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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Three Bombing Suspects Measured, Fingerprinted

Associated Press

Three North Idaho men charged with Spokane Valley bombings and bank robberies were measured, weighed and photographed Wednesday without incident, a federal prosecutor said.

U.S. District Judge Frem Nielsen signed an order last week allowing authorities to use “reasonable force” to determine the defendants’ height and weight for comparison with figures seen in bank surveillance photos.

The men had previously refused to be weighed and measured or to have their photographs taken.

“The court’s order was accomplished without incident,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Rice said Wednesday. He declined to elaborate.

“There was no confrontation whatsoever,” said attorney Aaron Lowe, who represents one of the defendants. “There was some shouting back and forth.”

Verne Jay Merrell, 51, Charles H. Barbee, 44, and Robert S. Berry, 42, all of Sandpoint, are scheduled to stand trial Feb. 18 in a series of Spokane Valley bombings and bank robberies.

The defendants, who do not recognize the authority of the federal government, contend they are ambassadors from the “Kingdom of Yahweh” and have diplomatic immunity.

The three men are charged with bombing a newspaper office, bank and Planned Parenthood office, and robbing the bank twice. No one was injured in the bombings.