Man Enters Guilty Plea After Trying to Blow Up Rival With Gift-wrapped Explosive
(DailyVantage.com) – Clayton Alexander McCoy expressed his feelings for a romantic interest in October 2020. Yet, he decided to take drastic action when she told him she didn’t feel the same way. The 32-year-old drove more than 350 miles to her boyfriend’s home, where he dropped off an explosive, intending to kill the victim. McCoy initially denied planting the bomb, but he eventually confessed. He has since pleaded guilty to federal charges surrounding the crime.
According to prosecutors, McCoy fashioned the bomb out of materials he gathered at several stores, where he paid cash to avoid leaving a trail. He added shrapnel pellets inside to cause even more damage. He succeeded.
Clayton Alexander McCoy, 32, of Chesterland, Ohio, drove seven hours to Carroll County to deliver a bomb with the intention to kill a romantic rival. https://t.co/5VaQ2FY90w
— WMAR-2 News (@WMAR2News) October 13, 2022
When the victim eventually opened the bomb, which McCoy wrapped in a white box with a red ribbon to look like a gift, the shrapnel pierced the victim’s body. It caused so much damage the victim was in the hospital for over two weeks, had to use a walker, and underwent multiple surgeries. Additionally, the explosion damaged the victim’s home, causing over $46,000 in claims and forcing the man and his grandparents to evacuate.
McCoy’s charges include a single count of possessing an unregistered firearm/explosive device — which carries a sentence of up to 20 years — and transporting explosives with intent to injure — which could earn him 10 more years. The court hasn’t announced a sentencing date yet.
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