Explosion suspect goes to jail

The man investigators say caused a bonfire explosion that seriously burned 14 people turned himself in Thursday afternoon at the Cape Girardeau County Jail in Jackson.

And though his attorney is trying to get his $75,000 bond lowered, two of his former friends are arguing against it.

Jerry Lee Self Jr., 22, of Millersville, was charged Wednesday with 14 counts of second-degree assault for allegedly tossing a five-gallon gasoline can into a bonfire during a party on Jan. 17 at 3901 County Road 621.

Attorney Wayne Keller requested that Associate Circuit Judge Gary Kamp either allow Self to post 10 percent of the bail or reduce the cash-only bond significantly.

"This kid is local, and he intends to stay here and fight this and go to trial," Keller said. "He has a job and a pregnant girlfriend. He can't pay me if he's sitting in jail and not able to work."

Kesley Proffer and Ashley Farmer were both burned in the blast. Both women, 18, previously considered Self to be a good friend, they said. However, neither wants his bond to be reduced.

"I would be mad if it were lowered," Farmer said. "I don't want to see him again, ever."

Keller said Self is willing to pay for an electronic monitoring device to be attached to him, should Kamp approve a lower bond.

Because of the number of and nature of the charges, prosecutors argued for an increase in the bond, but didn't specify an amount.

"Mr. Self has demonstrated with just this one act that he is in fact a danger to the community," assistant prosecuting attorney Angel Woodruff said. "He seriously injured 14 people."

Alleged intimidation

Woodruff said one witness to the bonfire incident told investigators Self has already tried to either "influence or intimidate" him into not cooperating with law enforcement.

Keller denied this allegation, describing the witness as a "close and personal friend" of Self who would have no reason to be intimidated by the defendant.

Kamp said he would make a decision on Self's bond reduction motion Monday afternoon. Self will be arraigned today. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 25 at 9 a.m.

One of the blast victims, Staci Richardson, underwent surgery Thursday at St. John's Medical Mercy Center in St. Louis for third-degree burns to her legs. She does not remember much about events immediately after the explosion, but she knew she had been hurt badly.

"I guess I was in shock," Richardson said by phone Thursday. "I was pretty upset."

Most of her left leg and parts of her right leg and face were burned. Doctors performed skin grafts Thursday using healthy pieces of skin from other areas of her body to stretch over the burns. She might be released next week, Richardson said.

Proffer considers herself fortunate for only having suffered second-degree burns on her buttocks, neck and ear, and the loss of some of her hair.

"The last thing I remember happening is me running, trying to get away and looking back and seeing flames coming from my hair," she said. "I rolled as far out as I could to try and get the fire off, but I literally had to bang my head into the snow to put it out."

The flames took off most of the hair from the top of Proffer's head, which feels tender and sore, she said.

"The burns on my neck are not as bad, but the one on my ear is pretty sore," Proffer said.

Farmer received fewer burns, but she also broke a finger after being knocked down by the blast.

"Right now, that hurts the most," she said.

Tossing shotgun shells

Shotgun ammunition was thrown into the bonfire earlier in the evening, and Farmer was hit in the leg by one of the shell casings, she said. Though she was not injured by it, she felt the sting of its impact.

"Shells usually get thrown in the fire, so that's nothing big," Farmer said. "But it was odd because no shell has ever hit anybody before that I know of."

Investigators used photographs taken that evening by Proffer and Farmer to help identify others at the party.

In addition to the exploding gasoline can, the party held other dangers, said Lt. David James of the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department. Alcohol was readily available to minors from three kegs of beer. And someone, apparently to keep a keg from freezing up in the cold weather, placed it on the edge of the bonfire.

One witness told an investigator that when he heard the explosion, "I thought it was the keg."

mwells@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 160