushed outside
to see what happened, Cook toldhim that someone had thrown a firecracker at
him. Obviously, he had beenpracticing the ability to make a bomb.
(06:12):
Cook was tried in federal court andfound guilty of four counts relating to the
bombing of the law office, aswell as possession of explosive materials and making
of the devices. He received fourten years sentences in federal prison from US
District Judge Charles Hayden. Bombing caseswere rare, but not new to the
city. Many years before, asmentioned, a bomb was detonated on the
(06:33):
front porch of a house of prostitutionthat once set on Lower Market Street.
Another bomb was also detonated a fewminutes earlier in front of the local am
Peace store, which many thought wasto create a diversion from the one on
Market Street. It was assumed thatthe bombing of the brothel was a messy
sent by the mob or a competitor. During the days when William Blias ruled
(06:55):
organized crime in the state of WestVirginia out of Wheeling in in nineteen sixties,
the Rich Club Steakhouse on Seven Streetwas the scene of another bombing.
Someone had entered the club after closingand planning an explosive device that detonated,
causing considerable damage to the interior ofthe club. While this case was not
solved either, it was thought bysome to be related to the vending machines.
(07:18):
In the establishment, vending machines werea big business and companies competed to
place their jukeboxes, pinball and cigarettemachines in what was a purely cash business.
Then, in nineteen seventy eight,the Parkersburg Detectives were involved in a
shooting instant in the north end ofParkersburg. Police had been called to the
house regarding the domestic dispute after neighborshad heard a husband and wife arguing after
(07:44):
police left, the husband, JamesCoimes, came out the house and was
shooting a handgun. Detective Jim Smithwas nearby and arrived to see Comes run
back in the house. After severalof us arrived, Cimes came back out
and shot towards me, at whichtime Detective Smith returned fire, striking him
in the arm in retaliation. Weekslater, Comes hired some local hoods to
(08:07):
set the neighbor's house on fire whohad called the police on him, and
to plan explosives at my house,apparently hoping to eliminate witnesses in this upcoming
trial in which I had been listedas a victim in the shooting incident.
Detective Jerry lyons of as a disccase as well with the state police.
(08:28):
I was with Trooper eck and Walden, Trooper McBride, and Fella said that
he knew where the plastic explosives werehidden that was going to be used on
Detective Nowell's house. Jack Miller toldpolice of Comes that also tried to hire
him to burn his neighbor's house forcalling the police. The back porch was
(08:50):
set on fire but was extinguished withminimal damage. Another associate of Comes was
apprehended and confirmed the story Jack Millerhad told the police. Miller also told
police a block of Sea four explosiveswas stored in an outbuilding bow As just
south of Williamstown, West Virginia.Troopers Bill Reckon, Tom McBride, and
(09:11):
Detective Lines drove Miller to the houseto retrieve the alleged explosives. I went
along with him out the country inthe state police car, and the troopers
did not think that he actually hadanything, so set in the car,
told him to go down, andthen he said it was in the shack
over the hill. And he cameback and opened the back door and threw
(09:33):
something in the front seat, andit was plastic explosives. Wreckton Walden McBride
jumped out, slammed the door.He jumped out and slammed the door.
The doors were locked in. Icouldn't get out of the car, so
needless to say, I'm pound themon the door to get get me out.
They opened the door and gone out. We called the bomb squad out
(09:56):
of Charleston to come and verify whatthis was and to take it out,
and then of course turned off howeverradios and everything in case it would be
set off. The explosives were turnedover to Assistant State Fire Marshal Denny Huggins,
who was investigating the arson of thehouse Kimes hired somebody to torch.
He was also assisting the state policeand the investigation into the possession of the
(10:18):
plastic explosives. The explosives were eventuallytaking the FBI lab for analysis and were
detonated afterwards in a remote area outsideof washingt DC. After being indicted by
a grand jury, James Kimes haslater pled guilty to the charges related to
the shooting incident and was sentenced tojail. Before the trial, Jack Miller
(10:39):
and another associate of Kimes left townand never returned. Join us on our
next podcast as we discuss other violentcrimes in the min Ohio Valley. The
Violence in the Valley podcast has beenbrought to you by Interesting Insurance three Generations
of Insurance Excellence. For even moredetails, get a copy of the book
(11:00):
at Amazon dot com. M
Now The Violence in the Valley podcastwith retired Parkersburg Chief of Police Bob Newell
and others, brought to you byInteresting Insurance three generations of insurance excellence.
