Luke Helder
Encyclopedia
Lucas John Helder is a former University of Wisconsin–Stout college student from Pine Island, Minnesota
, who earned notoriety as the Midwest Pipe Bomber in May 2002.
s in mailboxes across the United States to create a smiley
face shape on the United States map. The bombs, which were packed with BB
s and nails, were rigged to explode as the mailboxes were opened. Completed and rigged bombs were found in Nebraska
, Colorado
, Texas
, Illinois
and Iowa
. In Iowa, six people, including four mail carriers, were injured when the bombs detonated. Ultimately, Helder planted 18 bombs and covered 3,200 miles. He was eventually captured in rural Nevada
before he managed to complete the full smile. At the time of his arrest, police were looking for an unknown suspect driving around in a black Honda Accord
and newspapers reported that he was wearing a Kurt Cobain
T-Shirt. The bombings were heavily covered by the United States
media
.
While Helder was not at the top of his college class, his teachers described him as a reasonably good, quiet and polite student and at first there was confusion as to what the motivation for the bombings could be. Within the year prior to his arrest, Helder had become passionate about astral projection
techniques and came to believe that death of the flesh and body is not the end of existence, as evidenced by the manifesto
he sent to The Badger Herald
of the University of Wisconsin–Madison
at the beginning of the bombing spree. The essay also includes statements such as
It later came to light that his actions were an attempt to garner media
attention so that he could spread a message denouncing government
control over daily lives and the illegality of marijuana
as well as promoting astral projection
as a method to reach a higher level of consciousness.
.
band named Apathy. Although the band was successful only on a local scale, it recorded a CD named Sacks of People at the end of their first summer together, which they funded and released themselves.
When the news broke that Helder was the pipe bomber, the media made significant mention of his status as a musician. Many music critics scrambled to acquire copies of Apathy's CD, some of which were auctioned on Ebay
for as much as $200.
Pine Island, Minnesota
Pine Island is a city in Goodhue and Olmsted counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 3,263 at the 2010 census. Most of Pine Island is in Goodhue County, but a small part extends into Olmsted County, making it part of the Rochester metropolitan area.The community has a strong...
, who earned notoriety as the Midwest Pipe Bomber in May 2002.
Bombings
While attending the University of Wisconsin–Stout and living in an apartment in Menomonie, WI, Helder planned to plant pipe bombPipe bomb
A pipe bomb is an improvised explosive device, a tightly sealed section of pipe filled with an explosive material. The containment provided by the pipe means that simple low explosives can be used to produce a relatively large explosion, and the fragmentation of the pipe itself creates potentially...
s in mailboxes across the United States to create a smiley
Smiley
A smiley, smiley face, or happy face, is a stylized representation of a smiling human face, commonly occurring in popular culture. It is commonly represented as a yellow circle with two black dots representing eyes and a black arc representing the mouth...
face shape on the United States map. The bombs, which were packed with BB
BB gun
BB guns are a type of air gun designed to shoot projectiles named BBs after the birdshot pellet of approximately the same size. These projectiles are usually spherical but can also be pointed; those are usually used for bird hunting. Modern day BB guns usually have a smoothbore barrel, with a bore...
s and nails, were rigged to explode as the mailboxes were opened. Completed and rigged bombs were found in Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. In Iowa, six people, including four mail carriers, were injured when the bombs detonated. Ultimately, Helder planted 18 bombs and covered 3,200 miles. He was eventually captured in rural Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
before he managed to complete the full smile. At the time of his arrest, police were looking for an unknown suspect driving around in a black Honda Accord
Honda Accord
The Honda Accord is a series of compact, mid-size and full-size automobiles manufactured by Honda since 1976, and sold in a majority of automotive markets throughout the world....
and newspapers reported that he was wearing a Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
T-Shirt. The bombings were heavily covered by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
media
News media (United States)
Mass media are the means through which information is transmitted to a large audience. This includes newspapers, television, radio, and more recently the Internet. Those who provide news and information, and the outlets for which they work, are known as the news media.Some high-quality news media...
.
Writings and theories
Astral projection
Astral projection is an interpretation of out-of-body experience that assumes the existence of an "astral body" separate from the physical body and capable of traveling outside it...
techniques and came to believe that death of the flesh and body is not the end of existence, as evidenced by the manifesto
Manifesto
A manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature. Manifestos relating to religious belief are generally referred to as creeds. Manifestos may also be life stance-related.-Etymology:...
he sent to The Badger Herald
The Badger Herald
The Badger Herald is a newspaper serving the University of Wisconsin–Madison community. Founded in 1969, it is one of America's first independent daily student newspapers. The paper is published Monday through Friday during the academic year...
of the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
at the beginning of the bombing spree. The essay also includes statements such as
I'm taking very drastic measure in attempt to provide this information to you... I will die/change in the end for this, but that's ok, hahaha paradise awaits! I'm dismissing a few individuals from reality, to change all of you for the better"and ends with the words "written before any of the bombs".
It later came to light that his actions were an attempt to garner media
News media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
attention so that he could spread a message denouncing government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
control over daily lives and the illegality of marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
as well as promoting astral projection
Astral projection
Astral projection is an interpretation of out-of-body experience that assumes the existence of an "astral body" separate from the physical body and capable of traveling outside it...
as a method to reach a higher level of consciousness.
Trial
In April 2004, a federal judge found Helder incompetent to stand trial. While the judge could free Helder if doctors find he is not a threat to society, legal experts doubt this possibility due to the violent nature of his crimes. He remains incarcerated in the Federal Medical Center in Rochester, MinnesotaRochester, Minnesota
Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on both banks of the Zumbro River, The city has a population of 106,769 according to the 2010 United States Census, making it Minnesota's third-largest city and the largest outside of the...
.
Musical background
Prior to his bombing spree, Helder was a member of a Rochester, Minnesota, three-piece grungeGrunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
band named Apathy. Although the band was successful only on a local scale, it recorded a CD named Sacks of People at the end of their first summer together, which they funded and released themselves.
When the news broke that Helder was the pipe bomber, the media made significant mention of his status as a musician. Many music critics scrambled to acquire copies of Apathy's CD, some of which were auctioned on Ebay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
for as much as $200.