Police list bomb-making materials found in home after explosion

A West Wareham man is being held without bail following a chemical explosion at his home where authorities found materials commonly used in the illegal creation of explosives.

Mark Halpin, 50, of Wareham was arraigned and charged Monday, Oct. 6 with possession of explosives and possession of an incendiary device. During a search of his house, authorities on scene found several items not typically found in a kitchen including a ball mill, a tool typically used for grinding down powders. Other items associated with the “clandestine manufacturing of explosives,” or the illegal creation of explosives were found as well, according to the Massachusetts State Police Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit police report.

According to the report, The explosion took place Friday, Oct. 3 at 1 Aunt Maryville Lane. Aunt Maryville Lane is a small dead-end side-road off of Route 28 in West Wareham with around seven houses on it. 

Wareham Police and Fire were the first crews on scene and discovered Halpin standing in the house spitting up blood with burns to his upper body and cuts to his hands, the report stated.

Several state police and fire response teams, as well as Wareham Police and Fire searched the house where they found the point of detonation in the explosion, otherwise known as the blast seat. The blast seat showed damage consistent with an explosion which included broken windows, warped and melted appliances and debris, according to the report.

It was during this search that authorities found the materials associated with the illegal creation of explosives.

On Saturday, Oct. 4, Wareham Week editor Bobby Grady went down to the neighborhood and spoke with several of Halpin’s neighbors, none of whom knew Halpin. One neighbor, who said he had lived in the area his whole life, said Halpin “didn’t bother anyone.”

The authorities on scene were joined by FBI Bomb Technicians to secure the house beginning Oct. 3 and stayed on scene until the next day. Authorities removed "energetic material," a substance that stores chemical energy that could be released in the form of an explosion from the residence and a nearby shed.

Samples of the energetic materials were retained for testing and will be submitted to the State Police Crime Lab. The remainder posed an explosive hazard and were safely transported to a remote location, where they were disposed of without incident.

Halpin is currently being held without bail and his pre-trial hearing is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 9.