James Sever, a 54-year-old man from Pennsylvania, has been hit with a new round of charges, totaling nearly 40 counts, in connection with two separate incidents involving homemade pipe bombs, one under his landlord's lawnmower and another on a vehicle mistaken to be his uncle's. A statement from the Westmoreland County Prosecutor's office reported by WPXI indicates that the charges include attempted criminal homicide and multiple counts of aggravated assault and recklessly endangering another person, among others.
The case began to escalate on Aug. 14 when routine maintenance workers discovered suspicious items on an off-ramp of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the state police were called in and their Hazardous Device Explosives Section identified the components to match those used in a previous explosion in July, which occurred in Salem Township under Dave Martin’s lawnmower after Martin had initiated eviction process against Sever, according to WTAE. The 54-year-old accused was on the lam for 58 days before being captured and has been weaving a web of evasion, plotting, and malice that spanned over a decade with the intent to harm his uncle.
During the investigation, Sever's history of family discord surfaced, notably his long-standing animosity towards his father and uncle. "He had grown to have hatred for both of those individuals, specifically his uncle," said Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Steve Limani, his words captured by WTAE. Forensic analysis linked the components found at both scenes, tying the two events together and back to Sever, who had previously been on the run after the initial pipe bomb incident.
This marked escalation in Sever’s pattern of violence is chilling, considering the potential for loss of innocent lives. “The fact that all of these other individuals had a chance of being injured, hurt, or killed is what becomes mind-numbing. You would think that anyone in the vehicle would have suffered catastrophic loss or death," Trooper Limani elucidated in an interview, revealing the harrowing near misses associated with the crimes attributed to Sever. The individual in question currently remains in custody without bail and has pleaded "not guilty" to the charges relating to the lawnmower explosion as reported by WPXI.
As the case proceeds, Sever is due back in court on Nov. 19, where the weight of evidence and the severity of the accusations against him will be put through the rigors of judicial scrutiny.
