Construction worker discovers active bomb, brings it into motel lobby in Missouri

Updated Sep 1, 2015
A bomb squad truck and robot arrive at the scene where the device was found. Photo Credit: Daniel Brenner/Columbia Daily TribuneA bomb squad truck and robot arrive at the scene where the device was found. Photo Credit: Daniel Brenner/Columbia Daily Tribune

There are still questions concerning who left an explosive device in parking lot in Columbia, Missouri.

According to the The Columbia Daily Tribune, 33-year old construction worker Kris Martin found the device August 17 near the Red Roof Inn and took it inside the motel to report it.

Martin, who hails from Indiana but was in Columbia with a crew working on a factory expansion, said he was walking to a convenience store when he noticed the device.

The device was about 12 inches long and 2 inches wide and had metal caps and a fuse.

“I couldn’t put it back down” and leave it for someone else to find, he said, so he took it into the motel’s office.

He told the motel employee that the device needed to be turned in.

This led to guets being evacuated from the motel for about three hours while a robot removed the device and a bomb squad disposed of it, said Columbia police spokeswoman Latisha Stroer.

Stroer said the explosive was “readily capable of doing damage.” The device was disposed of, police searched the motel and guests returned to their rooms. There were no injuries or arrests.