‘Collar Bomb’: The History of a Horrible Explosive Device
- Posted on August 3, 2011 at 12:27pm by
Buck Sexton
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The world has breathed a sigh of deep relief as police explosives experts have saved an 18-year old Australian girl from a collar bomb attached to her neck. Early reports indicated that the girl was the victim of a ransom scheme. As authorities fought against the clock to dismantle what was most likely a home-made explosive device, we at the Blaze looked at the history of collar bombs, including usage by drug cartels to terrify civilians and the devices as depicted in mass media.
The most famous criminal case involving such a device was the so-called “collar bomber” case in Erie Pennsylvania in 2003.In a bizarre and gruesome turn of events, a pizza delivery man walked into a bank with a collar bomb around his neck, demanded money, was tracked by police to a parking lot, and was killed by the device’s subsequent detonation. Watch this CNN video to get an overview of the case:
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Wired.com wrote an in-depth piece on the case that, despite a jury verdict of guilty against a bizarre and disturbed woman, leaves open questions about whether the real mastermind got away. Wired made the case that the details of the bomb itself — the craftsmanship involved, attention to detail, and devious countermeasures- – seemed to indicate that another person of interest in the case (now deceased) may have been the evil brains behind the scheme.
While the Eerie, Pennsylvania collar bomber case made international headlines, it was not the first time such a device had been brought to public attention. “Necklace bombs” have been in use by Drug cartels for years. Marxist terrorists tied a necklace bomb around a mother of four named Elvira Cortes in Columbia in 2000 because she refused to pay extortion money. Despite 9 hours of bomb squad attempts to defuse it, the device detonated, beheading the victim and mortally wounding one of the bomb squad experts.
Fortunately, there have also been cases where a necklace bomb has been successfully defused. In 2003, the BBC reported that FARC rebels put a necklace bomb on a Colombian rancher, once again because he refused to pay extortion money, and Colombian and Venezuelan authorities were able to defuse it over the course of several hours.
A screen shot from the collar bomb's appearance in "Miami Vice."
The drug cartels have used necklace bombs because they inspire such deep visceral fear in populations they seek to control. But Necklace and collar bombs have also made their way to mass media depictions.
In the 2006 movie adaptation of the 1980′s television show “Miami Vice,” a collar bomb kills a hostage in the opening scenes of the movie, and nearly kills one of the protagonists towards the end. There was also an episode of the television show CSI Miami in 2002 during which a necklace bomb kills a drug smuggler as well as a police bomb squad officer. The collar bomb also makes a macabre appearance in the ultraviolent 2006 film “Saw III.”
Thankfully, today’s collar bomb story in Australia has ended without any casualties, and police are hopefully hot on the trail of the perpetrator.
But we may very well see more of these devices popping up around the globe’s various drug wars, insurgencies, and campaigns of terror.
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clemV
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 1:56pmThat’s not funny – no matter what your political affiliation is…
Report Post »KingTooter
Posted on August 3, 2011 at 8:45pmencinom — call me a tea ****** to my face and I’ll be more than happy to gut you, pedophile.
Report Post »Oh, I’m in Atlanta sh*tbird
timej31
Posted on August 3, 2011 at 6:07pmI keep getting these things in my email advertising a money bomb.
Report Post »BuckeyeWithA45
Posted on August 3, 2011 at 4:43pmDidnt the aussies ban guns awhile ago? Go’s to show you that if you have nothing to fight back with the evil people will win.
Report Post »SquareHead
Posted on August 3, 2011 at 4:59pmI am sure that as we speak the “Statist” of Aussie, are drafting legislation to ban neck bombs, or at least make people register them….
Report Post »Pattondog
Posted on August 3, 2011 at 4:20pm@ encinom
Can you ever state your opinion without name calling; I’m guessing your maybe in 12th grade for the 3rd year in a row?
Your grammar & spelling is meticulous, look at this fine example of public education.
“The tbaggers have no undersatnd how to lead are hold the nation hostage until they get what they want.”
I think what you meant to say is that the current potus, doesn’t know how to lead and his policies are holding freedom and prosperity hostage for communist ideologues. That won’t necessarily fix or cure the economy but, merely tamper down the symptoms and pass the buck to our children.
I would be really interested in understanding the facts you have cited, that support your opinion the ordinary folks who want the government not to spend any more than they take in holding the nation hostage. Additionally, why the usage of violent language relating to hostage taking and the branding law abiding citizens as terrorist? What are you on the left trying to incite or stage.
Report Post »Steve
Posted on August 3, 2011 at 4:35pmHe’s just looking for attention. The family dog doesn’t want to play with him anymore ever since the pork chop his mom tied around his neck fell off.
Report Post »upstateny
Posted on August 3, 2011 at 4:44pmNope, it writes in prison logic so that should say it all. All it needs to do is toss a few B’s in there and we will have a true street virus.
Report Post »sWampy
Posted on August 3, 2011 at 2:04pmOur city counsel does better, they threaten to put tires around each others necks and set them on fire.
Report Post »a1776patriot
Posted on August 3, 2011 at 1:59pmSo Hollywood, in their infinite wisdom, decided to make a COMEDY based on this disgusting recent trend.I won’t link to it, or mention it’s title – but it does come out this Summer.
Stay Classy Hollywood!
