Elderly man fearing the end of the world kept huge arsenal of weapons and explosives

An elderly man from Barrie, Ontario, Canada who feared the end of the world has pleaded guilty to keeping an arsenal of weapons and explosives hidden in his home and in a backyard bunker. William Feldhoff, 76, was initially faced 84 charges, but they were paired down to 16 offences involving the possession of dozens of explosive devices, explosive chemicals and restricted weapons at his home in July 2012.



Bombs, booby traps, chemicals used in warfare, rat traps set to detonate explosions, and an arsenal of rifles and guns caused enough alarm that police had to evacuate his entire street for weeks. About 60 neighbours were removed from their homes while local police, firefighters, RCMP officers and bomb experts converged on Feldhoff's quiet east-end home.

They uncovered weapons, chemical explosives, bombs with remote-control detonation devices and booby traps stashed in his home and a backyard bunker. Even walls within his home had to be busted down when bomb experts discovered several weapons were hidden within.



The unusual case came to the attention of police when Feldhoff’s son, Donald Feldhoff, 54, alerted police to his father’s dangerous collection. The Crown is asking for a 10-year sentence, which would could mean that Feldhoff, who is in poor health, would likely spend the rest of his life behind bars. Police have not yet decided if the house will be completely torn down. As Feldhoff was lead away in handcuffs, he waved to his elderly wife, who waved back and blew her husband a kiss. A sentencing hearing will be held Dec. 13.