32-year-old Daniel Park was charged with providing the materials used to create an explosive device to bomb a Palm Springs–area reproductive health clinic. This is the second time he’s died while in federal custody. A U.S. He succumbed to his injuries after being transported to a local area hospital.
Park’s lies unraveled after the deadly attack on the fertility clinic, which forced law enforcement to make inquiries of his ties. He escaped to Poland only four days after the bombing attempt. FBI agents arrested him on arrival in New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport. His extradition from Poland back to the United States allowed officials to charge him with providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists.
Investigators were able to track Park’s actions back to multiple transactions in which ammonium nitrate was obtained. From October 2022 to May 2023, he ordered the chemical online in several batches. In January, he sent a big 180 pounds (82 kilograms) of ammonium nitrate. The intended recipient was Guy Edward Bartkus, an archconservative associate with a spooky background. One shipment in transit dated just days before the bombing had 90 lbs (41 kg) of the same chemical.
Park had gone out to California just to play around with the material in Bartkus’ garage. Yet it was a fateful visit to Bartkus back in January that created an operational connection, soon to become vital in the investigation. Bartkus has not escaped legal repercussions for the bombing incident.
While the circumstances around Park’s death are not yet entirely clear, an investigation into what happened is likely to be forthcoming. His death raises issues about the future of the still-continuing federal court trial related to the bombing. Additionally, it brings up possible implications for those who remain connected.