Report Post »Cold War Vet
Posted on August 3, 2011 at 1:38pmCollar bomb. What a great humanitarian device. Leave it to Marxist terrorists (I assume they are referring to the “Shining Path revolutionaries in South America”) to devise such a vile thing.
Another benefit of Marxism, I suppose. And the liberals can‘t figure out why we don’t accept their evil plans to destroy America in the name of nanny state goodness. It’s just Marxism with a sugary koolaid coating. It actually goes against human nature. Nice terrorist slant to give the Marxists the credit they deserve!
A Picture is worth a thousand words:
Report Post »http://neuezeitgeist.wordpress.com/2011/07/18/a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words/
banjarmon
Posted on August 3, 2011 at 1:12pmI know of a few/many in DC I would like have ware a SHOCK Collar. Can you imagine polsie’ hair after one or two jolts???
Report Post »wcsmithiii
Posted on August 3, 2011 at 12:55pmDevices such as this will continue to pop-up until we, The People, get the bleeding hearts out of the judiciary and make the punishment worse than the crime. The horror is not the device, it IS the man that used it….
Report Post »13th Imam
Posted on August 3, 2011 at 12:45pmDEMOCRATS are the collar bomb of the American Economy.
Report Post »encinom
Posted on August 3, 2011 at 1:06pmThe T-baggers are the collar bombs of the US economy.
There I corrected your sentence.
Report Post »thom48708
Posted on August 3, 2011 at 1:13pmNice Encinom……just another example of how certain segments of our society just cannot stop themselves from making such an adolescent reference in name calling.
Report Post »IAMMADDOG
Posted on August 3, 2011 at 1:19pmNo you didn’t.
Report Post »Perspective
Posted on August 3, 2011 at 1:21pmRight Encinom,why heaven forbid the govt should only spend as much money as it takes in. That‘s a terrible thing isn’t it? Maybe we should try Obama’s way and all of us just print money when we need it? You sir are an….ah just fill in the blank.
Report Post »southerngal
Posted on August 3, 2011 at 1:22pmnope he had it right, DEMOCRATS are the collar bomb of the American Economy. and while you are at it, fix this. While the democrats are try to take away my right to blow the head off the person trying to put the collar around your neck, you will be screaming for me to pull the trigger.
Report Post »IAMMADDOG
Posted on August 3, 2011 at 1:23pmENCIKNOB there I corrected your name.
Report Post »aerorepairo
Posted on August 3, 2011 at 1:25pmEncinom, was you brother in arms the victim of the anal bomb in the movie Man of Fire?
Report Post »IAMMADDOG
Posted on August 3, 2011 at 1:26pmSorry guys I had to stoop to their level. And it felt good.
Report Post »encinom
Posted on August 3, 2011 at 1:43pm@southerngal
Report Post »It was the tbaggers willing to drive the nation over the cliff during the debt ceilling debate. The tbaggers have no undersatnd how to lead are hold the nation hostage until they get what they want.
Cold War Vet
Posted on August 3, 2011 at 1:44pmI agree. Democrats ARE the collar bombs of the American economy. The democrats made an economic mess much worse with their epic failures of stimulus and bailout plans, and incompetent foreign policies that cost us hundreds of billions. They didn’t even have a budget or any kind of plan. Then they stick their noses in the air and criticize any plan the Republicans come up with, while spewing their usual lies and violent rhetoric. Democrats, liberals and trolls are liars and losers.
Report Post »Cold War Vet
Posted on August 3, 2011 at 1:48pm@ ENCINOM
Maybe you should give it a rest. Come in here and call us “T-baggers.” maybe we should all get onto the HuffPo, MediaMatters or Daily KOS websites and call you liberals some choice names. But we don’t all come from the lowest gutter of existence. We have ethics, unlike liberals.
Report Post »thom48708
Posted on August 3, 2011 at 2:20pm@Enicinom…..Really? Harry Reid….”The (GOP) proposal is dead on arrival”…..yeah….it was the right that was obstructing the whole process. I know you won’t respond because you have no basis to argue the facts.
Report Post »13th Imam
Posted on August 3, 2011 at 3:03pmIs that the best you can do? . Please add Racist , Bigot, Homophobe, then you will feel great about yourself.
Report Post »Texas Grasshopper
Posted on August 3, 2011 at 12:39pmI would jump onto the madmen that do this and blown them up rather then accede to their demands
better to die in battle then on your knees !!!!!!!!
Report Post »SacredHonor1776
Posted on August 3, 2011 at 12:42pmWhy do that? Just stand back, and shoot him from a distance!
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on August 3, 2011 at 12:31pm.
Report Post »We should have one of those installed on everyone in Washington……….
J.C. McGlynn
Posted on August 3, 2011 at 12:30pmHey, Blaze. It is spelled ERIE.
Report Post »SacredHonor1776
Posted on August 3, 2011 at 12:40pmPerfect way to keep people inside Agenda 21 ghettos! Leave the town, and you die.
There was this old movie, that even went as far to show that two people were connected togethe through there exploding necklaces. If one tried to escape the prison city, both would detonate! This mean’t people were very careful to watch out and prevent escapes from happening, lest they die as well.
Report Post »jim
Posted on August 3, 2011 at 12:29pmThis is a weird type of bomb… can’t imagine it will get traction among the terrorists. “Hey, Usama, why are you carrying an inner tube onto the bus? Going swimming?“ ”No, it’s for my cat. He has fleas.”
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