Lacey Phillabaum
Jennifer Kolar
Posted on 10/23/2006 10:49:54 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd
Jennifer Kolar and Lacey Phillabaum seem unlikely criminals.
Well-educated young women passionate about environmental causes, they share a love of the outdoors and similar backgrounds. Both grew up in Spokane and attended the same public high school.
Those who know Phillabaum call her bright, outspoken, sometimes in-your-face but never dull. She was a skilled debater in high school and college and once worked for a well-regarded non-profit that promotes sustainable agriculture.
Kolar Kolar studied under one of the nation's top atmospheric scientists while pursuing a doctoral degree and had the makings of a good scientist, her adviser said, but her heart seemed elsewhere.
The women were concerned about what was going on around them -- the logging of old-growth forests, the slaughter of animals for sport. Like many Northwest activists, they pushed for change.
Phillabaum But their activism morphed into something more dangerous -- and now both are headed to prison.
Before dawn on May 21, 2001, Kolar cut the glass that allowed fellow Earth Liberation Front members to sneak into the University of Washington office of professor Toby Bradshaw, who was studying the genetics of fast-growing hybrid poplar trees. Phillabaum's role is still unclear, but she was also on the scene, court documents show.
Bradshaw and other researchers at the UW Center for Urban Horticulture would be arriving within hours, so the ELF squad must have worked quickly to plant the firebombs -- plastic buckets of fuel rigged with cheap digital timers, assembled in someone's garage. Their goal: destroy the research on genetic engineering of poplars to avert an "ecological nightmare" for native forests.
The fire ignited in Bradshaw's office spread through the building and raged for hours. Rare books, endangered plants and decades of botanical research went up in flames, causing $7 million in damage.
By then, Kolar, Phillabaum and the three others involved in the arson had disappeared.
At the UW, researchers tried to salvage their work. A new facility was built. But the trail to the perpetrators seemed to peter out. For nearly five years, the crime went unsolved.
While investigators searched for clues, Kolar and Phillabaum didn't go into hiding.
Kolar bought a two-story house in Wallingford, raced in local regattas and was active in a Seattle yacht club. Phillabaum pursued a career as a journalist, freelanced articles and sought mentoring from a professional journalism group. Others involved in the arsons also went on to do other things.
"The series of arsons stopped in 2001, and since then many of the people implicated in those have gone on to lead lives in the mainstream society," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Friedman in Seattle.
But investigators eventually closed in.
In December, federal agents arrested many of those believed responsible for a series of arson attacks across five states, including an Oregon poplar farm that had been torched at the same time as the UW center.
Three people were indicted earlier this year: Justin Solondz, 27, formerly of Jefferson County, who is believed to have fled the country; William Rodgers, 40, who committed suicide in an Arizona jail cell weeks after his arrest; and Briana Waters, 30, a Berkeley, Calif., violin teacher who faces trial.
This month, federal prosecutors identified for the first time the two remaining suspects: Kolar, 33, and Phillabaum, 31.
Both women are cooperating with authorities and have admitted to belonging to ELF and participating in the UW firebombing. The FBI has branded ELF an underground radical group and a top domestic terrorism threat.
At their January sentencing in Seattle, Kolar faces between five and seven years in prison; Phillabaum faces three to five. Defense attorney Gilbert Levy declined a request to interview his client, Phillabaum. Kolar declined comment through her attorney, Michael Martin.
"Paradoxes and ironies abound here, and they're all wedded to a tragedy," said David Frank, a University of Oregon professor who knew Phillabaum when she was in his debate program.
"How could such bright, articulate, well-meaning people ... how could they have been tempted by violence?"
From sit-ins to firebombs
Phillabaum was socially conscious even as a teenager at Shadle Park High School, former school officials say. She grew up in Deer Park, and her parents were partners in a Spokane law firm. In high school, she was voted "Teacher's Pet" in her senior year and won debate contests.
"She had a strong mind of her own," said Emmett Arndt, a former assistant principal at Shadle Park.
