An Oklahoma man who is accused of throwing a pipe bomb at the Satanic Temple in Salem made a brief court appearance in Oklahoma Thursday, where a judge ordered he be detained pending a hearing next week.
Sean Patrick Palmer, 49, of Perkins, Oklahoma is charged with using an explosive to cause damage to a building used in interstate or foreign commerce, according to federal prosecutors. On Thursday, Perkins appeared in federal court in the Western District of Oklahoma in the custody of U.S. Marshals, where he will remain until at least April 24, when he returns to court, according to documents filed in court.
A hearing to determine whether or not Palmer should be detained longer, at the request of prosecutors who say he is a flight risk and a danger to the community, will be held on April 24. Palmer is also set to be extradited to Massachusetts to face charges in connection with the Salem incident, prosecutors said previously.
At about 4:14 a.m. on April 8, a man wearing all black and a tan-colored tactical vest and gloves approached The Satanic Temple in Salem in April and threw a pipe bomb at the main entrance, according to acting U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Joshua S. Levy’s office.
The bomb, identified as an improvised explosive device or IED, partially blew up and caused minor fire and related damages to the exterior of The Satanic Temple, which also functions as an art gallery.
The pipe bomb appeared to have been constructed from a section of plastic pipe covered with metal nails, which were attached to the pipe with tape, according to charging documents. The inside of the pipe was filled with a powder-like substance which investigators preliminarily determined as smokeless gunpowder.
A single human hair was reportedly found on the pipe bomb containing the DNA profile of a white Caucasian male, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
A six-page handwritten note was found in a flower bed next to where the pipe bomb was found. The letter is addressed, “Dear Satanist,” and reads in part, “Elohim send me to fight crybaby satan, but want me to make hard effort so no one dies. I obey.” Elohim is a Hebrew word for God, according to an affidavit filed in federal court.
Prosecutors believe Palmer was also responsible for a vandalism at the temple in September, where white spray paint referencing bible verses was found on the property. There is a reference in the note to a “peaceful message” being delivered to the temple seven months prior to the incident, according to the affidavit.
Investigators obtained surveillance footage that reportedly identified a black Volvo sedan registered to Palmer that drove erratically in the vicinity of the temple before and after the bombing, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
They also found a photograph of Palmer, a white Caucasian male, posted to social media showing him wearing a tan-color tactical vest like the one worn by the suspect in the surveillance footage.
Charging documents also state that Palmer purchased PVC pipe on April 3 that matched the pipe used to construct the bomb from a home improvement retailer in Oklahoma.
The temple’s mission is “to encourage benevolence and empathy, reject tyrannical authority, advocate practical common sense, oppose injustice, and undertake noble pursuits,” according to its website. The Salem property, which opened in 2016, serves as the official headquarters for The Satanic Temple.
Its members don’t view Satan as an evil figure, but as one who dared question authority, MassLive reported. The group mostly advocates for the separation of church and state and is known for attempting to get its one-ton goat-headed idol statue put next to the 10 Commandments monument on public grounds.
Material from a previous MassLive story was used in this report.
