Statewide jury ordered for teen accused in school bomb plot

Publicity surrounding the case of a Mount Croghan teen accused of plotting to blow up Chesterfield High school has led to a federal judge summoning a state-wide jury for his August trial.

U.S. District Court Judge Bryan Harwell suggested a state-wide jury panel for the trial of 19-year-old Ryan Schallenberger during a Feb. 24 pre-trial conference in Florence.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge David Norton ordered the jury clerk to summon a jury pool of 400 people for jury selection which is scheduled for Aug. 13, according to court documents filed Tuesday.

The actual trial is expected to begin Aug. 17, according to court documents.

The trial was slated to begin in May, but additional time is needed to prepare the case for trial, U.S. District Court Judge Bryan Harwell said.

Public defenders Bill Nettles and Mike Meetze, who are representing Schallenberger, have given notice of intent to rely upon the insanity defense and have consented to their client undergoing a mental evaluation.

Schallenberger was examined at a federal bureau of prisons facility in North Carolina, last year but the results of that evaluation are sealed.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rose Mary Parham and Buddy Bethea of the Florence office, who are prosecuting the case, have asked that the second evaluation be conducted at the same facility by the same people who examined Schallenberger last year. A federal judge has granted their request.

The second evaluation could take up to 45 days and a report on the procedure would need to be prepared, Harwell said.

The lawyers in the case has indicated they will need ample time to review the findings of the evaluation, hence the decision to rescheduled the trial, Harwell said in court documents.

A Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent testified during a hearing in April that Schallenberger told them during the interview that he wanted to die, go to heaven and kill Jesus.

Investigators found papers that showed Schallenberger started testing several explosive devices as early as April 2007.

Investigators also said Schallenberger made a list with notes indicating if he liked the explosives.

Schallenberger’s parents received a notice in the mail about a package April 19, retrieved it from the post office and discovered it contained 20 pounds of explosives.

Authorities alleged the teenager planned to blow up Chesterfield High School, where he was a senior.

Schallenberger was arrested April 19 and was charged in a three count indictment with:

• Receiving and attempting to receive an explosive with the knowledge and intent that it would be used to kill, injure or intimidate an individual, and damage and destroy a building, vehicle, or other real and personal property. If convicted of this charge, he faces a maximum possible prison term of 10 years.
• Attempting to damage and destroy real property owned, possessed or leased to Chesterfield High School and the Chesterfield County School District, by means of fire and an explosive. This crime is punishable by a mandatory minimum prison term of five years and a maximum possible term of 20 years.
• Possessing an unregistered destructive device. If convicted of this charge, he faces a maximum possible prison term of 10 years.