At the University of Oregon, Phillabaum studied art history and graduated in three years. She continued to debate in college, partly "to learn more about the reasons why the environment was under threat," said Frank, who teaches rhetoric.
The program taught students to use reason, research and persuasion to affect change, but Phillabaum left after a year, feeling frustrated with the lack of action, he said.
Typical of many students, "she found her way into activist groups," he said. "She was surrounded by people who were equally frustrated, equally angry. Out of those conversations came a dedication to more violent actions to achieve their actions."
"She was probably feeling frustrated with the system, with the exploitation of the Earth and species, and not having immediate results with above-ground organizing," said an associate of Phillabaum's, who asked not to be identified.
In college, she worked on Insurgent, a left-leaning campus publication that critiqued foreign policy.
The mid-1990s was the height of protests against logging on public lands, and Phillabaum was in the thick of it. She protested timber harvests in Oregon's Umpqua National Forest and joined others in blocking a logging road to Warner Creek, according to news accounts.
"You couldn't call her commitment into question," said a Eugene, Ore., activist who has known her for a decade.
At a 1997 tree-sit in Eugene, Phillabaum and others tried to save 40 trees from being leveled for a downtown development. Police arrested her and others for criminal trespassing. She was fined $100 and sentenced to three days in jail, according to the Lane County District Attorney's Office.
In other aspects, Phillabaum led a relatively normal life. She had a lot of friends, was well-grounded and came from a loving family, those who know her say. She spent a lot of time in the outdoors -- rafting rivers and hiking mountains.
An aspiring journalist, she also edited Earth First! Journal, which calls itself the voice of the radical environmental movement. In February 2001, she landed a job at In Good Tilth, a newsletter sent out by Oregon Tilth, a non-profit promoting sustainable farming.
"She was an exemplary employee," said Chris Schreiner, Oregon Tilth's quality-control manager. "She brought a new level of quality and content to the newsletter."
She worked at the newsletter for four years. She also joined the Society of Environmental Journalists and sought mentoring help from veteran reporters, said the group's executive director, Beth Parke.
In 2005, Phillabaum moved to Charlottesville, Va., to take a writing job at the C-VILLE Weekly. The alternative paper fired her after three months, said editor Cathy Harding, who declined to say why.
Phillabaum's double life was quickly catching up to her.
In December 2005, federal agents arrested Stanislas Meyerhoff, 29, of Charlottesville, who they accused of masterminding the UW and Oregon tree farm firebombings. At the time, Meyerhoff was Phillabaum's boyfriend, a Charlottesville newspaper reported. Meyerhoff pleaded guilty to conspiracy and arson charges in July.
Phillabaum's role in the UW arson would soon be revealed, as would Kolar's.
'It's a puzzle'
It's not clear whether Phillabaum and Kolar knew each other at Shadle Park, but they overlapped at the school, located in a middle-class neighborhood of north Spokane.
Kolar graduated two years before Phillabaum and went on to the University of Colorado in Boulder. She majored in applied mathematics and later earned a master's degree in astrophysical, planetary and atmospheric sciences, according to the school.
"I never thought that atmospheric sciences was her passion, or something that was her lifelong ambition," said Merritt Deeter, an atmospheric scientist who shared an office with Kolar when both were grad students. "She kind of prided herself on her activist nature."
Kolar was bright and skilled but distracted, said her doctoral adviser, Peter Webster, now a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
"If she had applied her passions to science, she would have been a good scientist, but she had other things that were much more important to her," Webster said.
She was passionate about animal rights and often protested against animals being hunted for sport, Webster said. "It's not the least bit surprising to me that she carried her passions that far."
In grad school, Kolar volunteered for such groups as Rocky Mountain Animal Defense. She tried to stop the Denver Zoo from allegedly sending surplus animals to hunting ranches, said David Crawford, the group's founder.
He stressed that his group doesn't condone violence and that she left in 1996.
In July 1997, Kolar allegedly took part in an arson that destroyed a horse slaughterhouse in Redmond, Ore.
