Weston Parks Supervisor Accused of Planting Explosive Devices Could Await Trial in Jail

WOBURN, MA -- A popular supervisor for the Town of Weston's Parks & Cemeteries will learn later this week if a judge will revoke his bail and lock him up while he awaits trial on charges of allegedly leaving a homemade explosive device on the front porch of Maynard home and a hoax device at another home.

In Middlesex Superior Court on Tuesday, Judge Bruce Henry took under advisement a request by prosecutor Terence Kiernan to hold William C. O’Neil, 55, formerly of Maynard, now living in Weymouth, without bail as a danger to society on charges of possession of explosives and place an explosive device.

O'Neil was initially held without bail after his district court arraignment, but after a bail appeal, he was released on $5,000 cash bail with conditions that he remain under 24-hour house arrest at his sister's Weymouth home, and wear a GPS monitoring device.

Kiernan asked Henry to reinstate O'Neil's "no bail'' status by deeming him to be a danger to society.

Defense attorney Peter Parker argued that O'Neil's current conditions of release should remain and that O'Neil be allowed to travel to Maynard once a week to maintain his home. Parker argued that under the statute the explosive devices must be part of a "use of force or threatened use of force,'' neither applies in this case.

But Kiernan objected noting that having O'Neil move out Maynard and wear a GPS is to make sure he "stays away'' from Maynard. Under questioning by police, O'Neil allegedly admitted to "placing'' the devices, but denied that either would function as an explosive.

Maynard police allege that at around 10 a.m. Feb. 20, 2017, O'Neil, formerly of Maynard, placed a homemade explosive device on the front porch of a Demars Street home. The homeowner told police he saw a white trash bag on his porch and assumed it was trash. Upon examining the contents of the trash bag, the homeowner became alarmed when he saw a propane tank with wires attached.

He placed the device back in the bag and called the police, who called in the Massachusetts State Bomb Squad to disable the device.

The bomb squad found that the device contained a half-full propane tank, two motors with power supplied by AA batteries, a switch and an "on" light, indicating the device had been activated.

A police report indicated that if the device had functioned as designed, it is possible that it could have detonated.

The Bomb Squad found a fingerprint that tied O'Neil to the device, police allege.Police obtained a warrant for O'Neil's arrest and a search warrant former Oscars Way home, where they allegedly found materials that could be linked to the device.

Police also linked O'Neil to a hoax device left on Walcott Street in Maynard on Oct. 21, 2016.

No motive has been suggested for the planting of either device.

Photo of William C. O'Neil by Lisa Redmond/lisa.redmond@patch.com.