Mail bombings target two prominent televangelists.

Two police sketches of a caucasian man with dark hair and dark eyes

Police sketches of suspect

Suspect:

Gender: Male
Height: 5’10” to 6’
Weight: 160 to 175 lbs.
Hair: Brown
Defining Characteristics: Neatly dressed, average build

CASE DETAILS

Package exploding sending shrapnel flying everywhere

The package exploded without warning

Televangelist Pat Robertson’s daily broadcasts over CBN, the Christian Broadcasting Network, are seen in nearly a million households nationwide. But his outspoken stance on controversial issues has made him the target of hate mail and death threats. Robertson’s broadcasts originate from his headquarters in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Each day, thousands of letters and packages arrive at the CBN mailroom, most of them donations from viewers. But on April 27, 1990, Scott Scheepers, a CBN security guard, was called to the mailroom to check a package addressed to Pat Robertson:

“When I looked at the package on the monitor of the x-ray machine, I didn’t see anything that led me to believe there was a problem or it was really suspicious.”

Scott Scheepers lower body exposing a bloodied left leg filled with shrapnel

The explosion left shrapnel in his leg

Scheepers remained on guard and decided to check the contents of the package. He was baffled by several strips of newspaper sticking out of the box:

“I was still somewhat skeptical about it. So I stepped away from the box as far as I could get and took my left hand and extended it out, grabbed the lid of the box.”

As Scott opened the box, he was suddenly thrown to the floor by an explosion:

“I had severe pain in the upper part of my left leg and my abdomen, over to my right leg. I made the determination that this is it. You know it’s either lay here and possibly die or get up and get help. So that’s when I made the determination to help myself and pick myself off the floor and try to get to the front of the building.”

Scott Scheepers was rushed to a nearby hospital where he underwent emergency surgery to remove shrapnel imbedded in his leg:

“I’m very fortunate. The trauma room doctor said if I’d have been holding the package… I might not even have made it out of the room itself. So I consider myself very, very fortunate that it wasn’t any worse than it was.”

Crime scene investigators examining the area impacted by the pipe bomb

Investigators found evidence of a pipe bomb

Authorities determined that the package contained a homemade pipe bomb. They quickly linked the bomb to an earlier attack aimed at another televangelist–Pastor John Osteen. In 1960, Pastor Osteen founded the Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. The church was one of the largest in America and seated more than 8,000 worshipers. Like Robertson, Pastor Osteen used television to spread the gospel. And he was also the target of a similar mail bomb. On January 30, 1990, three months before the CBN bombing, John Osteen’s daughter, Lisa Cines, arrived in her office to open the day’s mail:

“I felt like it was safe to open the package because I open a lot of packages because we’ve never had any problems and this looked like an ordinary package. It had a label addressed to my dad, typewritten to my dad and then it had a return address. And… you’re not really suspicious of things like that. It was just a cardboard box. It had one piece of tape on it. I opened the box when I was sitting down. And really the next thing I remember is I was standing about five feet away from my chair and I was very shaken as if I’d had an electrical shock.   I’ll never forget that feeling.”

Man crouching down connecting the wires of two explosive packages

The bomber made two explosive packages

Lisa had been the victim of a pipe bomb wrapped in newspaper. She suffered third degree burns and cuts on her right leg and abdomen. But she recovered quickly, and just four weeks later returned to the pulpit. According to Kenneth Weaver, Chief Postal Inspector of the Eastern Region, the box used in both bombings was the type used by candle distributors:

“And there was some printed material on the outside of the box, which had been scratched out with the word ‘Burgundy’ with the box. We found that both of these packages were mailed from small towns near Fayetteville, North Carolina. The National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crimes researched al the evidence in both the bombing cases. They said number one that this individual responsible for the bombings had some type of stress or turmoil in his life at the time of the bombings. Secondly, they felt that anyone around or in the presence of the bomber would’ve known a difference in this person’s behavior.”

A composite sketch depicted the man who was seen mailing the bombs. He’s described as a neatly dressed, white male with brown hair. He has an average build and weighs between 160 and 175 pounds. Both bombs were mailed from within twenty-five miles of Fayetteville, North Carolina. The US Postal Inspection Service is offering a reward of up to $50,000 in this case.


Watch this case now on Amazon Prime in season four with Robert Stack and in season eight with Dennis Farina. Also available on YouTube with Dennis Farina. Various seasons available now on Hulu.

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13 Comments

  1. Sooner State Girl

    Televangelists got a bad name after the Bakker’s and Jimmy Swaggart. Maybe this guy threatened them or attempted something and it was documented.

    Reply

  2. Ben

    Did they ever find this guy?

    Reply

  3. Jeff

    I think it could be worth looking at this guy who mailed pipe bombs trying to kill his wife 5 years after this also in North Carolina

    https://apnews.com/article/legal-proceedings-north-carolina-raleigh-new-bern-prisons-8154a5ff1b60c5af3c1cfd4befecf4ca

    Reply

  4. Zach

    If you look at the 2 composites of the suspect and you compare it to Eric Rudolph’s photo especially when he was caught, noticing his hair style and eyes the composite does resemble a young Eric Rudolph! The FBI needs to reopen the case further interrogate Rudolph on the CBN bombings!

    Reply

  5. Dara

    I kept waiting for the update that this was Eric Rudolph !!

    Reply

  6. Chyna

    @samantha I think your right and he would’ve been around and capable at that time as well. He looks exactly like the sketch. @unsolvedmysteries what can we do to solve this?

    Reply

  7. Samantha

    Looks like Cesar Sayoc is a good candidate the sketches look similar to his profile and he has targeted and bombed other people using the us postal service

    Reply

  8. Dawn

    The burgundy name on the box,perhaps a candle box for votive cups. My mom use to sell home interiors and the candles came in these types of boxes. Sometimes marked with the candle colors on the outside of the boxes.Perhaps the man’s wife/gf etc. Was a seller of such home furnishings.

    Reply

  9. Kathy

    Was Eric Rudolph ever considered? Ft Bragg is at Fayetteville, NC. The bombings were in 1990. Rudolph later evolved into 1996 Olympic bomber & Birmingham Clinic bomber. Could have been his early work. Strong feeling it’s him.

    Reply

  10. Petaamotex

    One of them was an Osteen and related to Joel Osteen. This man must go after prosperity televangelists.

    Reply

  11. Petaa motex

    This guy targeted televangelists and ones who have controversy of their preaching styles and use of donation money. This guy is probably a fundamental extremist who views these guys as false prophets. I would look in that direction.

    Reply

  12. bryan

    Any updates about this segment?

    Reply

  13. tom

    The sketches look like the father of the digger family from 19kids and counting tv show

    Reply

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