She's expected to admit her role in that crime, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Peifer in Portland. She also has pleaded guilty to attempting to firebomb a Colorado gun club that organized turkey shoots in 1998.
Kolar settled in Seattle several years ago. She bought a house in Wallingford a year after the UW arson, joined the Corinthian Yacht Club in Seattle and competed in Puget Sound regattas. Her profile on that club's Web site noted that she loved the outdoors and co-owned the Manta Ray, a 30-foot performance sailboat.
Kolar was a crew member on a boat that recently won at the Swiftsure Lightship Classic, said the skipper, Alex Wigley.
"It's a puzzle. It just blindsided me," said Wigley, who described Kolar as capable, funny and intelligent.
"This whole event has made me wonder how well I know anyone."
Ahhhh but your *type* is infinitely more accurate than the prattling of an individual who entered a field because they knew they themselves were *nuts*.
"If I had to make a guess, I'd say the insanity drives, or at least initiates the destructive behavior. It can/may then feed on itself as evidenced by these two charming ladies. They started out small; sitins and the like, then graduated to bigger and bolder acts of, well, terrorism."
I'd agree with your sage take, I always do. ;^)
"Again, if I had to make a guess, I suspect we will probably be blessed with more such behavior from larger and larger pools of lunatics. The fabric of our society is becoming frayed; very frayed."
Indeed it 'tis.
Methinks this *fraying* is unlike any witnessed before in our beloved Republic too, my friend.
This fraying's been instigated, perpetuated & continually aggravated by a lower than dirt Liberal-Socialist quisling media who didn't exist up to a few years ago.
The degree of their efforts is unprecedented & so will their success(es), I suspect.
What'll exactly will be the outcome no one really can accurately predict, can they?
That *accuracy* is what's changed, I hate to say.
Today the Liberal-Socialists enjoy total access to a public who happily *&* voluntarily plug in to their Liberal-Socialist-Communist bilge on average 8 hours of every single day, often more or so I'm told.
That amount of exposure surely must be toxic to even the toughest among us.
It's frightening *&* sickening...*Frickening*?
Since the inception of the Republic fathers have had doubt(s) concerning their sons ability to pull their own weight, keep the dogs of life at bay & therefore the Republic safe; but, this is a whole new thang & it really doesn't look real *promising* at this point.
"One is forced to ask if our effete culture can or will develop the backbone necessary to deal with it. I have my doubts."
Justifiably so, my friend.
Though personally inasmuch as I feel I'm one of the few believing we'll prevail this election? The win won't be by much and the Liberal-Socialists will have gotten a LOT closer than ever before.
Just a little more *tweaking* & we'll lose it, it'll be gone just as sure as God made little green apples & it don't rain in Indianapolis in the summertime.
>Just thought a little conundrum might spice up (what looks to be shaping up as) an ordinary Tuesday.
"Heh. Conundrums we can handle on an out patient basis; the impossible takes a day or two ;^)"
HA!!
As I said before, a wry humor & very patentable. {g}
Hope the family and you are doing well this fine day, my friend. Have noticed y'all receiving more than your fair share of rain down of late, too.
Was hoping you were far enough north in the piny woods to miss most of it.
Or so I prayed.
It's been unusually cold up here, even snow from time to time but it ain't lasting long, either.
Guess if one chooses to live here they'd better damned well get used to all that.
Only real reason I mentioned it was because a little Global Warming sure would come in handy right about now. :o)
In any event KnI are heading south to Newburgh (IN) (~1,400 miles round trip) to spend a long weekend with friends.
Should be fun driving the Z Car though, first time I ever looked forward to the hellacious drive the entire length of Illinois, I swear.
One of those in attendance at the home we'll stay is the quintessential Limousine Liberal, also.
Truly disgusting given the mans age & degree of success he's enjoyed. Totally unexplainable.
I spoke with my host on the phone & was told this person intends on picking a political fight with me.
*That's* how foolish this one is. ;^)
Told the host to relay a *message* to this guy: If after I've driven 700 miles, had a couple Jim Beam OTRs & he starts [any] crap with me? I intend ripping the squirrel OFF his head & bitch slapping 'em with it." ~quote unquote.
