TOPSFIELD, Mass. (WHDH) — Police said they found ingredients to make a pressure cooker bomb at the home of a man who knew someone with ties to one of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects.
A Russian-made military rifle and ammunition, a pressure cooker and fertilizer were among a long list of other items police say could be used to make bombs, were removed from a Topsfield home last month.
Police arrested 27-year-old Daniel Morley, who lived in the home with his mother.
Police had responded to a domestic disturbance at the house. Morley, said to be out of control and off his medication, had allegedly assaulted his mother and her boyfriend. Police said then they found bomb-making materials in Morley’s room, the entire neighborhood was evacuated.
Other items removed from the home included: A machete, decorative swords, a hand gun, dismantled cell phones and a Massachusetts State Police t-shirt.
Court documents said Morley told his mother he had a friend who boxed with or against Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings who was killed in a shootout with police.
According to the documents Morley also told his mother that his friend was trying to get him to do something really bad, so he broke off the relationship.
“Things look horrible. This case looks absolutely horrible,” said Morley’s attorney, Robert Crowley LeBlanc.
Morley’s attorney insists his client was never involved in the bombings and does not know the Tsarnaev brothers. He said Morley has mental health problems, especially when he is off his medication.
“I never got the sense of any specific intent to do anyone harm, engage in any activity that would put the public in danger,” said LeBlanc.
Morley’s friend said he never boxed with Tsarnaev.
Morley is being held on $20,000 bail and will return to court later this week.