Arrest Made In Colorado Springs NAACP Bombing

On January 6, the city of Colorado Springs was rocked by a bomb that exploded near the NAACP office. As the investigation progressed, it was initially determined that the crime was targeting the NAACP office and as a designated hate crime it was turned over to the FBI for investigation.

Photo credit from CBS 9News: Eugene Daniels, KOAA
Photo credit from CBS 9News: Eugene Daniels, KOAA

At the time of the attack, FBI spokeswoman Amy Sanders stated,

“We are investigating all potential motives at this time and an act of domestic terrorism is certainly one possibility.”

Six weeks later, an arrest has been made and the suspect, Thaddeus Murphy, 44,?claims he was not targeting the NAACP office, but was targeting the tax preparation office located in the same building. After a search of his home, evidence tying Murphy to this bombing were found.

Charges are currently pending against Murphy. Investigators are attempting to determine the true target, as that will have a bearing on the severity of the charges.

The bombing caused very little damage to the building, leaving only a small charred area on the exterior wall. With that in mind, the extent of punishment will be determined by how the crime is classified by investigators and prosecutors.

If tried as a hate crime, the penalties for a terroristic act are much stiffer than for bombing a tax office. You can bet that the people of Colorado Springs are resting easier though, just knowing that Murphy is in custody.

This is not Murphy’s first run-in with the law. He was arrested and plead guilty to charges of felony theft in 2008 in El Paso County. His arraignment was scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on Friday, February 20, where he will either be retained in custody or released on bond pending trial.

Residents of Colorado Springs will be eagerly awaiting the end of this stressful period.