On Friday, a Tennessee man, 54-year-old Kevin Wade O'Neal, was arrested and charged with multiple counts of attempted murder and possession of prohibited weapons, authorities say.
Upon serving the defendant with an arrest warrant, police allege O’Neal tried to detonate one of the bombs when the officers noticed a billow of smoke coming from his bedroom. They found a total of 14 improvised explosive devices at the residence.
O’Neal had been making death threats regarding the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and its personnel via his Facebook page. The defendant, who lives 40 miles east of Chattanooga, had accused the police department of using “Wiccan magic” to carry out “electronic torture” and stalking him.
O’Neal’s threats stemmed from a dispute he had with a friend, and he believed members of the sheriff’s office and the friend belonged to a satanic witchcraft cult. Over time, the defendant frequently inquired of his Facebook contacts if anyone knew where the Polk County Sheriff Steve Ross and his personnel lived.
“He needed help, but there was no help. I didn’t think this situation would ever have an ending where somebody wasn’t hurt,” said O’Neal's niece Amber Lilley, who described her uncle’s desperate need for mental health treatment, according to The New York Times.
The defendant was immediately arrested at the scene and is being held at the Polk County Jail while awaiting a bail hearing.
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