The use of bombs and explosives havebeen an unfortunate consequence in a state where
coal mining, along with the oiland gas industry, readily lends itself to
(00:21):
the availability of dynamite, gunpowder,and other bomb making materials. Sadly,
one of the most tragic incidents occurredin Point Pleasant, West Virginia, along
the Ohio River in the Middle oHigh Valley. In February nineteen seventy six,
a teenaged mother was arrested for stranglingher two month old child to death
and was awaiting trial in the MasonCounty jail. One evening, her husband
(00:44):
forced officers to let him into thejail while armed with a shotgun. He
was also carrying a suitcase which,unknown to the police, contains several pounds
of dynamite he had stolen from hisworkplace. Once inside the jail sail with
his wife, the young husband detonatedthe dynamite. He and his wife,
along with the chief deputy, werekilled instantly. The sheriff and his jailer
(01:04):
died within days of the blast.A dozen more people were injured in the
explosion as well. Several of ustraveled to Point Pleasant for the funerals of
the fallen law enforcement officers. Theexplosion occurred just a few years after the
tragic collapse of the Silver bridging PointPleasant, killing nearly fifty people as their
vehicles plummeted into the High River.These back to back tragedies led many to
(01:26):
believe Point Pleasant was cursed. Priorto this, the High Valley had only
seen bombs or other explosive views bythe mob or for revenge, as in
the nineteen sixties card bombing of Wheelingmob boss Paul Hankish or the bombing of
a house of prostitution and popular restaurantin Parkersburg. Homemade bombs used to kill,
(01:46):
retaliate, or simply send a messagehave always had a place in organized
crime, but the thought of someonewithout experience in bomb making seeking to eliminate
competition over a love affair is lesscommon. On November fourth, night eighty
two, a bomb exploded in downtownParkersburg in the morning, hours before most
people had gone to work. Thebomb was detonated at the front door of
(02:08):
a building that housed offices for somelocal attorneys and an eye doctor at four
o six Avery Street, just oneblock from the Parkersburg Police and Fire departments.
A few people living in the Parkerapartments next door heard the low level
explosion, but didn't know where itmay have come from or exactly what it
was. The low level ordinance devicehad caused some damage to the front of
(02:30):
the building, which at first glance, appeared to have been an attempted arson.
Local attorney Bill Kaiger discovered the damageafter arriving to open his office.
City police were called to investigate whatwas initially thought to be a case of
vandalism. However, it was discoveredthat a homemade explosive device commonly called a
pipe bomb, had been placed onthe front porch of the building at the
(02:53):
main entrance. Officers from the UniformDivision quickly determined it was more than vandalism.
The initial investigation revealed that a devicehad been wired with a feature that
would allowed to be detonated by someonewith a remote control. Detective Jerry Lyns
was assigned as a lead investigator.I collected fragments of the bomb found quite
(03:15):
a bit. Actually, I notifiedatf and an agent came alcohol to baking
for our arms. A damaged sistemband radio more commonly called a CBE radio
was found, along with what appearedto be pieces of a galvanized pipe used
in making a pipe bomb. Sistemband radios were so popular in the nineteen
(03:37):
seventies into the eighties that thieves wouldbreak into cars almost on a nightly basis
to steal the radios and then sellthem to other criminals for resale or to
pawnshop owners who were unaware they hadbeen stolen. It was not unusual for
the Detective Bureau to receive a dozenand more reports of car break ins to
investigate some days. Luckily, thebomb exploded prematurely before thee was supposed to
(04:00):
open for the day. It waslater determined that a driver of attractor and
trailer passing through the intersection began transmittingon the CB radio, sending a radio
wave to the device and causing itto detonate. Special agents from the Alcohol
to Back and Firearms and the CharlestonOffice were also called to assist and would
lead the prosecution. On the federallevel. The possession of explodesis as a
(04:23):
federal offense as well as a statecrime, but charging someone through federal court
was usually easier. As the investigationproceeded, police began piecing together a suspect
and a motive. After investigation concerningthe CB radio, which was really very
much intact. Serial numbers were onand it was very apparent it was a
(04:44):
CBO check and determined that the CBradio had been purchased from a pawn shop,
and they told us who had purchasedthe CB radio, which was John
Cook. Investigators and began checking hardwarestores and found that Cook had also purchased
(05:05):
other items such as small sections ofthreaded galvanized pipe and metal caps to screw
on each end of the pipes.John Cook had no criminal past. He
was a local businessman who owned adry cleaning business and had served as a
city councilman during the Al Smith administration. While the bombing of an attorney's office
was unusual, the motive was asold as time. John Cook had been
(05:27):
jiled by a secretary working in thelaw office. Arrests and search warrants were
issued for his arrest in the searchof his home and car, more evidence
of materials used in ball making werefound. Interviews of Cook's neighbors revealed another
interesting piece of information. Some hadheard Cook detonating an explosive on a prior
occasion in his driveway. According toone neighbor, he had heard a loud
(05:51):
explosion about one o'clock in the morningdays before the bomb was planted at the
Kiager Law office on Avery Street.He looked out his window and saw John
Cook standing his driveway with white smokeall around him. When he rushed outside
to see what happened, Cook toldhim that someone had thrown a firecracker at
him. Obviously, he had beenpracticing the ability to make a bomb.
