Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Darryl Booth Furse, a Salt Lake chemical engineer, was charged with making bomb threats.
- Furse is accused of threatening a man involved in his eviction.
- Authorities reported finding chemicals and sketches in his hotel room.
WEST VALLEY CITY — A Salt Lake man with a background in chemical engineering has been charged with threatening to bomb a man who assisted in evicting him from a home.
The same man is also being investigated for allegedly making bomb threats against the state Capitol.
Darryl Booth Furse, 67, was charged Wednesday in 3rd District Court with making a terroristic threat, a second-degree felony.
On Dec. 24, Furse sent a threatening message to a man via social media that said, in part, "Bommb proof your house … my recommendation," according to charging documents.
The man knew Furse had a background in chemical engineering. He told police Furse was living with his sister and he had assisted in evicting Furse from the residence the day before, the charges state.
"Furse initially reacted calmly but became increasingly angry," according to the charges. "A records check for Furse revealed numerous involvements, including three reports where family members stated that Furse was a chemical engineer with access to bomb-making materials and knowledge of how to manufacture bombs."
A family member reported overhearing Furse "talking about blowing up the Utah State Capitol and 3rd District courthouse" in January. Furse was upset about a power of attorney issue regarding the woman he was living with and "sent emails over to Utah courts ... with pictures of three judges, not knowing which judge was presiding over the cases that he was involved in," according to a search warrant affidavit.
On Jan. 13, agents with the Utah Department of Public Safety learned that Furse had purchased aqua ammonia and citra sheen paint and had traveled to West Wendover. Police in West Wendover located Furse in a hotel room and arrested him on a warrant for a DUI case, according to court records. The purchased chemicals, as well as a chemistry textbook "and a sketch including a layout of a room that he titled the Home Crematorium Design" were located in the hotel room, the warrant states.
In a prepared statement to KSL.com, the department said, "Over the past several weeks, the Department of Public Safety, in close collaboration with its local and federal law enforcement partners, has been investigating an individual who made threatening statements specifically regarding government facilities. While the investigation is still active and ongoing, there currently is no known imminent threat to these facilities or the community at large. Law enforcement agencies are committed to thoroughly examining all aspects of this case to ensure public safety."
Prosecutors have requested that Furse be held without the possibility of posting bail when he is arrested.
