Man accused of making bomb threat

A Cape Girardeau man faces felony charges after police say he made a false bomb report.

John P. Richardson, 55, of 710 Woodbine Place, was arrested Thursday on a Cape Girardeau County warrant.

Cpl. Jason Selzer of the Cape Girardeau Police Department said a man called 911 at 7:51 p.m. Thursday and told the operator he had just put a bomb at the Safe House for Women, which provides emergency shelter and services for domestic violence victims.

The caller informed the dispatcher that the bomb would go off in 20 minutes, according to a probable-cause statement filed Friday.

The call was made from a pay phone at Save-A-Lot, 121 S. Sprigg St., according to Selzer, but no one was at the pay phone when officers responded to the scene.

The police evacuated the Safe House and took the women to an undisclosed location. "The Southeast Missouri bomb squad searched the Safe House and found no evidence of a bomb or materials to make one," Selzer said.

"We played the recording of the 911 call to the women at the Safe House," Selzer said. "One of the women thought it might be her husband."

Officers went to 710 Woodbine Place, the address the woman provided, but no one answered.

Richardson then called the police department's nonemergency line to ask why the police were at his house.

Detective Rob Watson spoke with Richardson and said he noticed a similarity between Richardson's voice and voice on the recorded 911 call, according to the probable-cause statement.

Watson went to Richardson's home, and Richardson agreed to come down to the station.

Watson played the 911 call for Richardson and told him that he believed Richardson made the bomb threat.

According to the probable-cause statement, Richardson waived his Miranda rights and told Watson, "I just wanted to know where the house was that my wife was at."

Richardson's bond was set at $10,000.

If convicted, Richardson faces up to four years in prison.

pwylie@semissourian.com335-6611, extension 127