Absolutely the WORST toupee' I've ever seen, *but* his weakness nonetheless & one I shall *exploit* to the Nth degree! :o)
And FGS, I *will*. ;^)
No patience whatsoever for that kind of malarkey anymore, so this is one "friendship" I'm willing to sacrifice.
OK so that'll be my contribution to/for, "the cause", *one* Limousine Liberal.
...what can I put you down for? {g}
However, one item: About a week ago we got ~14" of rain in a 24 hour period. The creeks were up a little ;^)
The nearest creek(aptly named most of the time, Dry Creek), never got closer than 100' or so. Would have had to come up another 6' - 8' or so to present any problems. The main concern with flooding like this is the snakes, including some nasty ones, head for higher ground(like where I am). They tend to hang around for a while even after the water goes down so one is well advised to watch their step for a while.
Gotta hit the sack!
Best,
HA!!
And you've the gall to say I'm too old to be cutting a couple of measly cords of firewood, huh. :o)
"However, one item: About a week ago we got ~14" of rain in a 24 hour period. The creeks were up a little. The nearest creek(aptly named most of the time, Dry Creek), never got closer than 100' or so. Would have had to come up another 6' - 8' or so to present any problems. The main concern with flooding like this is the snakes, including some nasty ones, head for higher ground(like where I am). They tend to hang around for a while even after the water goes down so one is well advised to watch their step for a while."
Wow, that would be serious *&* a repercussion a Yank like me would never consider.
I would speculate those snakes -- all of 'em -- will follow their food source.
As the water recedes mice, rats etc follow the water & the snakes follow *them*.
Right?
"Gotta hit the sack!"
Po' baby, hope it was a sound one.
Hell's bells I almost missed your reply!
How rude.
...mybad. {g}
Lacey Phillabaum
Jennifer Kolar
Heh,heh...
I would speculate those snakes -- all of 'em -- will follow their food source. As the water recedes mice, rats etc follow the water & the snakes follow *them*. Right?
Not to mention frogs, but I expect true for the most part. The big snakes(rattlers) will feed on squirrels and rabbits, or anything else that comes within range. There are some monsters around these parts. Some years ago I was driving down a dirt road that went to my folks' place when I saw what appeared to be a tree limb laying across the road. As I got closer, the "limb" began heading for the side of the road!!! WTH?!?! Anyway, this rattler had just about made it off the road, but as I went by I swerved towards the ditch to see about takin' him out. Don't know if I was successful or not and wasn't gonna go back to check my work. There may be worse things than a wounded rattler, but I can't think of any right off hand ;^)
This was a BIG snake. Best guess, approaching 8' long and 5" - 6" in diameter. The good news is, they are not found very often where people hang out. Copperheads and water moccasins on the other hand.....
If you want to really have some fun: If you've never stood still for a few minutes in your yard and happen to notice some movement between your feet -- that turns out to be a snake; you ain't lived. Twas a ribbon snake, but still....
Which qualify as *food*, right?
"...but I expect true for the most part."
Sure is.
Snakes, after all, don't take "vacations" per se. :o)
"The big snakes(rattlers) will feed on squirrels and rabbits, or anything else that comes within range."
Of course.
"There are some monsters around these parts. Some years ago I was driving down a dirt road that went to my folks' place when I saw what appeared to be a tree limb laying across the road. As I got closer, the "limb" began heading for the side of the road!!! WTH?!?!"
WOW!!
That'd have got, & *kept* my attention, make no mistake 'bout that. ;^)
"Anyway, this rattler had just about made it off the road, but as I went by I swerved towards the ditch to see about takin' him out. Don't know if I was successful or not and wasn't gonna go back to check my work. There may be worse things than a wounded rattler, but I can't think of any right off hand"
Wounded *or pissed-off, both not the mindset one'd wanna be engaging that particular reptile.
"This was a BIG snake. Best guess, approaching 8' long and 5" - 6" in diameter."
