Conservative publication identified a suspect in Jan. 6 pipe bomb case. It wasn’t her
An investigative report in the conservative news outlet The Blaze is being scrutinized and debunked after the publication named a former Capitol Police officer as the main suspect in an attempted bombing in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. Who left pipe bombs outside the national headquarters of the Democratic and Republican parties is a mystery that’s puzzled the FBI for nearly five years, but it’s apparently not the person identified by The Blaze.
In a story published on Nov. 8, the online publication founded by conservative commentator Glenn Beck cited “gait analysis” that allegedly confirmed the former officer’s style of walking matched that of the woman who planted the bombs.
But it turns out the officer has an alibi. She was home playing with her puppies when the bombs were planted, and she has video to prove it, CBS News reported Tuesday. The officer’s lawyer told The Washington Post that The Blaze’s reporting was “recklessly false, absurd and defamatory.”
Straight Arrow News is not identifying the woman or her current workplace. Her lawyer declined SAN’s request for comment.
Tyler Cardon, CEO of The Blaze, did not respond to a request for comment from Straight Arrow News.
Story claims to crack the case
The bombs were left outside the political parties’ offices the night of Jan. 5, hours before Congress would convene to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election. Thousands of supporters of President Donald Trump were amassing in Washington after he invited them to the city to push his claim that he was the election’s actual winner.
The bombs never detonated. They were discovered by federal law enforcement officers after Trump supporters rioted at the Capitol.
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President Donald Trump issued a pardon on his first day in office for most of the 1,500 people who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.
Figuring out who planted the bombs at the political offices has long been under investigation by the FBI. The bureau has enticed people to come forward with a reward, and released images it hoped would trigger tips.
“Although these bombs did not detonate, the suspect walked along residential and commercial areas in Capitol Hill just blocks from the U.S. Capitol with viable pipe bombs that could have seriously injured or killed innocent bystanders,” the FBI said in an update in January.
The Blaze’s story, which appeared to crack the case, relied on “gait analysis” and claimed the would-be bomber’s strides were between a 94% and 98% match for those of the former officer.
The publication added that someone — whom it identified only as “Armitas” — provided surveillance footage the FBI has not released. The Blaze did not publish the footage. But it said “Armitas” alleged the FBI manipulated footage it released to the public.
The Blaze reportedly consulted with an unnamed forensic analyst to compare the footage to videos of the woman walking.
“Two other sources familiar with gait analysis who viewed the video comparison and the software analysis told Blaze News they concurred that the video samples matched the gait of the gray-hoodie-wearing suspect,” The Blaze wrote.
However, gait analysis — the study of how a person walks — cannot be used to identify a suspect or to provide conclusive proof in court, the American Bar Association said in 2023. While it can be used to corroborate other evidence after a suspect has been identified, the group cautions that video quality, a person’s behavior, environment or temporary medical issues can severely affect someone’s gait.
Adding fuel to a conspiracy theory
The Blaze’s reporting led to consequences for the former officer it identified.
According to CBS News, The Blaze tipped off the Office of the Director of National Intelligence about the former officer’s alleged connection to the bombs. Officials then drafted a classified memo identifying the woman.
Sources told CBS News that the memo was written by Paul McNamara, who leads the Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s Director’s Initiatives Group. He reportedly accessed confidential files to obtain personal information on the woman, including her Social Security number and employer.
The Blaze story also sparked swift reaction among many conservatives and a former FBI special agent, who claimed the bureau is involved in a cover-up. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., cited the story in spreading a conspiracy theory that the act was “an inside job.”
As the original story has been debunked, Gabbard has distanced herself from her agency’s memo about the purported suspect.
The Blaze has updated its story to cite reporting from CBS News and The Washington Post that undermines its original assertions. But the woman’s identity and stories that named her as the prime suspect still remain online.
Both journalists who wrote the original story maintain it was accurate. Steve Baker, one of the authors, has continued to amplify the story in various media outlets. But no one from The Blaze’s leadership has commented publicly about the accuracy of the woman’s identity.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
