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Pipe bomb confiscated from Morton man

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Deputies last night found a pipe bomb inside a backpack believed to have been carried by a 46-year-old Morton man during a burglary.

Vern V. Hamilton was arrested for possession of an explosive device and burglary in connection with a break-in to a business near his home on the 900 block of Davis Lake Road, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies were called yesterday to Davis Lake Materials where overnight someone had gotten inside the office and a storage shed and stolen 12 dozen pairs of work gloves, a generator, a plastic container, a cash box with $5 in change as well as a hand cart and some Busch beer, according to the sheriff’s office.

Because a witness reported seeing Hamilton that morning walking down the road with some of the missing items, deputies searched his home, the sheriff’s office stated in a news release.

Deputies conducted the search and arrested Hamilton about 7 p.m., she said.

The homemade pipe bomb – described as the size of a piece of dynamite – was found inside a backpack inside the camper where Hamilton resides, Chief Civl Deputy Stacy Brown stated in the news release.

Hamilton was seen wearing the backpack following the burglary, according to Brown.

Brown said they are assuming Hamilton may have been planning to use the pipe bomb for the burglary, but he’s not offering any explanation.

“They’ve been burglarized previously and been trying to fortify (the business),” Brown said.

Specialists with the Washington State Patrol responded about 10:30 p.m. and detonated the device, Brown reported.

Some of the stolen goods were found inside the camper, others were stashed in the woods, according to Brown.