tags: pipe bomber, Minnesota, anti-government, white suspect, incompetent to stand trial, mental illness, musician suspect, former college student, serial crime spree, movie inspiration (fight club), looks like a terrorist
6 injured, including four mail carriers. 18 bombs planted over 3,200 miles over 5 states. May 7, 2002 Luke Helder then 21-year-old college student was arrested in connection with the mailbox bombing investigation
The film Fight Club was suspected of influencing Luke Helder, a college student who planted pipe bombs in mailboxes in 2002. Helder's goal was to create a smiley pattern on the map of the United States, similar to the scene in Fight Club in which a building is vandalized to have a smiley on its exterior.[104 Rossi, C. T. (June 10, 2002). "Father Absence Key to Male Masculinity Crisis". Insight on the News (News World Communications).]
*Reference
Luke Helder
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Lucas John Helder | |
|---|---|
 Helder's FBI mugshot. | |
| Born | May 5, 1981 Pine Island, Minnesota, U.S.A. |
| Occupation | student |
Criminal charge | explosives |
| Criminal status | incompetent to stand trial,Committed to Federal Bureau of Prisons mental health center |
Lucas John Helder (born May 5, 1981) is a former University of Wisconsin–Stout college student from Pine Island, Minnesota, who earned notoriety as the Midwest Pipe Bomber in May 2002.
Contents
[hide]Bombings[edit]
While attending the University of Wisconsin–Stout and living in an apartment in Menomonie, Wisconsin, Helder planned to plant pipe bombs in mailboxes across the United States to create a smiley face shape on the United States map. The bombs, which were packed with BBs andnails, were rigged to explode as the mailboxes were opened. Completed and rigged bombs were found in Nebraska, Colorado, Texas, Illinoisand Iowa. In Iowa, six people, including four mail carriers, were injured when the bombs detonated.[1] Ultimately, Helder planted 18 bombs and covered 3,200 miles.[2] He was eventually captured in rural Nevada before he managed to complete the full smile. At the time of his arrest, police were looking for an unknown suspect driving a black Honda Accord and newspapers reported that he was wearing a Kurt Cobain T-shirt.[3] The bombings were heavily covered by the United States media.
Writings and theories[edit]
While Helder was not at the top of his college class, his teachers described him as a reasonably good, quiet and polite student and at first there was confusion as to what the motivation for the bombings could be.[2] Within the year prior to his arrest, Helder had become passionate about astral projection techniques and came to believe that death of the flesh and body is not the end of existence, as evidenced by the manifesto he sent to The Badger Herald of the University of Wisconsin–Madison at the beginning of the bombing spree.[2] The essay also includes statements such as
and ends with the words "written before any of the bombs".[4]
It later came to light that his actions were an attempt to garner media attention so that he could spread a message denouncing government control over daily lives and the illegality of marijuana as well as promoting astral projection as a method to reach a higher level of consciousness.[2]
Trial[edit]
In April 2004, a federal judge found Helder incompetent to stand trial.[6] While the judge could free Helder if doctors find he is not a threat to society, legal experts doubt this possibility due to the violent nature of his crimes. He remains incarcerated in the Federal Medical Center in Rochester, Minnesota.[7]
References[edit]
Jump up^ "2002 Annual Report of Investigations: Violent Crime". USPS Website. 2002. Archived from the original on 2007-09-26. Retrieved 2007-10-16.
^ Jump up to:a b c d Reaves, Jessica. "Person of the Week: Lucas Helder." Time May 9, 2002 [1]
Jump up^ "Dad aids son's capture". Leader-Telegram. Eau Claire Press Company. 2002. Retrieved 2007-10-16.
^ Jump up to:a b Helder, Lucas. "Life on Earth."
Jump up^ Lagorio, Christine. "News Analysis: Newspapers receipt of shady mail a daily occurrence." The Badger Herald May 10, 2002
Jump up^ Van Hyfte, Vanessa (2004). "Helder not fit to stand trial". WQAD Report. Retrieved 2007-10-16.
Jump up^ "Experts say mailbox bomb suspect unlikely to be freed soon". WQAD Report. 04/06/2004. Retrieved 2007-10-16. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help); Check date values in: |date=(help)
Jump up^ Feldman, Charles (May 9, 2002). "Feds: Suspect admitted pipe bomb spree.". CNN.com. Retrieved 2007-10-17.
External links[edit]
Timeline of Helder's news[dead link], WQAD-TV
The Smoking Gun archive on Luke Helder, with the six-page manifesto
*Sources
Luke Helder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luke_HelderJump to Bombings - While attending the University of Wisconsin–Stout and living in an apartment in Menomonie, Wisconsin, Helder planned to plant pipe ...
Wikipedia- More images for "Luke Helder" pipe bomb
Luke Helder, Mailbox Bombing Suspect, To Face Mental ...
www.huffingtonpost.com/.../luke-helder-mailbox-b...May 15, 2013 - The FBI says Helder made bombs by attaching 9-volt batteries topipes, and placed them rural mailboxes along with notes espousing bizarre ...
The Huffington PostPipe Bomb Suspect's Grungy Past | The Smoking Gun
www.thesmokinggun.com/.../pipe-bomb-suspects-gru...The Smoking GunMay 7, 2002 - Luke Helder, the 21-year-old college student arrested tonight (5/7) in connection with the mailbox bombing investigation, fronted a rock band ...
Luke Helder's Bad Trip - TIME
content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,237036,00.htmlMay 12, 2002 - Luke Helder is responsible for a five-state string of mailbox pipe bombs ... The confessed pipe bomber's 3,000-mile cross-country crime spree, ...
TimeLuke Helder - Criminal Minds Wiki
criminalminds.wikia.com/wiki/Luke_HelderI'm dismissing a few individuals from reality, to change all of you for the better..." Lucas John "Luke" Helder, a.k.a. "The Midwest Pipe Bomber", is a serial bomber
... Mailbox Bomber Was Making Smiley Face | Fox News
www.foxnews.com/.../mailbox-bomber-was-making-s...May 9, 2002 - Authorities said Luke Helder has confessed to making 24 pipe bombsout of smokeless gunpowder, BBs or nails, paper clips and Christmas ...
Fox News ChannelCNN.com - College student charged in pipe bomb cases ...
www.cnn.com/2002/US/05/07/mailbox.pipebombs/May 8, 2002 - Federal authorities charged a 21-year-old college student Tuesday in connection with a five-day spree of pipe bomb incidents from Illinois to ...
CNNHelder wanted bombs in smiley-face pattern - USA Today
usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2002/05/.../helder.ht...May 9, 2002 - Helder, accused by federal authorities of being a serial pipe bomber, ...The parents of accused bomber Luke Helder arrived at Reno-Tahoe ...
USA TodayHelder admits to mailbox bombings, FBI says - USA Today
usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/.../helder-arrest.htmMay 8, 2002 - RENO, Nev. (AP) — The FBI said Wednesday that 21-year-old college student Luke Helder confessed to planting 18 pipe bombs in rural ...
USA Today
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