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Local Man Blows Off Arm With Pipe Bomb
The Bismarck Tribune (ND) ^ | 7/15/04 | Mike Albrecht

Posted on 07/15/2004 9:10:36 AM PDT by marshmallow

Andrew Greff drove to a Bismarck hospital with one arm Saturday morning after he blew apart his other arm with a pipe bomb.

"I lit a pipe bomb, and it went off in my hand," the 21-year-old Bismarck man told St. Alexius Medical Center staff at about 6:30 a.m. when he ran through the emergency room doors. He said the accident happened at Kimball Bottoms, about 10 miles south of Bismarck.

The explosion blew apart Greff's left arm between his hand and mid bicep, Bismarck Police Lt. Dan Donlin said. The Tribune was unable to contact Greff for comment, and the hospital was unable to release his condition Monday afternoon.

Earlier this month, Greff and a friend, Doug Feist, 27, were accused of keeping poisonous snakes in Greff's 306 N. 13th St. apartment. They both face felony reckless endangerment charges for putting neighbors in danger. Greff was out of jail on a $500 bond.

Hospital staff called Bismarck police shortly after Greff pulled up next to the ambulance entrance. The bomb squad roped off an area around Greff's car while they searched inside it for explosives. The car was towed when only a few large fireworks were found inside.

Greff didn't answer many of the officers' questions. He was heavily sedated due to the "extreme pain," Donlin said.

Later that day, investigators went to Greff's apartment with a search warrant. No one answered their knocks, but they found a 20-year-old man hiding in the closet when they went inside. The man was not arrested, and police would not release his name.

Further investigation revealed that Feist, of Bismarck, helped make the pipe bombs and that he and Greff were attaching them to propane tanks, Donlin said. Feist was arrested after a witness said Feist helped construct the bomb, Donlin said.

Feist's car was searched next. Some evidence was found in the house and the car, but authorities were unable to elaborate because the investigation is ongoing.

"I haven't done anything wrong," Feist said Monday in an interview from the Burleigh County jail. "I never helped build the pipe bombs."

Feist said he wasn't with Greff Saturday morning, and that his friend acted on his own. Feist said he didn't hear about Greff's accident until after he was arrested and "it caught me as much off guard as everyone else."

"I feel really, really bad for him, but I just keep thinking 'Why would he do something like this?' I don't understand it," Feist said. "It just doesn't make any sense."

The Burleigh County Sheriff's Department also is investigating the accident because Greff said it occurred in the county. Sheriff's Maj. Nick Sevart said they were unable to find where the explosion occurred, but deputies are continuing to search just in case Greff left something dangerous behind.

"If there's a danger to the public, we want to take care of that," Sevart said.

Greff and Feist were charged Monday with felony possession of a bomb, Burleigh County Assistant State's Attorney Leann Bertsch said. Greff will appear in court for his first appearance -- where he's told of the charge against him and bond is set -- when he's released from the hospital. Feist had his first appearance Monday and is being held in the Burleigh County jail on a $5,000 cash bond.


TOPICS: Local News
KEYWORDS: callmestumpy; faileddarwinattempt; itbloweduprealgood
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To: TXBSAFH
You should come to one of my family gatherings. It's the only place I can absolutely, without question, depend on hearing the phrase "hold my beer."

My hand to God.
21 posted on 07/15/2004 9:23:04 AM PDT by Xenalyte (I'm thinkin' of a master plan . . .)
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To: Semper Paratus
3 more limbs away from a Darwin Award.

I'd go with 4 more - just to be on the genetic safe side.

22 posted on 07/15/2004 9:23:28 AM PDT by bikepacker67
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To: marshmallow

This is someone to keep an eye on.


23 posted on 07/15/2004 9:25:50 AM PDT by Mr Ramsbotham ("This house is sho' gone crazy!")
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To: Allegra

"May the Good Lord take a likin' to ya' and blow ya' up real soon!"

24 posted on 07/15/2004 9:25:51 AM PDT by COBOL2Java (If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you are reading this in English, thank a soldier.)
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To: marshmallow

It might be a good idea for the now one-armed man to give up poisonous snake care after this. That is unless he's determined to finally win that Darwin Prize.


25 posted on 07/15/2004 9:25:54 AM PDT by xJones
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To: Xenalyte

We do not ask someone to hold our beers at my family gatherings. We have drink holder in the arms of our lawn chairs and coasters inside. That is only for the rare occasion we put the dang beer down.


26 posted on 07/15/2004 9:27:18 AM PDT by TXBSAFH (Power corrupts..... Absolute power can be fun.)
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To: Xenalyte; Eaker; thackney
he and Greff were attaching them to propane tanks

Propane tanks??? Bloody amateurs.
The home cutting torch cylinders are far superior and a lot more transportable.

