The manhunt for James M. Sever, accused of a sinister attempt on his landlord's life with a concealed bomb, ended as the fugitive was apprehended on an e-bike along the Hoodlebug Trail in Indiana County. WPXI reported that an off-duty trooper's keen eye last night initiated the response that led to Sever's capture.
An on-duty trooper subsequently spotted Sever, who, according to police, complied immediately with arrest commands and was taken into custody sans conflict. This arrest follows a tense period traceable back to July 20, when an explosion erupted from beneath a man's lawnmower in Salem Township, Westmoreland County, a ploy allegedly set by Sever after an eviction from his landlord's property. Responding officers linked the crime to Sever, and considerable efforts were dispatched his detain.
Sever's arrest, months in the making, brings some resolution to a saga that rumbled the quiet of Salem Township. An investigation is still ongoing regarding a suspicious fire on August 22 at the home that Sever once occupied, which may be another piece in a disturbing puzzle of retaliatory acts.
WTAE noted that state officials have yet to confirm a direct connection between Sever and the arson; however, the suspicion has undeniably shaped perceptions of the incident.