:o)
UNbelievable.
"The good news is, they are not found very often where people hang out."
Rightfully so, plus don't Texans hold rattlesnake roundups and then cook 'em?
Seen something like [that] on one of the shake-n-bake cable nets I think, might've been the food show (Taste of America hosted by Marc DeCarlo) on the Travel Channel.
If I recall correctly the youngster Marc said the meat's pretty tasty.
"Copperheads and water moccasins on the other hand..."
Can't say 'bout "Copperheads", tho' know they're not to be messed with; but, yearrrrrrrs ago while TDY at Medina AFB (San Antonio) for K9 training this black kid (an Airman) & I chose a nice quiet, shady place next to a small creek/river to sit while enjoying a cigarette.
Along comes this thinnish black snake around 4+' long winding its way through the water, close to the bank.
This guy jumps up & as he commences making serious tracks yells, "Water Moccasin!".
Being a Yank I didn't necessarily know all that implied, but, knew it couldn't be good if only judging his reaction.
I beat that kid to the top of the hill. ;^)
My one & only experience with anything like *that*, and lasting memory of my time in the Lone Star State.
"If you want to really have some fun: If you've never stood still for a few minutes in your yard and happen to notice some movement between your feet -- that turns out to be a snake; you ain't lived. Twas a ribbon snake, but still..."
No thanks, FGS.
Your *idea* of "fun" & my idea of "fun" are [obviously] somewhat different.
Among the things I can say I love about living up here is we do NOT have things that can bite, are poison etc.
Seems our winters have a way of cleansing, purifying nature & keeping the really bad stuff at bay 'round the Mason-Dixon line.
We'll likely never see fire ants et al & although we've Rattlers they're only found in the extreme western part of the state where there're large rocky bluffs along the Mississippi River.
Now what we do have are *deer*, and lots of 'em.
I call 'em Wisconsin Dumb Bombs" because at any moment & without a moments warning one can bolt out in front of your car, hit *it*, & you wind up with a wrecked car.
Doesn't mean it, just happens; hence, WI dumb bombs.
That's precisely what happened to my K, *yesterday* (Wed) in fact.
Get a call from her around 4:30, she's all shook up & crying she's wrecked my *new* Infinity FX-35 (winter vehicle).
I had to go into town & pick her up at the towing outfit who flat-bedded it to their storage yard since the fender was smashed into the tire rendering it undrivable.
Sure enough there my $45,000 AWD vehicle sat with the left front fender crush & front fascia torn to pieces.
I figure $3,500 worth of damage, and, according to the (Brookfield) cop (writing the accident report) he could *not* find the deer.
So it must've survived leaving only some hair & fecal matter (knocked the crap right outa it) embedded in/on the crumpled fender.
Thanks, Deer. {g}
Y'know on second thought FGS, an 8' rattler doesn't sound so bad & surely not as expensive.
....crossing paths with. {g}
Gore voters.
Har! VERY funny. FWIW, the "thinnish" black snake was most likely yer common water snake. Moccasins are generally fairly chunky; have no sheen whatsoever; they actually look dusty/dirty. Which reminds me of a time, oh never mind, it's a long story...well, maybe the short version: A buddy of mine and I hired a guide to fish Lake Falcon on the Texas - Mexico border. The guide apparently thought he might get a rise out of us by taking us down a submerged creek roughly 50' wide or so with exposed tree tops lining either side. EACH of these tree tops had numerous, as in a half dozen or more water moccasins out sunning themselves amongst the branches.
Now, my buddy and I are both born and raised Texans and we didn't think much about it except our guide was maybe figgerin' we might get the buckwheats or somethin'. After about ten minutes of meandering around this creek channel, my buddy(bless his heart) asks our guide if he felt like going for a swim. I'm a little slow at times but I picked up on his drift right away; like me, he was tired of being fooled around with and since there was two of us and one of him, the guide figgered a swim in this part of the lake right then wouldn't be such a good idea. We were out of there in a couple minutes.
I call 'em Wisconsin Dumb Bombs"...
