Death penalty sought in Woodbury bombing
Explosion at a bank killed two police officers in December
Two men accused of bombing a Woodburn bank and killing two police officers in December could face the death penalty.
Marion County prosecutors said Friday they will seek the death penalty for Bruce Aldon Turnidge, 58, and his son, Joshua Abraham Turnidge, 32.
"We are declaring that we are seeking the death penalty in this case," Marion County Deputy District Attorney Courtland Geyer said during a court hearing Friday.
Geyer said prosecutors considered the evidence and the severity of the crimes the men are accused of when deciding to seek the death penalty.
Marion County Circuit Judge Thomas Hart said the Turnidges' trial likely will start in September 2010 because scheduling conflicts prevent it from starting earlier in the year.
The trial is expected to last 12 weeks.
Joshua Turnidge waved to a crowd of friends and family as he entered Hart's courtroom Friday.
Bruce Turnidge and Joshua Turnidge are accused of planting a bomb at West Coast Bank in Woodburn on Dec. 12, 2008.
That evening, the bomb exploded inside the bank and killed Oregon State Police Senior Trooper William Hakim and Woodburn Police Capt. Thomas Tennant.
Woodburn Police Chief Scott Russell was seriously injured in the blast. He recently returned to work after undergoing several surgeries and months of recovery.
A bank employee also suffered minor injuries in the blast.
Joshua Turnidge, of Salem, was arrested two days after the bombing. He was identified in surveillance video that investigators connected to the blast.
Bruce Turnidge, of Jefferson, was arrested Dec. 16.
At the father's property, investigators found a large supply of items they alleged could be used for manufacturing explosives, including Tovex, a highly-explosive gel often used as a substitute for dynamite, and plywood spray-painted green, matching the color of the green box that contained the bomb that exploded at the Woodburn bank, according to legal documents.
Each man is charged with:
-10 counts of aggravated murder
-Three counts of attempted aggravated murder
One count each of:
-First-degree assault
-Second-degree assault
-Manufacture of a destructive device
-Possession of a destructive device
-Conspiracy to commit aggravated murder
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20090912/NEWS/909120319/1001
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