Bomb scare suspects in custody

Three suspects were arrested Monday pending federal charges in connection with the multiple bomb scares that kept Cape Girardeau police tied up for most of last Friday.

The hoax appears to be part of a plot constructed with the intention of diverting police attention so the suspects could carry off a local bank robbery they had allegedly planned.

Six public buildings, including the police station and three schools, received threats that a bomb had been planted just outside the facility, according to Sgt. Barry Hovis of the Cape Girardeau police department.

Around 9 a.m. Friday, police began receiving calls alerting them that not only was police headquarters in danger, but that Cape Girardeau Central High School, Central Middle School, the Chateau Girardeau retirement home, Cape Girardeau Montessori School, and the post office had also been targeted.

In addition to contacting their three school security officers, police activated the Southeast Missouri Regional Bomb Squad, and dispersed at least 15 officers among the threatened locations, Hovis said.

All of the locations were searched thoroughly, but all police found was a small, non-explosive device near the basketball court of the middle school, later determined to have been "hoax."

Seven members of the bomb squad, 22 city police officers and dispatchers, one FBI agent and several Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents assisted with securing and searching the bomb scare sites.

The cost to the police department was estimated at $1,200 for the 51 man-hours spent on the hoax, not counting gas mileage, equipment or meetings and events that got pushed aside while police responded to the threats, Hovis said.

At the high school, police assisted the school's "leadership team" in searching the premises from top to bottom, a task that took two hours.

Mike Cowan, principal at Central High School, explained they made it a priority to determine the threat was over before students took their lunch break, lest they learn of the scare on the news.

Because the caller said the bomb was outside the school, it wouldn't have been logical to evacuate the building and generate panic by marching everyone outside where there might be danger, Cowan said.

"It's not an exact science, but you must make a judgment call," said Cowan of deciding whether to evacuate.

Around 11 a.m., once it became clear there was no danger, an e-mail was forwarded to staff and faculty members, alerting them to the situation.

The Chateau Girardeau retirement community building that received a threat also initiated a lockdown until police could complete their investigation, said Lynne Spriggs, administrator for the facility.

"We got the call from police and we immediately took action," Spriggs said.

Around 12:30 p.m. all staff and residents received a memo letting them know what had happened, and assuring them they were in no danger.

Staff members who needed to assist in securing the building were notified, said Spriggs.

At the Montessori school, director Janice Meyer chose to keep her faculty members abreast of the situation, and they evacuated the building, taking the 35 children on a walk to the river and out of harm's way.

Meyer said the 35 students only knew they were going on a river walk, which is one of their favorite activities anyway.

Once police assured Meyer there was no danger, she called each parent and informed them of the situation, and none of them opted to pick up their child early.

"That's a vote of confidence," she said.

The suspects, if convicted of making terroristic threats, could face up to seven years in prison.

bdicosmo@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 245