Tragic Pipe Bomb Killing Still Haunts Tri-Cities 50 Years Later

It’s been over 50 years since one of the most violent crimes in Tri-Cities' history shook our quiet streets, and people who remember still talk about it.

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During a recent book signing in Prosser, the name Ricky Anthony Young was brought up, and the reaction from locals attending the event was instant. People still remember the fear, the grief, and the chaos that surrounded the 1974 bombing that killed Superior Court Judge James Lawless inside his courthouse chambers.

Tri-Cities was Shaken by Sudden Violence

Ricky Young wasn’t just a petty criminal but had already been linked to a series of destructive crimes, including burning down a local church, bombing a sheriff’s car, and burglarizing a drugstore in Prosser. Young was found to have mailed a pipe bomb to Judge Lawless from his home.

When Judge Lawless opened the package in his courtroom, it detonated and killed him instantly.

Young was eventually convicted based mostly on fingerprint evidence and a confession he gave later in 1994. He is now serving a 77-year sentence but has not stopped the legal efforts to reopen his case.

DNA Request by Suspect was Denied

Recently, the Innocence Project Northwest filed a request for DNA testing of evidence in the case, arguing that modern technology could prove Young was innocent. But a judge shut it down, saying the DNA wouldn’t outweigh the confession and physical evidence already on record.

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For many, that decision was a relief, but it also reopened old wounds with effects that are still felt today.

A man who attended the Prosser Farmers Market on Saturday, July 12 said he was hoping to hear more personal stories from residents.

This community has a history that needs to be remembered, and understanding how people coped helps us all heal a little more.