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Authorities found a hose that was attached from a gas line to the area where a home once stood at 34 East 62nd Street, making them believe that the line had been tampered. The building's owner, Dr. Nicholas Bartha, who claimed he would blow up the building in an email, is still at Weill Cornell Medical Center with third degree burns after being found in his building's rubble on Monday. Bartha had been in the middle of a messy divorce, and had been ordered to sell the four-story townhouse to pay ex-wife Cordula Hahn over $4 million. The NY Times looks at Bartha's divorce and how his family was driven away by his behavior, apparently "bursting into angry tirades" when his daughters would call him. And others say he had been acting strange lately, with a fellow doctor saying, "He went from being a socially acceptable oddball to being unacceptable." Hahn, who now lives in Washington Heights, only told reporters, "It's tragic."
The Observer speaks to Bartha's real estate broker, Mark Baum, who received the 14 page bizarre suicide email on his Blackberry and then called the police to say he had information (and floorplans!) about the house in the explosion. Baum said he had received strange emails from Bartha before (though nothing mentioning explosions) and thought the townhouse was worth $6.2 million. But now it seems like taking the building down may have increased the value, as a potential buyer wouldn't have to demolish the building or get rid of tenants.
The Post talks to a patient of Bartha's who says the doctor was odd and also looks at how the 22 year old Parks employee injured by the explosion is doing - apparently 100 fragments of glass, wood and stone were embedded in her. The Daily News talks to Bartha's receptionist, who wasn't at the building because of a delayed R train.
Photograph of the clean-up from edEx on Flickr
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I still cannot believe that someone of his stature (a physician) did something like this. It amazes me that people are so disturbed on this level. He was a doctor, a few pills and he could have gone out like K-Lay.
Only in NY.
Whoever inspected the building should of noticed the gas lines were altered. Certainly a master plumber would not do this type of work without Con Ed approval.
This is all after the fact. Hindsight 20/20.
Someone didn't do their job and put a stop work order or called Con Ed to remedy the situation.
I liked how the Fire Marshal in his weekend beach tan mention, lookee here, this here rubber hose should not be there.
Clearly, the man appears to be severely mentally ill and needs treatment. Just because he is a doctor does not mean he can escape having serious psychological problems.
It's just sad that they were fighting so much over the money. After all, they are both in their 60's and at most have another 20-30 yrs, if they are lucky. Not like either of them could have taken it with them, you know? At best they could have hoped to pass most of it to their daughters.
So if they can't take it with them, what is the point of fighting over it for (almost) 5 years! Maybe the wife knew how angry/messed up he was and was trying to at least get it for her daughters.
I thought since the building was given landmark status they couldn't tear it down.
All I can say is "Irony!" The building is now worth more blown up... I bet the Doc didn't see that one coming....And I bet he's real pissed he's still alive. You go through all that trouble to kill yourself, and you end up with third degree burns and a free trip to jail...OUCH
You have to admit though, he meant business. Not many people would resort to blowing up a building so their spouse wont get the money.
Rich People are Crazy!