Incident Summary:
03/11/1997: Members of the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) planted six pipe bombs, some laced with nails, at the offices and trucks of the Fur Breeders Agricultural Cooperative, a plant producing feed for mink farms, in Sandy, Utah, United States. All six bombs exploded, causing $1,000,000 in property damage. There were no casualties in the incident, and none of the 800 mink in the building were harmed. The same day, a caller phoned the KSL radio station, claiming responsibility for the incident in the name of ALF, and a second call was made to Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade, also claiming the incident in the name of animal rights activists, but there was no specific reference to a person or group. The perpetrators, Alexander David Slack, Clinton Colby Ellerman, Douglas Joshua Ellerman, Sean Albert Gautschy, Adam Troy Peace, and Andrew Bishop, were arrested and indicted for their involvement in the incident and an alleged earlier attempt to bomb the co-op, which was aborted when they saw police presence. After a trial, Sean Albert Gautschy, Adam Troy Peace, and Andrew Bishop were acquitted, while Clinton Ellerman was sentenced to 5 years in prison, Douglas Ellerman to 7 years (which was later reduced by 13 months); Slack committed suicide months prior to the trial.
Overview
GTD ID:
199703110009
When:
1997-03-11
Country:
United States
Region:
North America
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Utah
City:
Sandy
Location Details:
at the Fur Breeders Agricultural Cooperative at 8700 South 700 West in Sandy, UT
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Bombing/Explosion |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Business |
Name of Entity |
Fur Breeders Agricultural Cooperative |
Specific Description |
building and trucks of the Fur Breeders Agricultural Cooperative in Sandy, UT |
Nationality of Target |
United States |
Additional Information
Hostages |
No |
Ransom |
No |
Property Damage |
Yes |
Extent of Property Damage |
Major (likely > $1 million but < $1 billion) |
Value of Property Damage |
$1,000,000.00 |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Explosives |
Time Fuse |
Weapon Details |
six pipe bombs, some consisting of nails, and time fuses |
Additional Information
Suicide Attack? | No |
Part of Multiple Incident? | No |
Criterion 1 () |
Yes |
Criterion 2 () |
Yes |
Criterion 3 () |
Yes |
Additional Information |
The perpetrators of this incident who were members of ALF, were also affiliated with a group called Straight Edge, which was against drugs, drugs, alcohol, tobacco and casual sex and in some cases was pro-animal rights. |
Who
Perpetrator Group Information
Group Name |
Claimed Responsibility |
Animal Liberation Front (ALF) |
Yes (Confirmed: Unknown; Mode: Call (post-incident)) |
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
6 |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
2 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
0 Fatalities / 0 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
0 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
0 |
Total Number of Injured |
0 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
Committee on Environment and Public Works United States Senate, "Eco-Terrorism Specifically Examining the Earth Liberation Front and the Animal Liberation Front," U.S. Government Printing Office, May 18, 2005. |
C.G. Wallace, "Two brothers will spend years in prison for bombing plot," Associated Press State & Local Wire, March 13, 2000. |
Joe Costanzo, "S.L. man indicted in bombing of co-op," The Deseret News, June 20, 1997. |
Criteria
Criteria 1
The act must be aimed at attaining a political, economic, religious, or social goal. In terms of economic goals, the exclusive pursuit of profit does not satisfy this criterion. It must involve the pursuit of more profound, systemic economic change.
Criterion 2
There must be evidence of an intention to coerce, intimidate, or convey some other message to a larger audience (or audiences) than the immediate victims. It is the act taken as a totality that is considered, irrespective if every individual involved in carrying out the act was aware of this intention. As long as any of the planners or decision-makers behind the attack intended to coerce, intimidate or publicize, the intentionality criterion is met.
Criterion 3
The action must be outside the context of legitimate warfare activities. That is, the act must be outside the parameters permitted by international humanitarian law (particularly the prohibition against deliberately targeting civilians or non-combatants.
Doubt Terrorism Proper
The existence of a "Yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper?" records reservation, in the eyes of GTD analysts, that the incident in question is truly terrorism. Such uncertainty, however, was not deemed to be sufficient to disqualify the incident from inclusion into the GTD. Furthermore, such a determination of doubt is subsequently coded by GTD analysts as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Alternate Designation
The determination of "yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper" by GTD analysts is coded as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Successful Attack
Success of a terrorist strike is defined according to the tangible effects of the attack. For example, in a typical successful bombing, the bomb detonates and destroys property and/or kills individuals, whereas an unsuccessful bombing is one in which the bomb is discovered and defused or detonates early and kills the perpetrators. Success is not judged in terms of the larger goals of the perpetrators. For example, a bomb that exploded in a building would be counted as a success even if it did not, for example, succeed in bringing the building down or inducing government repression.
Type of Attack
This field captures the general method of attack and often reflects the broad class of tactics used. It consists of the following nine categories:
- Assassination
- Armed Assault
- Unarmed Assault
- Bombing/Explosion
- Hijacking
- Hostage taking (Barricade Incident)
- Hostage taking (Kidnapping)
- Facility / Infrastructure Attack
- Unknown
Target Information
This field captures the general type of target. It consists of the following 22 categories:
- Abortion Related
- Airports & Airlines
- Business
- Government (General)
- Government (Diplomatic)
- Educational Institution
- Food or Water Supply
- Journalists & Media
- Maritime (includes Ports and Maritime facilities)
- Military
- NGO
- Other
- Police
- Private Citizens & Property
- Religious Figures/Institutions
- Telecommunication
- Terrorists
- Tourists
- Transportation (other than aviation)
- Unknown
- Utilities
- Violent Political Parties