MAN ADMITS TRYING TO KILL CLAY SHERIFF

A man has pleaded guilty to a federal bomb charge stemming from a
conspiracy to kill or injure the Clay County sheriff.

Samuel Todd Murphy, 37, of Clay admitted Tuesday that he conspired
with at least one other person to build a bomb and place it in a
wooded area. The bomb was inside in a box with a pressure switch that
would detonate the device when the box was opened, U.S. Attorney
Charles T. Miller and Paul J. Vido with the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said in a news release.

Murphy and the other person, who was not identified, planned to lure
Sheriff Randy Holcomb to the site with a phony anonymous tip that a
methamphetamine lab was at there at the site. Holcomb was targeted
because he had been investigating meth in the county.

"This case involves a serious attempt injure a law enforcement
officer who was aggressively working to crack down on methamphetamine
manufacturers in his county," Miller said.

The plan went awry on Aug. 7, 2005, when two men looking for items to
recycle found the bomb before Holcomb received the phony tip.

Murphy pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered destructive
device and an unrelated charge of use of a communication facility to
facilitate a conspiracy to distribute marijuana.

He faces up to 18 years in prison and a $750,000 fine. Sentencing was
set for Nov. 9.