A Pierceton man was arrested Friday evening in connection with a fatal bombing in Vermont after apparently becoming disgruntled with a business transaction via the Internet.

Chris William Dean, 35, of 3175 S. CR 600E, was taken into custody without incident at a friend's house on Chestnut Street in Winona Lake.

The pipe bomb blast from a package Dean allegedly sent through UPS killed 17-year-old Christopher Marquis of Fair Haven, Vt., and seriously injured his 52-year-old mother, Sheila Rockwell, when the device exploded in their home. The blast was reported at about 3 p.m. Thursday and occurred in a bedroom of the victims' house, located behind that town's police station.

Local police got involved in the investigation about 11:30 p.m. Thursday. How the focus of the investigation turned to Dean was not revealed.

Dean has no criminal record here and Pierceton Town Marshal George Alexander said that he knew who Dean was and that he was "a nice, amicable guy." Dean reportedly lived within corporate limits of Pierceton until a couple years ago, before moving to his current residence.

According to FBI officials, Dean entered into a business transaction with Marquis through the Internet for the sale of CB parts and felt he was defrauded. An affidavit filed in connection with the arrest warrant for Dean alleges that Dean threatened Marquis prior to Thursday, and states that Dean sent the package containing the bomb to Fair Haven from Mansfield, Ohio, via UPS next day air delivery. Dean is a truck driver for Sprint, where records reflect that Dean was present in Mansfield on Wednesday when the package was shipped.

The affidavit also states that an acquaintance of Dean's learned that Dean was angry about his difficult business arrangement with an individual in Vermont and that Dean used the Internet to obtain information about the construction of a pipe bomb. Officials said that Dean also advised his friend that he planned to send a package in the mail to the Vermont subject that would "surprise him."

Dean is charged with interstate transportation of an explosive device that was used to kill and injure and with placing an explosive device aboard an aircraft carrier knowing that such placement was likely to endanger the safety of the aircraft. If convicted, Dean faces a maximum sentence of life in prison or the death penalty and a fine of up to $500,000.

Officials said that the death penalty may be applicable since Dean's alleged acts resulted in Marquis' death. However, federal authorities have not yet made a decision whether to pursue the death penalty.

Dean was transported to Fort Wayne for detention at an unnamed facility after being apprehended here through a joint investigation by the FBI, ATF and Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department. Information regarding extradition or where he will be held subsequent to Fort Wayne was not available. Dean is scheduled for an initial court appearance on Monday.

In the meantime, a federal search warrant for Dean's home was executed Friday night as part of the continuing investigation.

Steve Herkins, resident agent in charge of the ATF Fort Wayne field office, said that a number of hours of enforcement action will be required before the investigation concludes in Kosciusko County. The Fair Haven investigated was completed Friday afternoon.

News reports from Vermont indicate that some in the area were upset by Marquis' behavior on his CB radio where his handle was 'Pyscho.' He used it so often that it frequently disturbed a phone line in the next-door town offices.

From afar others said they felt they were ripped off by him through bum deals on the Internet for CB radio equipment.

Now state and federal authorities are investigating whether any of that contributed to his death.

Authorities refused Friday to say what role the ongoing electronic feuds involving Marquis might have had in the bombing. But it was an angle that clearly drew their interest.

'Obviously that may lead us into any number of directions,' said U.S. Attorney Charles Tetzlaff. 'All of those directions will be pursued.'

There are several ominous-sounding messages about Marquis, a high school dropout, posted on a computer bulletin board. One of them even listed his home address in Fair Haven.

'If I find someone to pay the 2 way airfare, I will go there and collect everyones money back and give him some severe dental problems to deal with,' said that message, posted by an American Online user. 'Are you listening, Chris?? When you see a 6 foot 5 inch dark haired man at your door, you look out 'cause I will be about to drop the maul ... on you noggin dude.'

Another online message encouraged customers to buy the sender's CB equipment and promised that he would not steal from anyone, 'not like that Chris Marquis.'

'He took some people on the Internet,' said a CB dealer from the Midwest who also posted on the bulletin board. 'A bunch of equipment got traded. Chris supposedly would take equipment and not send the right equipment back,' said the dealer, who asked that his name not be used.

But authorities declined to speculate on the meaning of any of the accusations on the Internet or whether they might provide clues about what happened in Fair Haven.

Until more solid information developed, the ATF kept its focus on the bomb that was delivered to the house on Washington Street, within sight of the town green, on Thursday.

'I don't categorize this case in that way,' Tetzlaff said, declining to characterize the computer angle as a chief area of investigation. 'This is an explosive device kind of case.'

Although he did not know any the specifics of the Fair Haven case, a University of Vermont sociology professor specializing in mass communication and new media said the incident might illustrate how the Internet is changing the way society communicates. That's something that can fascinate a teen-ager, said professor Tom Streeter.

'It makes certain kinds of communication, particularly with people whom you don't know, a little easier and it makes it easier for you to be someone else or role play,' Streeter said. 'It sounds like this guy ... was engaging in the normal adolescent game of role playing in a very unhealthy way and using the Internet as a vehicle for that.'

The bomb went off in Chris Marquis' bedroom just after 3 p.m.

It was an overcast, damp day when the UPS driver delivered the package and continued on his rounds. What happened after the delivery remains unclear and is under investigation. But officers concluded that the package was not opened as soon as it arrived, said state police Sgt. Steve Brown.

'It wasn't immediately,' Brown said. 'The one that delivered it was able to make several other deliveries.'

Neither the UPS driver nor police in the adjacent town offices were even aware there had been an explosion. A passerby outside the house heard it and alerted police.

They found Marquis and his mother, in the room. There was little damage to the building - only a window was broken - but Marquis and Rockwell were badly injured.

Both were rushed to the Rutland Regional Medical Center, about 20 miles to the east of Fair Haven, a town of 3,000 on the New York state line. Marquis died about an hour after the explosion. His mother suffered injuries to her torso, leg and hand and was in serious condition. [[In-content Ad]]