2nd Arrest Made In Woodburn Bank Bombing That Killed Two Police Officers

UPDATE: The father of a Salem man accused of killing two Oregon law enforcement officers in a bank explosion was arrested and charged Tuesday, authorities said.

Bruce Turnidge, 57, faces charges of murder, attempted murder, assault and the manufacture and possession of an explosive device.

“There was sufficient evidence for him to be charged with all the same offenses as his son,” said Courtland Geyer, the deputy district attorney in Marion County.

Turnidge’s son, 32-year-old Joshua Turnidge, appeared in court Tuesday on charges that include aggravated murder in the explosion Friday at the West Coast Bank in the agricultural town of Woodburn. The charge carries a potential death penalty.

“My client is clear-headed,” said Joshua Turnidge’s court-appointed attorney, Steven Krasik of Salem. “He was surprised to be arrested. And he is optimistic that he will be cleared of all these charges.”

Officers arrested his father at a farm about 13 miles southwest of Salem, the city where Joshua lives. Lt. Sheila Lorance of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said law enforcers were searching all 750 acres of the farm “from front to back.” She would not elaborate.

The arrest of Turnidge’s father is the latest twist in an investigation that has had many, and investigators are still not releasing a suspected motive.

Bruce Turnidge does not own the farm, but public records list it as his address. It was not clear whether he was a renter there, and the owner was not immediately available for comment.

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Police made an arrest Sunday in connection with a bomb blast that killed two officers at a Woodburn bank.

Hours after a news conference in which photos of a person of interest in the case were released, Marion County Sheriff Russ Isham announced an arrest.

The Marion County District Attorney’s Office is withholding the suspect’s name and the location of the arrest has not been released. The name, age and charges will be released by late Monday afternoon, deputies said.

“I’m really proud of those who tirelessly worked to get us to this point and am humbled by the community’s support,” Isham said. “We know there is still a lot of hard work ahead of us, but this development will help bring relief to the local community and the officer’s families.”

Earlier Sunday, Isham said cell phones and items that might have been used to make the Woodburn bomb were bought in the central Oregon city of Bend last month. Authorities would not elaborate on how cell phones might have been used. Bombers often use cell phone signals to remotely detonate explosives.

Deputy District Attorney Courtland Geyer said revealing anything about the “manner and build” of the bomb would hurt the investigation.

The bomb exploded late Friday afternoon at a West Coast Bank branch office. Woodburn Police Chief Scott Russell remained in critical condition Sunday at a Portland hospital in the blast that killed Woodburn police Capt. Tom Tennant and Oregon State Police Senior Trooper William Hakim.

A West Coast Bank branch manager found the device Friday after checking the bank grounds following a call about a bomb threat to a nearby Wells Fargo bank branch that turned up a device that was harmless. Police said they took the bomb inside the bank and it exploded.

It’s unclear if the person of interest was the person who was arrested in the case.

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Additional Details and Photos Here