A Pennsylvania father used a homemade car bomb to kill his young son, his friend and himself in a double-murder suicide Saturday night, PEOPLE confirms.
Jacob Schmoyer, 26, manufactured the device that claimed his life along with those of his 2-year-old son, Jonathan, and his 66-year-old friend, David Hallman, according to a news release from Allentown police.
At a Thursday press conference, Don Robinson, the special agent in charge at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Philadelphia field division said all three of the deceased were inside the car when it exploded. Authorities reconstructed the car at a lab in Maryland and believe the bomb had been placed in the center console of the vehicle, said Robinson.
Authorities have not specifically commented on a motive but have said Schmoyer sent letters to family members and Allentown police showing he was unhappy, ashamed and angry. In the letters — which police received on Tuesday, after the explosion — Schmoyer specified the components he used to construct the bomb and said he intended to target Hallman and take his son with him.
“He was miserable. Basically, the four letters describe a miserable life, he was unhappy with himself,” said Robinson, who added Schmoyer “admitted to thefts, burglaries and other criminal acts.”
“I don’t know if shame is too strong a word because of what he did later, but he admitted a lot of criminal acts, he didn’t think it was going to get any better. There was a lot of hatred there, and obviously, some directed at Mr. Hallman and his son,” said Robinson.
Family members told NBC News that Schmoyer had a history of schizophrenia.
• Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.
Authorities said Schmoyer “lured” Hallman into the vehicle and described Hallman as a “friend” of his, the news release states.
Hallman’s niece, Christine Erdman, told the Morning Call of Allentown she was shocked Schmoyer would target her uncle.
“I didn’t know Jacob but as far as I know they worked together, [Hallman] has been there for him, given him things,” she said. “And obviously that’s what he was meeting him for, thinking he was going to help him again.”
Source: Read Full Article