Man tries blowing up ex’s mailbox, but explosion was at wrong Oklahoma house, feds say
An Oklahoma man was sentenced to prison after officials say he blew up a mailbox in an attempt to target his ex.
Patrick Nile Starkey, 57, pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered destructive device and felon in possession of ammunition, according to court records. After agreeing to a plea deal, prosecutors dismissed two additional charges of using an explosive to commit a felony and destruction of a letter box.
He was sentenced to nine years in prison, according to a Feb. 24 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma.
McClatchy News reached out to Starkley’s attorney for comment but didn’t immediately hear back.
A Tulsa resident said at about 12:30 a.m. June 8 someone pulled into his driveway and then a few minutes later he heard an explosion. The next morning, he found the remains of an explosive in the driveway, according to a criminal complaint.
A few days later, on June 12, the man’s sister-in-law, who is also his neighbor, called him after she heard another explosion and saw smoke coming out of the mailbox, the complaint said. The woman’s husband then saw a car leaving the area.
Investigators collected evidence at the scene from both explosions.
Then, the next day, the man called authorities again to report notes that were left at the home near the mailbox, the complaint said. The notes named a woman, with expletives and accusations written about her, according to court records.
After investigating Facebook pages featuring the named woman and security footage, authorities were able to track the vehicle to Starkley.
Authorities searched Starkey’s home on July 2 and found eight explosive devices, homemade cannons and ammunition, according to court records.
Starkey later told investigators that the woman whose name was written on the note was his wife, who he was in the process of divorcing, the complaint said. He believed she was staying in the neighborhood and admitted to leaving two explosives and the notes at the home “in an effort to get [his ex] to speak with him,” according to court records.
However, the homeowner and family said they had no knowledge of who the woman was and had never interacted with her.
This story was originally published February 25, 2025 at 3:23 PM with the headline "Man tries blowing up ex’s mailbox, but explosion was at wrong Oklahoma house, feds say."
