Tunnel House Owner Afraid Of Nuclear Bombs, Charged With Murder

BETHESDA, MD — A Bethesda man was indicted on second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter charges by a Montgomery County grand jury Thursday for the death of a man who was working underneath his home when a fire broke out, according to reports. The tunnel network was Daniel Beckwitt's strategy to cope with what he perceived as the threat of a possible nuclear attack by North Korea.

Beckwitt, 27, was arrested for the death of Askia Khafra, 21, of Silver Spring. ABC 7's Kevin Lewis reports Beckwitt was indicted on the charges Thursday. He faces a "depraved-heart” second-degree murder charge, which is when an individual acts with indifference to human life and results in death.

Beckwitt hired Khafra to dig a seris of secret tunnels from the basement of his Bethesda home in the 5200 block of Danbury Road, court documents said. The tunnels were reportedly built because he was afraid of a bombing by North Korea, NBC Washington says.

Khafra was found dead during a fire at the home on Sept. 10. Officials said Khafra died from smoke inhalation and burns from the fire while he was working in the basement.

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Officials found the unexplained network of tunnels under the yard and said the home was "dangerous and hazardous to human life and the public welfare," according to reports, which resulted in the depraved-heart murder charge.

After the fire, Montgomery County deemed the home unsafe because of "deep excavation and extensive network of tunneling and bunkers extending from under and out from the structure," according to WUSA 9.

SEE ALSO:

• Bethesda Man Charged With Murder After House Fire
  
• Tunnel Network At Bethesda House Prompts Lawsuit After Fatal Fire
• Silver Spring Man Dies In North Bethesda House Fire
• Police Investigating Fatal North Bethesda House Fire

Court filings obtained by WTOP show The Department of Health and Human Services called the home a public nuisance and said the "severe" conditions made the home unlivable. The agency issued an emergency field notice, which condemned the building on Oct. 2.

The Washington Post reports the complex tunnel network was at least 20 feet below the surface and about 200 feet in length.

Court records said Beckwitt allegedly picked Khafra up from his home in Silver Spring in a rental car. He drove Khafra to Manassas, Va. and ordered him to put on "darkened, blackout glasses," court documents said.

Beckwitt allegedly told Khafra he was taking him to a site in Virginia, but instead drove him to the Bethesda home, The Post reports. Khafra was allegedly only allowed to remove the glasses when he was in the basement of the home.

FOX 5 reports Beckwitt is a well known computer hacker who was invited to speak at the hacking conferences DEF Con and ShmooCon.

Beckwitt pleaded guilty to computer fraud in the winter of 2013 for allegedly tampering with University of Illinois email accounts, where he was an engineering student.

Sources told FOX 5 that a bed and a computer were set up in the series of tunnels under the Beckwitt's home.

Beckwitt was arrested without incident at about 6:30 p.m. Friday in the 5900 block of First Landing Way in Burke, Va., police said.

He is out on a $100,000 cash bond.

Photo via MCPD