Joel Hinrichs, Redux: An "Accidental Explosion"

 
Back in October, when Joel Hinrichs blew himself up outside the stadium at the University of Oklahoma, there was some controversy among bloggers as to whether this was simply a suicide or something more ominous. Gates of Vienna has always maintained [here and here and here and particularly here] that the “suicide” story didn’t meet the standards for Occam’s Razor…the whole story had too many holes, too many suspicious characters, and way too many unanswered questions.

Now, the Norman, Oklahoma police say it was not a suicide: too many explosives, too many “experiments” by Hinrichs in the weeks leading up to the explosion, which they think was accidental. The Oklahoman has the details, including newly released information from Sergeant George Mauldin, the Norman police explosives expert.

Norman police bomb expert said Tuesday he does not believe University of Oklahoma student Joel Henry Hinrichs III committed suicide by blowing himself up outside a packed football stadium.

"I believe he accidentally blew himself up," Sgt. George Mauldin said.

Mauldin said Hinrichs, 21, an engineering student, had two to three pounds of triacetone triperoxide, commonly known as TATP, in a backpack in his lap when it exploded Oct. 1.

There is no mention in the news article from The Oklahoman as to the whereabouts of the Pakistani roommate who disappeared. And no one has ever accounted for all of Hinrich’s undergraduate time.

This one is definitely a duck -- quack, web feet and all. The unanswered questions to this whole mess are still here.

But at least officials are now willing to admit the obvious.


Hat tip: Tapscott Copy Desk