Three charged with bomb threat at Poplar Bluff factory

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Charges were filed Thursday against three Arkansas residents accused of calling in an August bomb threat at Nordyne in the Poplar Bluff Industrial Park.

The Daily American Republic reported two of the suspects -- Justin R. Cox, 21, and his 39-year-old girlfriend, Tina Louise Dunn, both of Coring, Ark. -- were arrested at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Stateline Truck Stop on U.S. 67 South on Butler County warrants for making a terrorist threat. The third suspect, Cory A. Lane, 20, of Piggott, Ark., faces the same charge, but has not been arrested at this time.

The trio is charged in connection with an Aug. 18 incident in which a Nordyne employee received a call at about 1 a.m. from a male subject, "who said there were two bombs in the building, so they evacuated and shut down the plant," said Poplar Bluff Police Detective Leigh Morgan. The bombs reportedly were to go off in 20 minutes.

Officers, Morgan said, responded and took "appropriate security measures to clear the building for employee and public safety. ... Everyone went back to work once the facility was deemed safe."

Nordyne takes threats, such as this, very seriously, explained plant Manager Brandon Richardson.

"We hold in the highest regard the safety of employees," Richardson said . " ... Nordyne was very pleased with the promptness and diligence of the Poplar Bluff Police."

Through the use of what Morgan described as modern technology, investigative leads and investigative subpoenas, detectives were able to identify the alleged perpetrators.

Morgan said she and Detective Bryce Colvin interviewed Lane, who had been residing with Dunn and Cox at that time.

During that interview, Lane told detectives "he received a call from Justin, who was at work on his break and asked that he (Lane) call in a bomb threat because he wanted to take the night off and he didn't have any more time off to take," Morgan said.

Lane further reported he and Dunn "attempted to call" multiple times before Lane "finally got through," Morgan said.

Cox, according to Morgan's probable cause affidavit, later called Lane again to tell him "all the employees had to go outside for a couple of hours, but then got called back inside to work."

Cox and Dunn also were interviewed, however, both denied any involvement "although there was evidence that she had called," Morgan said.

After Associate Circuit Judge John Bloodworth issued warrants for the arrest of Cox, Dunn and Lane on Thursday, Police Chief Danny Whiteley said, he and Lt. David Sutton went to the Corning Police Department, where they contacted Officer Jamie Martin.

Whiteley said they subsequently contacted Dunn at her place of employment. Dunn, he said, then contacted Cox, who came to her location.

"They agreed to come to the Stateline Truck Stop on the Missouri side in order for us to place them under arrest and avoid extradition proceedings," Whiteley said.

Cpl. Joe Ward subsequently transported the couple to the police department, where they were booked and later lodged in the Butler County Justice Center. Both are being held on $10,000 cash bonds.

"This case is being referred to Special Agent Dave Diveley with (the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives) for possible federal prosecution," Whiteley said.

Threats, such as this, create what Richardson described as having an "averse affect" on the company and its employees due to lost time and additional resources required by the company and local authorities to investigation them.