The death of Daniel Park, the Washington state man accused of conspiring to bomb a fertility clinic in California, is being investigated as a suicide, according to Park’s former defense attorney.
Peter Hardin, a defense attorney who was representing Park, told CBS News that Park’s parents “were able to locate and recover Daniel’s body” but his family has not been notified about an official cause of death. As Park’s death in federal custody is being investigated as a possible death by suicide, other attorneys have raised questions about the L.A. lockup.
A U.S. Bureau of Prisons spokesperson declined to answer questions about the investigation of Park’s death.
Park had arrived at the L.A. detention center on June 13. His death at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles was confirmed by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons on June 24, but authorities have not disclosed the cause. The death of the 32-year-old has shuttered the federal criminal prosecution and thickens the cloud of mystery surrounding the May 17 bombing attack at the American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California.
The alleged bomber and Park’s alleged co-conspirator, 25-year-old Guy Bartkus, was killed in the bombing, the FBI said. Four people were injured in the explosion.
Park was accused of shipping approximately 180 pounds of ammonium nitrate to be used by Bartkus. He was charged with Attempting to Provide Material Support to Terrorists, Conspiracy to manufacture unregistered destructive devices and aiding and abetting the manufacture of unregistered destructive devices.
Prosecutors alleged Park and Bartkus shared extremist views. In a charging document, the Justice Department said, “Bartkus’s attack was motivated by his pro-mortalism, anti-natalism, and anti-pro-life ideology, which is the belief that individuals should not be born without their consent and that non-existence is best.”
Akil Davis, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, said Bartkus had “nihilistic ideations” and investigators believe he was attempting to livestream the bombing.
Park’s death closes the only prosecution in the fertility clinic bombing. It also comes amid questions about the conditions at the L.A. Metropolitan Detention Center. The prison is where people charged with a crime are held prior to and during court proceedings. It also holds those serving short sentences.
Immigration lawyers in California told CBS News last month that they have been receiving increasing calls about unmet medical needs at the detention center. One lawyer, who chose not to identify herself because she has clients inside the detention center, said there are reports of “inhumane” conditions, including food shortages, cramped confinement, freezing temperatures and environments that are a “ticking-time bomb.”
A 2024 report by the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General raised concerns about the Bureau of Prisons‘ response to inmate emergencies.
“We found significant shortcomings in BOP staff’s emergency responses to nearly half of the inmate deaths we reviewed,” the report said. “These shortcomings ranged from a lack of urgency in responding, failure to bring or use appropriate emergency equipment, unclear radio communications, and issues with naloxone administration in opioid overdose cases.”
Responding to the inspector general’s findings, a Bureau of Prisons spokesperson told CBS News: “Any unexpected death of an inmate is tragic.
“As noted in the Inspector General’s report, we have already taken many steps to mitigate these deaths, and we welcome Inspector General’s recommendations as a way to further our efforts. We will continue to work with the Office of Inspector General,” the spokesperson said.
Scott MacFarlane is CBS News’ Justice correspondent. He has covered Washington for two decades, earning 20 Emmy and Edward R. Murrow awards. His reporting has resulted directly in the passage of five new laws.
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