Columbia man goes to prison after pleading guilty to bombing SC courthouse
Former Columbia resident Michael Seabrooke is heading to prison after he pleaded guilty to multiple bombing charges, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Seabrooke, 37, pleaded guilty to possession of explosive devices and two counts of malicious damage and attempt to damage by means of explosive materials, acting U.S. Attorney M. Rhett DeHart said in a news release. Seabrooke was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison, where there is no parole, by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy M. Cain, according to the release.
Seabrooke had been living in northeast Columbia, but also has ties to Barnwell and Pickens counties.
On July 7, 2019, Seabrooke planted two pipe bombs next to the Pickens County Courthouse in Upstate South Carolina, according to the release. One bomb was detonated and caused minor damage to the building, but no injuries were reported, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
After hearing the explosion, a Pickens police officer found a bomb in a fenced-in area of the courthouse, DeHart said.
The detonated device was made of two metal pipe bombs attached with a belt to a propane cylinder with the valve in the open position, according to the release. The pipe bombs detonated but did not ignite the propane, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Seabrooke also threw “destructive devices” onto the roof of a Department of Social Services building in Pickens, according to the release. Federal agents recovered the explosive devices — three Molotov cocktails and one detonated pipe bomb that caused minimal damage.
During an investigation, surveillance video from nearby businesses showed a Chevrolet Silverado pickup with a South Carolina license plate that was identified as a suspect vehicle, according to the release. The vehicle was registered in Columbia, and on July 9, 2019, the Chevy was located in front of a residence there, DeHart said.
An FBI Task Force Officer made contact with a man walking to the truck who was identified as Seabrooke, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Seabrooke confessed to putting the explosive device at the Pickens County Courthouse and also throwing several destructive devices on the roof of the Department of Social Services building in Pickens, according to the release.
During a search of Seabrooke’s truck, the bomb squad found two metal pipe bombs and two Molotov cocktails, and agents located materials consistent with those found on the explosive devices during a search of his residence and vehicle, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Seabrooke confessed to planting the devices because he was concerned about issues with the Department of Social Services and his family, according to DeHart.
On a 2017 Facebook page that appears to be Seabrooke’s, a post says he planted explosives in Pickens to bring attention to his children that he claimed were missing.
Seabrooke’s concerns about his children being missing were unwarranted, according to a relative who spoke with The Greenville News. Seabrooke’s former sister-in-law told The Greenville News the children were safe and in the custody of their mother.
In the 2 years prior to the bombing, Seabrooke filed lawsuits against Pickens County government officials.
Officials denied allegations of depriving Seabrooke of sleep and medical care, and the suit was thrown out by Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks, court records show.
Multiple law enforcement agencies worked on the investigation, including the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office, the Pickens Police Department, the FBI, in addition to the ATF, and the case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Max Cauthen.
Seabrooke’s prison sentence will be followed by 3 years of supervised release.
This was not Seabrooke’s first run-in with law enforcement.
In January 2019, Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office deputies charged Seabrooke with first-degree criminal sexual conduct from an October 2017 incident, a South Carolina Law Enforcement Division background check shows. He was released on $15,000 bond, according to court records. The charge is pending.
In early 2019, Seabrooke was found guilty of stalking and given probation, The State reported.
Less than 2 weeks after Seabrooke was arrested, Bible Baptist Church in Pickens County was vandalized with graffiti that said “Free Mike Seabrooke. Must go free now.” Most of the windows in the church were also broken, WYFF reported.
