WV: 1976 Explosion At The Mason County Jail

While combing through old books in the genealogy room at the Point Pleasant library, I came across an old photo album containing news clippings that gave me pause. The subject of those clippings was the Mason County (WV) Jail bombing in 1976.

Harriet Sisk confessed to the strangulation death of her two month old daughter, Davi Colline, on Feb 29, 1976. In her confession she noted that the baby had been crying after she tripped and fell while carrying her. Afterward, it was determined the child suffered from ongoing abuse. The investigation was brought on as a result of the child’s grandfather calling the police department to report her missing on Feb 28th. Authorities would find the body of the child in a shallow grave that was dug by Sisk and her husband, Bruce.

Harriet Sisk was taken to the Mason County jail to await trial. Four days later, her husband would use a shotgun to force his way into the jail. He told the jailer he wanted to be in the cell with his wife. Once in the cell, the door was locked behind him.

Once secured in the cell, the jail was evacuated. Bruce Sisk had carried a suitcase into the cell. Originally it was thought that Sisk used his shotgun to shoot the suitcase in which he had carried an estimated fifteen pounds of dynamite. It was later determined that he used an electric blasting cap ignited by a flashlight battery. His action created an explosion that took his and his wife’s life immediately as well as the life of the local sheriff.

In all, three officers lost their lives and an additional eleven people were injured. Sheriff Pete Wedge, Deputy Kenneth Love and Jailer Ernest Hesson would die as a result of the intentional bombing.

Authorities would later find a suicide note in the couple’s trailer in which a suicide pact was laid out. The shotgun would be tied back to a mid-February Mason County burglary. The dynamite had stolen from a construction company where Bruce Sisk was once employed.

The Sisks had a second child, 18 month old Michael, who was taken by social workers during the arrest.

Newspaper articles on the bombing: