Elderly Man May Have Died After Homemade Device Accidentally Detonates

TURRET, Colo. (CBS4) – Authorities in Chaffee County believe a 92-year-old man was accidentally killed after a bizarre series of events involving explosives and chemicals.

According to the Chaffee County Sheriff's Department, Edwin Bartheld was found dead by a friend in a crawl space beneath the house Friday afternoon after friends became concerned because they hadn't heard from him in more than a week.

Authorities originally thought Bartheld died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound several days ago, but after further investigation "authorities discovered a large cache of explosive devices and chemicals commonly used for manufacturing explosives inside the house."

The Colorado Springs Regional Explosives Unit and two nearby HAZMAT teams were called in to investigate.

"Members of the bomb squad and HAZMAT teams located large quantities of chemicals commonly used for manufacturing explosives, along with several homemade detonators and homemade explosives inside the house," the sheriff's department said in a statement.

The explosives were removed and safely detonated.

Once Bartheld's body was removed authorities examined his body and believe he may have died when one the homemade devices unintentionally detonated, but that has not been confrimed.

"Information obtained by authorities at this point suggest a motive for the man's actions, but the case remains under investigation and further details will be released as they are confirmed by investigators," the sheriff's department said.

An autopsy of Bartheld is scheduled for Monday morning.