A Grady County man has received a life sentence for making and possessing a bomb.

A jury found Chickasha resident Robert South guilty Tuesday of manufacturing an explosive device and possession of explosives by convicted felon.

The crimes generally draw a combined 20-year maximum sentence. However, Dana Gore, a representative for the Grady County District Attorney’s Office, said prosecutors were able to seek a life sentence because South was a convicted felon.

In 1999, South was convicted of actual physical control of a vehicle while intoxicated, a felony after former conviction of two or more felonies.

According to an arrest affidavit dated February, 2008, Robert South texted a friend saying he had placed a bomb made up of buckshot and nails in his truck and was “looking for a person to drive the vehicle and deliver and detonate the bomb.”

South also said the bomb “was intended to kill the kids that controlled him” and that the bomb would have to “go through a window,” according to the court affidavit.

Upon receiving the information, officers visited South’s residence. Chickasha Police Officer Clark Van Dyck told South he was there to check on him and asked if everything was OK. South said everything was fine.

Then Van Dyck told South that police had gotten a report that he was in possession of an explosive device and asked if he had one. South said no, he did not.

However, when Van Dyck told South he had a report that South had placed such a device in his truck, and asked to look inside the pickup, South gave permission and said “there is some stuff behind the seat...some flares and gun powder.”

The “stuff” turned out to be an explosive device containing not only gun powder, but also nails and buckshot.

The Bomb Squad was then called to the residence.

Van Dyck questioned South about the construction of the device and South gave detailed information about how he built the bomb.

“South told me that he had taken two cardboard tubes that wrapping paper had been rolled around and cut them in half to make four tubes,” said Van Dyck. “South then filled the tubes with the contents of three packages of flares...as well as gun powder. South then used torn t-shirt and candle wicks as well as yarn as fuses. South then wrapped the explosive-filled tubes in duct tape and taped all four tubes together.”

Van Dyck then asked South if he had used any buckshot or nails in the device. At first, South said no, but then said he “might have used some buckshot and nails” after Van Dyck repeated the question.

According to the affidavit, South said he was going to use the device to kill himself at a lake in the future. Van Dyck asked South if he planned to use the device to kill any kids and he said no.

However, after speaking to Patrick Surber of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Surber said South had told him that the device was to “kill the kids.”

“He made a bomb to kill children,” said Grady County Assistant District Attorney Kory Kirkland.

However, South’s attorney Al Hoch said South was tried for a crime he did not commit and that his client suffers from severe mental problems.

The bomb squad then searched South’s residence with a bomb-detecting K9 and found no more explosives. It did find an empty coffee container that contained a small amount of shot, candles from which the wicks had been removed and two 12 gauge shotgun shells that had been dismantled to remove the powder and shot.

Van Dyck then placed South under arrest and took him to the Grady County Jail for booking.

On Tuesday, June 2, South was found guilty of manufacturing an explosive device, a felony, which carries a sentence of fines up to $10,000 and three to 10 years imprisonment, or both AFCF 6-LIFE, which means because South is a convicted felon, he can receive a life sentence for his crimes.



South was also found guilty of manufacturing an explosive device, a felony, punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 or imprisonment for up to 10 years, or both.

South’s attorney plans to appeal the court’s decision.