No bomb found in Slater home

Thursday, April 30, 2009 ~ Updated 12:10 PM
By GEOFF RANDS/Staff writer

A Missouri State Highway Patrol Bomb Squad vehicle sits outside the home in which the note suggesting an explosive device was found.
(Geoff Rands/Democrat-News)
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The area around a home on West Lincoln Street in Slater has been ruled safe by members of the Missouri State Highway Patrol Bomb Squad following an investigation of the home's contents.

Robert David Horne, 49, was found in his home dead Wednesday night, April 30, and EMS personnel found a note hanging at eye level in Horne's closet that read, in part, "This ... ain't worth your life" and continued that unless the reader had extensive IED training, it would be prudent to leave.

Slater Police Captain Steven Davis believes it was meant as a deterrent against burglars, rather than any sort of threat against anyone.

But, after the note was found, Missouri State Highway Patrol was contacted Wednesday evening, April 29. Because nobody else lived in the residence, it was decided that it would be safe for the area to simply be secured and to wait until the morning of April 30 to investigate the home.

When the bomb squad searched the home, the only thing they found that could be called "explosive" was old military ammunition, which bomb squad members took to Jefferson City for disposal, following the clearing of the scene.

Saline County Coroner William Harlow ruled Horne's death to be of natural causes after performing an autopsy Thursday afternoon.

Horne had pre-existing medical conditions, Harlow said.

Superintendent of Slater Public Schools John McEachern said he was not aware of the situation on Lincoln Street until 10:15 a.m. Thursday when he was contacted by representatives of MSHP.

McEachern said the representatives asked him to keep all students in the building and told him there "probably isn't a threat."

The representatives "asked to keep it as quiet as possible," said McEachern, "because they didn't want a bunch of gawkers, I guess."

He added, "We follow our own protocol" in the school district.

"There was no intent to not inform the public what was going on," clarified MSHP Sgt. Jason Clark. "It was just a safety concern."

The school was not on lockdown, McEachern stated, but students were kept inside.

McEachern said a letter was sent home with students Thursday, April 30, to explain the situation to their parents. This letter can be viewed at slaterpublicschools.net.

Contact Geoff Rands at marshallreporter@socket.net

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NO, it says Saline County Coroner. Harlow is a great guy and he is a qualified medical examiner if you want to call it that but technically it is called "Coroner."

-- Posted by aen2012 on Sun, May 3, 2009, at 9:43 AM

I didn't know Willie Harlow did autopsies. Don't you mean "after having an autopsy performed by a qualified medical examiner"?

-- Posted by cmasretire on Sat, May 2, 2009, at 4:58 PM