Paine arrested for Purdy bomb incident
February 8, 2023
Benjamin Wade Paine was taken into custody on February 3 by Barry County Sheriff's deputies for unlawful possession of an explosive device.
Adriana Keeton
On Thursday, February 2, just before 5 a.m., Purdy Fire and the Barry County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to a small outside fire on Farm Road 2095 in Purdy. While en route, responding units received updated information from central dispatch of a possible bomb. When firefighters arrived on the scene, a device was found that resembled an explosive on fire.
According to a probable cause statement dated February 3 by Detective Doug Henry with the Barry County Sheriff's office, the fire was reported to be a five-gallon bucket on fire on top of a propane tank. Once the fire was extinguished, it was determined that the incendiary device was a homemade bomb. The propane tank appeared to be equipped with a light switch hooked to a battery with wire fence clips, nuts, bolts, screws, ceramic shards, and other debris attached.
On February 3, Detective Doug Henry interviewed Benjamin Wade Paine, 29, of Purdy, after Barry County deputies arrested him for trespassing on the same property and through the same gate where the incendiary device was placed on February 2. During the interview, Paine admitted to being at the bucket that was on fire and that a knife found at the scene by investigators was his.
Responding agencies included Springfield Fire Department's Bomb Squad and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Paine is charged with Unlawful Possession of an Explosive Weapon and is currently held in the Barry County Jail on a $50,000 bond.
On Thursday, February 2, just before 5 a.m., Purdy Fire and the Barry County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to a small outside fire on Farm Road 2095 in Purdy. While en route, responding units received updated information from central dispatch of a possible bomb. When firefighters arrived on the scene, a device was found that resembled an explosive on fire.
According to a probable cause statement dated February 3 by Detective Doug Henry with the Barry County Sheriff's office, the fire was reported to be a five-gallon bucket on fire on top of a propane tank. Once the fire was extinguished, it was determined that the incendiary device was a homemade bomb. The propane tank appeared to be equipped with a light switch hooked to a battery with wire fence clips, nuts, bolts, screws, ceramic shards, and other debris attached.
On February 3, Detective Doug Henry interviewed Benjamin Wade Paine, 29, of Purdy, after Barry County deputies arrested him for trespassing on the same property and through the same gate where the incendiary device was placed on February 2. During the interview, Paine admitted to being at the bucket that was on fire and that a knife found at the scene by investigators was his.
Responding agencies included Springfield Fire Department's Bomb Squad and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Paine is charged with Unlawful Possession of an Explosive Weapon and is currently held in the Barry County Jail on a $50,000 bond.
