For a sparsely populated township on the rim of the Valley, Bell has been the scene of several bizarre crimes and incidents in less than three years. Bell is a community of about 2,500 people and 900 homes, a farming community that celebrated its 150th anniversary last year. With its location on the outskirts of Westmoreland County and the Kiski Area School District, it normally is known more as the winding path between Apollo and Avonmore than as a focal point of crime. But the extraordinary events continued into the new year, with two accidents drawing the region's eye in less than two weeks. Early Friday morning, a low-speed police chase ended in a fiery explosion near the intersection of Routes 819 and 66, just beyond a wooded ridge from where a train derailed and leaked diesel fuel into the Kiski River on Jan. 5. Friday's explosion was the culmination of a manhunt for Donald Robinson Barnhart, 31, of Hyde Park, who authorities believe brutally murdered three members of a Parks family earlier this week. Barnhart died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest shortly before his car exploded where Route 819 crosses Beaver Run, a tributary of the nearby Kiski River, according to authorities. Barnhart apparently rigged the car with explosives that were triggered shortly after he shot himself, investigators said.

Dozens of emergency vehicles arrived on scene just after 3 a.m. and remained there for hours, scouring for clues in what remained of the Pontiac Grand Prix that Barnhart stole from the victims. His scorched body had to be identified by dental records before authorities would officially assert they had found their suspect.


View: Full Article | Source: Valley News Dispatch