Ohio man who tried to kill romantic rival with a homemade gift-wrapped BOMB pleads guilty

On Wednesday, October 12, a cosplayer from Ohio who was also a registered sex offender admitted to detonating a bomb at the Maryland home of a romantic rival. A package bomb was placed on the victim's front porch on October 30, 2020, by 32-year-old Clayton Alexander McCoy, who shared a home with his mother, after driving more than 350 miles. It nearly killed the receiver and damaged the house beyond $45,000. Grave injuries were sustained by the victim, who is identified as NK in court filings. Along with McCoy, he belonged to the "Dagorhir" gaming group with his girlfriend, SB. The game is referred to as "a live-action roleplaying (LARP) battle game," and it includes simulated combat with toy weapons and medieval-style attire. Following his approach on Discord, McCoy told SB that he was feeling romantically inclined. The US Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland claims that McCoy delivered his homemade bomb to NK's door wrapped as a gift. He conducted some research and purchased the required raw components in cash from various stores prior to building the bomb. He created a package bomb and concealed it in a shipping container. Then, according to the prosecution, he personally drove it to the victim's home. When he noticed that it was addressed to NK, NK's grandfather carried it inside after discovering it on his front porch. When the victim got home from work, he unlocked the box. The ribbon-wrapped package included another smaller box, which he discovered. While opening it, he heard a whistling sound, and the bomb instantly detonated in front of him. "The victim was struck in the front of his body by shrapnel and sustained injuries to his chest, legs, and front of his body," the US attorney’s office said in a statement. "He was transported to the hospital where he was treated for injuries caused by the shrapnel and explosion." On the day of the incident, McCoy's trip to the victim's home was tracked using cellphone data and DNA evidence that was recovered from the package. Around the time the item was delivered, a truck resembling McCoy's was seen on a neighbor's Nest doorbell camera. According to court records, McCoy was found guilty of pandering obscenity with a juvenile in 2013 and given a four-year prison term. He was added to Ohio's list of sexual offenders. He now faces 20 years in prison for possessing an unregistered explosive device and 10 years for transporting explosives with the intent to cause harm.