Alabama Man Wrongfully Accused in Bombing That Killed Judge Dies

A Life of Misunderstanding and Legal Struggles

Robert Wayne O’Ferrell, a man from New Brockton, passed away at the age of 81 in Coffee County. His death was revealed through an obituary from Sorrells Funeral Home. O’Ferrell had been wrongfully accused of sending package bombs that led to the deaths of a federal judge in Alabama and a civil rights lawyer in Georgia. However, he was later proven innocent.

The tragic events occurred in 1989 when Judge Robert Vance was killed on December 16 after a package bomb exploded at his home in Mountain Brook. The blast also seriously injured Vance’s wife, Helen. Just a few days later, Robert Robertson, a civil rights attorney from Georgia, was killed by a similar explosion in Savannah. Additional bombs were sent to locations in Atlanta and Jacksonville, but government agents managed to detonate them safely, preventing any further injuries.

At the time, the case was one of the most significant stories in the country. William Gill, O’Ferrell’s attorney, recalled the intense media attention surrounding the incident. O’Ferrell faced severe scrutiny from law enforcement, including FBI agents who arrived at his shop in Enterprise just over a month after the bombings. They informed him they believed he was the main suspect in the bombing.

The FBI and other agencies conducted extensive surveillance on O’Ferrell and his family. During the preparation for a raid on his home and business, the FBI even alerted media outlets across the country to gather in Enterprise. This level of public exposure placed immense pressure on O’Ferrell and his loved ones.

Gill expressed deep sadness about the treatment O’Ferrell endured. “Mr. O’Ferrell loved America and was a real patriotic man – but he never received an apology or compensation from the federal government for what the FBI and other federal law enforcement put him and his family through,” he said in an email. O’Ferrell left this world without receiving the acknowledgment he deserved.

O’Ferrell was named a suspect because a letter allegedly typed by him matched the typewriter used to write the death threats and bomb package labels. The typewriter used in the bombings had a misplaced A key, and O’Ferrell sold typewriters from his store. Despite the FBI's extensive investigation, a new suspect emerged: Walter Leroy Moody. He was later arrested, convicted of the killings, and executed in 2018.

After being cleared of all charges, O’Ferrell and Gill filed a lawsuit against the federal government. In a 2018 interview with WDHN, O’Ferrell described the invasive nature of the FBI’s actions. “They fingered printed me. They took pictures of me,” he said. “I had to empty my billfold — everything in my billfold. They went through everything in my pocket and all this kind of stuff, and it was ridiculous.”

In 2020, during another interview with WDHN, O’Ferrell shared that he had written letters to government officials and received responses, including from President Donald Trump. Despite these efforts, he never received the formal apology or compensation he felt he was owed.

O’Ferrell’s story highlights the impact of wrongful accusations and the long-lasting effects on individuals and their families. His life, marked by legal battles and personal struggles, serves as a reminder of the importance of justice and accountability.