Highly explosive material found in apartment of OU student from Colorado

Saturday, November 19th 2005, 11:30 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ FBI agents found the same type of volatile high explosive believe to have been used in the suicide bombings in London inside the apartment of a University of Oklahoma student who blew himself up near a packed football stadium, according to newly released documents.

The FBI also discovered ``explosive experiments and paraphernalia'' and 0.4 pounds of a white powder that turned out to be triacetone triperoxide, or TATP, which is composed of hydrogen peroxide and acetone, according to warrants to search the home of Joel Henry Hinrichs III.

The documents were made public Friday after U.S. Magistrate Valerie Couch ruled ``there is no longer any necessity'' for records of the search of Hinrichs' apartment, e-mail account and nine OU computers to remain sealed.

Hinrichs, of Colorado Springs, Colo., died Oct. 1 when an explosive device went off about 100 yards from Gaylord Family/Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

FBI officials have said in the past the probe didn't uncover any links between the student and terrorist organizations. They have said they may never know whether the student wanted to get inside the stadium.

Federal agents found mixing bowls, a slow cooker, a thermometer, plastic containers, a hobby fuse, a circuit board, six tape rolls, chemicals used to make TATP as well as the TATP in the apartment, the documents showed.

An Oklahoma City police bomb technician, who was not involved in the investigation, told The Oklahoman the amount still in the apartment was enough to ``very easily take both your hands off.''

Hinrichs' laptop computer was still on and screen notes apparently written by Hinrichs to himself were visible, the records show. At the cursor was a phrase that began with profanity and continued `` ... all this. None of you are worth living with. You can all kiss my ass.''

The FBI also found Hinrichs downloaded from the Internet ``numerous text and image files'' on weapons and explosives, including one on TATP four days before his death.

One video on his computer depicted a lit match being placed above a white powder then a bright flash.

According to the FBI, OU student Lawrence R. Kincheloe III told agents Hinrichs liked explosives, frequently experimented with building and detonating explosive devices and once showed off a detonator.

Kincheloe and Hinrichs were members of the Triangle Fraternity, an organization of engineers, architects and scientists

``Kincheloe told the agents that Hinrichs would drive out to remote areas to try to detonate bombs, but that he never accompanied Hinrichs,'' the FBI reported. ``Kincheloe stated Hinrichs did show him the remains of some ... devices he detonated, which Kincheloe described as pieces of plastic soda bottles.''

OU student Fazal Cheema told agents that Hinrichs had responded to his Internet advertisement for a roommate, and said the two didn't socialize.

Cheema said Hinrichs was quiet and kept to himself and that he wasn't aware of Hinrichs' interest in bombs.

A chemistry book; a crescent wrench; a white sock with at least two protruding wires; a screwdriver with a sock stuffed in the handle; unused wooden matches and other items were found at the bomb site.

The student's father, Joel Hinrichs Jr., said again Friday his son intended to kill only himself.

He is still waiting for the release of his son's remains, after DNA testing is completed. He plans to cremate the body.