For anti-personnel instead of incendiary a length of duct tape with framing nails
set head-to-toe wrapping the device works quite nicely.. I heard somewhere.

27 posted on 07/15/2004 9:29:59 AM PDT by humblegunner
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To: Xenalyte
I thought what happened at Deer Camp stayed there!

The arm stayed...

28 posted on 07/15/2004 9:31:10 AM PDT by Charles Martel ("Diplomats. The best diplomat I know of is a fully loaded phaser bank" - Cdr. Montgomery Scott)
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To: marshmallow
"I lit a pipe bomb, and it went off in my hand,"

That's an honest mistake. Anyone could forget the next step after lighting the pipe bomb - throw it.
29 posted on 07/15/2004 9:32:01 AM PDT by Jaysun (You can fool some of the people some of the time and that’s usually sufficient for Democrats.)
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To: camle
hold muh beer and watch this!

"Well Duh ... he only has like one arm, ya know!"

30 posted on 07/15/2004 9:32:42 AM PDT by dread78645 (Sorry Mr. Franklin, We couldn't keep it.)
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To: babaloo999
The standard response is: "it's a guy thing, you wouldn't understand."

Yeah, yeah....there are a bunch of guys in my "neighborhood" who like to blow stuff up.

Regularly.

31 posted on 07/15/2004 9:33:02 AM PDT by Allegra (Proud Member of Free Republic Baghdad Chapter - est. July 4, 2004)
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To: sully777
Shades of FARGO

Nah, this is a west river thing. ;)
32 posted on 07/15/2004 9:33:15 AM PDT by anonymous_user (<a href="http://www.michaelmoorehatesamerica.com" target="_blank">Michael Moore</a>)
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To: Allegra
What is it with guys who don't like to blow things up? Metrosexuals I suspect.

I think the male fascination with high explosives is related to pyromania. Boys just naturally love to play with fire. The boys who love it the most grow up to become fire fighters, pyrotechnicians, demolition techs, combat engineers, tankers and artillerymen. The opportunity to blow things up, burn things down, shoot the hell out of things and not go to jail for it is a powerful recruiting aid.

33 posted on 07/15/2004 9:36:06 AM PDT by Cannoneer No. 4 (I've lost turret power; I have my nods and my .50. Hooah. I will stay until relieved. White 2 out.)
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To: marshmallow

Ever notice how some firecracker fuses burn really slow, and others go "fss*BOOM!*" almost instantly?

I'm guessing these guys never noticed that.


34 posted on 07/15/2004 9:36:24 AM PDT by anonymous_user (<a href="http://www.michaelmoorehatesamerica.com" target="_blank">Michael Moore</a>)
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To: marshmallow

The radical Cubans in Miami back in the 70's used to talk a couple of sticks of dynamite and ducttape them to 2 or 3 of the small hardware store propane cylinders, like the kind you use for lanterns and plumbing torches.


35 posted on 07/15/2004 9:39:46 AM PDT by Rebelbase (To democrats the truth is personal.)
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To: Lion Den Dan

What happened to the gene pool in North Dakota?


36 posted on 07/15/2004 9:40:28 AM PDT by SLB ("We must lay before Him what is in us, not what ought to be in us." C. S. Lewis)
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To: anonymous_user

The Red Green Show (canadian humor but close enough to the Dakotas)

Episode 219: The Chainsaw Races

The Possum Lodge is double-booked for Red’s chainsaw races and Harold’s gifted children. Red turns a van into a boom box louder than any teenager’s car radio. Dalton, Winston and Walter deal with a runaway nail gun. Dwight Cardiff talks about skydiving again. Handyman’s Corner shows how to paint a room with a lawn sprinkler.


37 posted on 07/15/2004 9:40:44 AM PDT by sully777 (Our descendants will be enslaved by political expediency and expenditure)
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To: Cannoneer No. 4
I do like to shoot things.

I don't think I've ever blown anything up, though.

When I was in Junior High, some of my classmates (two guys) blew up the concession stand at the school football stadium one night when nobody was around.

I thought that was pretty cool.

38 posted on 07/15/2004 9:44:48 AM PDT by Allegra (Proud Member of Free Republic Baghdad Chapter - est. July 4, 2004)
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To: SLB
What happened to the gene pool in North Dakota?

What did Custer tell the North Dakotans?

Stay stupid till I get back.

39 posted on 07/15/2004 10:07:46 AM PDT by zarf
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To: Xenalyte; humblegunner; thackney; TheMom
Lies, lies and damn lies!!!

One should use a REALLY long fuse when doing something this stupid!!! We prefer to shoot the object in question from a long way off!!

40 posted on 07/15/2004 10:07:51 AM PDT by Eaker (R.I.P Phudd 28-Jun-04)
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