(06:12):
Cook was tried in federal court andfound guilty of four counts relating to the
bombing of the law office, aswell as possession of explosive materials and making
of the devices. He received fourten years sentences in federal prison from US
District Judge Charles Hayden. Bombing caseswere rare, but not new to the
city. Many years before, asmentioned, a bomb was detonated on the
(06:33):
front porch of a house of prostitutionthat once set on Lower Market Street.
Another bomb was also detonated a fewminutes earlier in front of the local am
Peace store, which many thought wasto create a diversion from the one on
Market Street. It was assumed thatthe bombing of the brothel was a messy
sent by the mob or a competitor. During the days when William Blias ruled
(06:55):
organized crime in the state of WestVirginia out of Wheeling in in nineteen sixties,
the Rich Club Steakhouse on Seven Streetwas the scene of another bombing.
Someone had entered the club after closingand planning an explosive device that detonated,
causing considerable damage to the interior ofthe club. While this case was not
solved either, it was thought bysome to be related to the vending machines.
(07:18):
In the establishment, vending machines werea big business and companies competed to
place their jukeboxes, pinball and cigarettemachines in what was a purely cash business.
Then, in nineteen seventy eight,the Parkersburg Detectives were involved in a
shooting instant in the north end ofParkersburg. Police had been called to the
house regarding the domestic dispute after neighborshad heard a husband and wife arguing after
(07:44):
police left, the husband, JamesCoimes, came out the house and was
shooting a handgun. Detective Jim Smithwas nearby and arrived to see Comes run
back in the house. After severalof us arrived, Cimes came back out
and shot towards me, at whichtime Detective Smith returned fire, striking him
in the arm in retaliation. Weekslater, Comes hired some local hoods to
(08:07):
set the neighbor's house on fire whohad called the police on him, and
to plan explosives at my house,apparently hoping to eliminate witnesses in this upcoming
trial in which I had been listedas a victim in the shooting incident.
Detective Jerry lyons of as a disccase as well with the state police.
(08:28):
I was with Trooper eck and Walden, Trooper McBride, and Fella said that
he knew where the plastic explosives werehidden that was going to be used on
Detective Nowell's house. Jack Miller toldpolice of Comes that also tried to hire
him to burn his neighbor's house forcalling the police. The back porch was
(08:50):
set on fire but was extinguished withminimal damage. Another associate of Comes was
apprehended and confirmed the story Jack Millerhad told the police. Miller also told
police a block of Sea four explosiveswas stored in an outbuilding bow As just
south of Williamstown, West Virginia.Troopers Bill Reckon, Tom McBride, and
(09:11):
Detective Lines drove Miller to the houseto retrieve the alleged explosives. I went
along with him out the country inthe state police car, and the troopers
did not think that he actually hadanything, so set in the car,
told him to go down, andthen he said it was in the shack
over the hill. And he cameback and opened the back door and threw
(09:33):
something in the front seat, andit was plastic explosives. Wreckton Walden McBride
jumped out, slammed the door.He jumped out and slammed the door.
The doors were locked in. Icouldn't get out of the car, so
needless to say, I'm pound themon the door to get get me out.
They opened the door and gone out. We called the bomb squad out
(09:56):
of Charleston to come and verify whatthis was and to take it out,
and then of course turned off howeverradios and everything in case it would be
set off. The explosives were turnedover to Assistant State Fire Marshal Denny Huggins,
who was investigating the arson of thehouse Kimes hired somebody to torch.
He was also assisting the state policeand the investigation into the possession of the
(10:18):
plastic explosives. The explosives were eventuallytaking the FBI lab for analysis and were
detonated afterwards in a remote area outsideof washingt DC. After being indicted by
a grand jury, James Kimes haslater pled guilty to the charges related to
the shooting incident and was sentenced tojail. Before the trial, Jack Miller
(10:39):
and another associate of Kimes left townand never returned. Join us on our
next podcast as we discuss other violentcrimes in the min Ohio Valley. The
Violence in the Valley podcast has beenbrought to you by Interesting Insurance three Generations
of Insurance Excellence. For even moredetails, get a copy of the book
(11:00):
at Amazon dot com. M
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