Hillary Clinton presidential campaign office hostage crisis
Encyclopedia
The Hillary Clinton campaign office hostage crisis occurred on November 30, 2007, when 47-year-old Somersworth
resident Leeland E. Eisenberg took six hostage
s at the Hillary Rodham Clinton
presidential campaign office in Rochester
, New Hampshire
, United States
.
, on the afternoon of November 30, 2007, taking five adults and one infant hostage. He claimed to have a bomb strapped on his chest which he threatened to detonate. The bomb was reported to be road flares
. The town center, neighboring schools, and the Barack Obama
and John Edwards
local campaign centers were evacuated.
Two hostages were released shortly after, a woman and her infant. Two other hostages were released later, a young student and a Clinton campaign staffer. Later in the evening, the final two hostages who were both Clinton staffers, escaped after sneaking out of the office. The crisis ended with the suspect's surrender later that evening.
On September 30, 2008, Eisenberg pleaded guilty to kidnapping and criminal threatening. He was sentenced to three years in prison, followed by mental health treatment.
. Eisenberg and his former wife, Lisa Warren, had moved into the Somersworth trailer park that same summer. He had gained local attention in March 2007, when Somersworth police violated his fourth amendment
rights after they searched his unlocked car and left a flyer warning that owners should lock their doors to avoid car thefts. Eisenberg was also one of the 541 victims to receive payments in the 2003 Boston clergy sex abuse scandal settlement. In September 2002, he filed for lawsuit in the Suffolk Superior Court against Archbishop Bernard Cardinal Law, alleging Father Richard Buntel of St. Catherine's Church in Westboro had molested him when he was 21 years old. According to court records, he had been imprisoned at Bridgewater State Hospital
and at MCI Concord. Eisenberg had been due in court on November 27th, for a domestic abuse complaint filed by his wife. His wife's divorce deposition stated that Eisenberg had "severe alcohol and drug problems".
Later reports indicated that Eisenberg had seen a Clinton campaign advert regarding medical insurance, and that he had asked for Clinton, believing she could assist him in gaining mental help.
Somersworth, New Hampshire
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,477 people, 4,687 households, and 3,079 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,173.4 people per square mile . There were 4,841 housing units at an average density of 494.9 per square mile...
resident Leeland E. Eisenberg took six hostage
Hostage
A hostage is a person or entity which is held by a captor. The original definition meant that this was handed over by one of two belligerent parties to the other or seized as security for the carrying out of an agreement, or as a preventive measure against certain acts of war...
s at the Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
presidential campaign office in Rochester
Rochester, New Hampshire
Rochester is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 29,752. The city includes the villages of East Rochester and Gonic. Rochester is home to Skyhaven Airport and the annual Rochester Fair....
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Hostage situation
Eisenberg entered the local campaign office in Rochester, New HampshireRochester, New Hampshire
Rochester is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 29,752. The city includes the villages of East Rochester and Gonic. Rochester is home to Skyhaven Airport and the annual Rochester Fair....
, on the afternoon of November 30, 2007, taking five adults and one infant hostage. He claimed to have a bomb strapped on his chest which he threatened to detonate. The bomb was reported to be road flares
Flare (pyrotechnic)
A flare, also sometimes called a fusee, is a type of pyrotechnic that produces a brilliant light or intense heat without an explosion. Flares are used for signalling, illumination, or defensive countermeasures in civilian and military applications...
. The town center, neighboring schools, and the Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and John Edwards
John Edwards
Johnny Reid "John" Edwards is an American politician, who served as a U.S. Senator from North Carolina. He was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 2004, and was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004 and 2008.He defeated incumbent Republican Lauch Faircloth in...
local campaign centers were evacuated.
Two hostages were released shortly after, a woman and her infant. Two other hostages were released later, a young student and a Clinton campaign staffer. Later in the evening, the final two hostages who were both Clinton staffers, escaped after sneaking out of the office. The crisis ended with the suspect's surrender later that evening.
On September 30, 2008, Eisenberg pleaded guilty to kidnapping and criminal threatening. He was sentenced to three years in prison, followed by mental health treatment.
Perpetrator
The perpetrator of the hostage-taking was 47-year-old Leeland Eli Eisenberg, born as Ralph E. Woodward, Jr., who lived in a mobile home park in Somersworth, New HampshireSomersworth, New Hampshire
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,477 people, 4,687 households, and 3,079 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,173.4 people per square mile . There were 4,841 housing units at an average density of 494.9 per square mile...
. Eisenberg and his former wife, Lisa Warren, had moved into the Somersworth trailer park that same summer. He had gained local attention in March 2007, when Somersworth police violated his fourth amendment
Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the Bill of Rights which guards against unreasonable searches and seizures, along with requiring any warrant to be judicially sanctioned and supported by probable cause...
rights after they searched his unlocked car and left a flyer warning that owners should lock their doors to avoid car thefts. Eisenberg was also one of the 541 victims to receive payments in the 2003 Boston clergy sex abuse scandal settlement. In September 2002, he filed for lawsuit in the Suffolk Superior Court against Archbishop Bernard Cardinal Law, alleging Father Richard Buntel of St. Catherine's Church in Westboro had molested him when he was 21 years old. According to court records, he had been imprisoned at Bridgewater State Hospital
Bridgewater State Hospital
Bridgewater State Hospital, located in southeastern Massachusetts, is a state facility housing the criminally insane and those whose sanity is being evaluated for the criminal justice system. It was established in 1855 as an almshouse. It was then used as a workhouse for inmates with short...
and at MCI Concord. Eisenberg had been due in court on November 27th, for a domestic abuse complaint filed by his wife. His wife's divorce deposition stated that Eisenberg had "severe alcohol and drug problems".
Later reports indicated that Eisenberg had seen a Clinton campaign advert regarding medical insurance, and that he had asked for Clinton, believing she could assist him in gaining mental help.