Peeperann
January 1st, 2009, 04:58 PM
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ASPEN, Colorado (CNN) -- A man delivered bombs wrapped as Christmas presents to two banks Wednesday along with a note threatening "mass death" if they did not turn over tens of thousands of dollars, Aspen, Colorado, police said Thursday.
A surveillance camera photo supplied by Aspen police shows the man identified as James Blanning.
A surveillance camera photo supplied by Aspen police shows the man identified as James Blanning.
Authorities were quickly alerted, and the man apparently halted his plan -- leaving two bombs that were intended for other banks in an alley, police said.
"You had better be a very cool individual and not start a panic or many in Aspen will pay a horrible price in blood," said the note, which was released by police.
The man, identified as James Blanning, 72, who had had previous contacts with law enforcement, was later found dead after apparently shooting himself, police said.
His body was found in his car in a rural area east of Aspen.
"At this point, we believe Blanning was acting alone," Aspen Assistant Police Chief Bill Linn said at a news conference Thursday. Video Watch how notes threatened destruction »
Authorities ordered the evacuation of a 16-block area of Aspen on New Year's Eve, one of the busiest nights of the year for the resort town, after the bombs were found.
Bomb squads ultimately detonated the devices, and no one was injured.
Linn praised the banks for their "clearheaded response" in immediately alerting authorities on Wednesday.
The calls to police came about 2:30 p.m. (4:30 ET) Wednesday. Blanning had delivered "large plastic tubs" containing "wrapped Christmas-style presents" along with a threatening note to a Wells Fargo bank branch and a Vectra bank branch, police said.
Repeatedly using the word "we," as though a group of people was behind the plot, the obscenity-filled note described a bomb filled with "unique chemicals and electronics" and demanded that $60,000 in hundred-dollar bills be handed over in 20 minutes outside the bank. Read note police say was left by suspected bomber »
The note also refers to the Iraq war and describes President Bush as "Rove's and Chaney's (sic) monkey."
"This is as much a suicide mission as a bank robbery," the note said.
The devices in the alley were first to be detonated, Linn said. "They were found to contain improvised incendiary devices made of gasoline and containing what appeared to be cell phone actuators and anti-tamper devices," Linn said.
When Blanning's body was later found in his vehicle, he had "at least a rifle" with him, and may have had other weapons as well, Linn said at the news conference.
Authorities say the man also delivered a hand-written note to the Aspen Times.
After police released Blanning's name as the suspect earlier Thursday, CNN left a phone message at his address in Denver that was found through a public records search, seeking comment from a representative for him. The call was not immediately returned.
No public statement has been made on Blanning's behalf.
In 1994, the Rocky Mountain News published a story about Blanning -- then 58 years old.
"An embittered man with a rope around his neck held off authorities from a perch on the roof of the Pitkin County Courthouse in Aspen for seven hours Thursday," the story said.
Blanning ultimately surrendered in that incident, according to authorities quoted in that story
http://www.cnn.com/crimes
ASPEN, Colorado (CNN) -- A man delivered bombs wrapped as Christmas presents to two banks Wednesday along with a note threatening "mass death" if they did not turn over tens of thousands of dollars, Aspen, Colorado, police said Thursday.
A surveillance camera photo supplied by Aspen police shows the man identified as James Blanning.
A surveillance camera photo supplied by Aspen police shows the man identified as James Blanning.
Authorities were quickly alerted, and the man apparently halted his plan -- leaving two bombs that were intended for other banks in an alley, police said.
"You had better be a very cool individual and not start a panic or many in Aspen will pay a horrible price in blood," said the note, which was released by police.
The man, identified as James Blanning, 72, who had had previous contacts with law enforcement, was later found dead after apparently shooting himself, police said.
His body was found in his car in a rural area east of Aspen.
"At this point, we believe Blanning was acting alone," Aspen Assistant Police Chief Bill Linn said at a news conference Thursday. Video Watch how notes threatened destruction »
Authorities ordered the evacuation of a 16-block area of Aspen on New Year's Eve, one of the busiest nights of the year for the resort town, after the bombs were found.
Bomb squads ultimately detonated the devices, and no one was injured.
Linn praised the banks for their "clearheaded response" in immediately alerting authorities on Wednesday.
The calls to police came about 2:30 p.m. (4:30 ET) Wednesday. Blanning had delivered "large plastic tubs" containing "wrapped Christmas-style presents" along with a threatening note to a Wells Fargo bank branch and a Vectra bank branch, police said.
Repeatedly using the word "we," as though a group of people was behind the plot, the obscenity-filled note described a bomb filled with "unique chemicals and electronics" and demanded that $60,000 in hundred-dollar bills be handed over in 20 minutes outside the bank. Read note police say was left by suspected bomber »
The note also refers to the Iraq war and describes President Bush as "Rove's and Chaney's (sic) monkey."
"This is as much a suicide mission as a bank robbery," the note said.
The devices in the alley were first to be detonated, Linn said. "They were found to contain improvised incendiary devices made of gasoline and containing what appeared to be cell phone actuators and anti-tamper devices," Linn said.
When Blanning's body was later found in his vehicle, he had "at least a rifle" with him, and may have had other weapons as well, Linn said at the news conference.
Authorities say the man also delivered a hand-written note to the Aspen Times.
After police released Blanning's name as the suspect earlier Thursday, CNN left a phone message at his address in Denver that was found through a public records search, seeking comment from a representative for him. The call was not immediately returned.
No public statement has been made on Blanning's behalf.
In 1994, the Rocky Mountain News published a story about Blanning -- then 58 years old.
"An embittered man with a rope around his neck held off authorities from a perch on the roof of the Pitkin County Courthouse in Aspen for seven hours Thursday," the story said.
Blanning ultimately surrendered in that incident, according to authorities quoted in that story
http://www.cnn.com/crimes