I can relate. BTW, from the sound of it, they could just as easily be called "Dirty Bombs"? (fecal matter, no less!)
Y'know on second thought FGS, an 8' rattler doesn't sound so bad & surely not as expensive. ....crossing paths with. {g}
Only if you see him first Dan, only if you see him first ;^)
HA!!
I'll take your word for that, my friend.
My memory's still pretty clear insofar as recalling neither the black kid or I were about to play "Crocodile Hunter" & shout, "Kriky mate! What've we here? while grabbing the thing for a closer look.
Was a snake, in the water, and *looked* like it could've came from Loc Nes.
Good 'nuff for us, we was outathere. :o)
"The guide apparently thought he might get a rise out of us by taking us down a submerged creek roughly 50' wide or so with exposed tree tops lining either side. EACH of these tree tops had numerous, as in a half dozen or more water moccasins out sunning themselves amongst the branches...Now, my buddy and I are both born and raised Texans and we didn't think much about it except our guide was maybe figgerin' we might get the buckwheats or somethin'. After about ten minutes of meandering around this creek channel, my buddy(bless his heart) asks our guide if he felt like going for a swim."
HA!!
Is there really anything better than turning some jester's joke around on 'em, I ask?
"I'm a little slow at times but I picked up on his drift right away; like me, he was tired of being fooled around with and since there was two of us and one of him, the guide figgered a swim in this part of the lake right then wouldn't be such a good idea. We were out of there in a couple minutes."
I'll bet you were.
BTW WTH does one fish for in Lake Falcon in Texas, besides Bass?
Just curious.
Listen *if* you enjoy fishing, you haven't lived until you've fished our upper midwest lakes.
Muskies, Northern Pike, we call 'em "Water Wolves", they're that aggressive.
Really have to use a guide who knows how to boneless fillet these extrememly tasty fish though; else, whadda PITA trying to eat 'em whatwith all the bones?
Then there's my *personal favorites of *Walleye* and/or Giant Yellow Perch, whoaaaa delicious.
Naturally we've Bass also but hell there's so much variety, and, variety *is* the spice of life. ~eh?
Man no restaurant 'round here's worth a tinker's damn if on every Friday a "Fish fry" with a choice of perch, walleye or Bluegills isn't on the menu.
Served with coleslaw & potato pancakes or fried spuds that's mighty good eatin', pure nirvana!
Ever decide to get outa the Lone Star State, venture north & wind-up in my neck of the woods? You're staying at our spread (a.ka "Wilson Meadows"). Bring your fishing gear & we'll go get some of these fish, together. ;^)
OK?
>I call 'em "Wisconsin Dumb Bombs"...
"I can relate. BTW, from the sound of it, they could just as easily be called "Dirty Bombs"? (fecal matter, no less!)"
Yea, they sure could or the one hitting the FX, anyway.
Then this morning over coffees KnI see this GIANT Buck meander through the wooded part of my property, out back. They're rutting now alright, make no mistake 'bout that. Real bold. Ordinarily a delightful sight, but not this time. Will tell neighbor *Bill* (the Deer Hunter) all about it. ;^)
>Y'know on second thought FGS, an 8' rattler doesn't sound so bad & surely not as expensive. ....crossing paths with. {g}
"Only if you see him first Dan, only if you see him first ;^)"
HA!!
Game-set-match.
...y'old fox. {g}
Bass were indeed what we were after, although most of our lakes have a decent supply of catfish, bream, and crappie(white perch), amongst others. At the time I was a "purist" and wouldn't have been caught dead with anything in the boat that didn't resemble a bass plug. My tastes have moderated some over the years. I'm now content to spend a few weeks in the early spring with some kinfolks loading up the freezer with a year's supply of catfish.
I'm with you on the fish fries and I've heard some good things about your cold water fish. Hard to beat a platter of just-out-of-the-fryer fish and hush puppies. When I fry fish, by the time everything's done, I'm full of "samples". One of the benefits of being the designated fish cooker.
Gonna run see what Bill O's up to; catch up with you later.
Best,
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