Man arrested for anchor threats admits to planting pipe bombs
Jul 25, 2013, 1:38 PM | Updated: 1:39 pm
PHOENIX — A New York man accused of threatening television anchors because of their coverage of the Jodi Arias trial admitted to planting pipe bombs, the Marciopa County Sheriff’s Office said in a release.
David Lee Simpson told deputies that he had planted several pipe bombs in northern Pennsylvania before his arrest. No locations were released.
Simpson threatened newscasters Nancy Grace and Jane Velez-Mitchell during the Arias trial. Simpson was infatuated with Arias. He allegedly sent the anchors threatening tweets.
MCSO said some of the tweets threatened to strap the anchors to a “tree naked and leave them to suffer all night” and “slit their throats.” Simpson also allegedly told a co-worker he wanted to gut one anchor “like a deer.”
Simpson was arrested after he quit his job. He was located by police and was found to be in possession of guns, ammunition, handcuffs, zip-ties, binoculars, a knife and a police radio. A receipt for a shotgun was also found, but the gun has not been located.
“This suspect was on his way south with enough weapons in his car to do serious harm to someone,” said Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. “Fortunately, we acted quickly and in so doing, were able to stop him before anything could transpire.”
Simpson later admitted he was going to Georgia to kill Grace by “putting a knife” between her legs and cutting her.
Simpson was also in possession of several newspaper clippings concerning shootings, including some about the shooting at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school.
