Case History
The verdict likely marks the end of the six-year-long case, which has included an investigation by federal, state and College authorities and cost the University hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Between 1990 and 1992, Womack terrorized security officials at Widener Library and Northeastern's Snell Womack also tried to extort money from Northeastern and threatened to bomb libraries on both campuses if Jewish employees were not fired. In another threat, Womack said he planned to blow up a bank unless money was left for him in the Widener stacks. During the trial's closing arguments, the prosecution told the jury that Womack's actions were motivated by revenge. "This case is based on deliberate choices made by the defendant," Gemma told the jury Tuesday. "It is a case about hatred, the desire to control others." The defense argued that Womack had no intention of following through with his threats to extort money or commit violent acts. "A reasonable person would have a difficult time believing that he had intended to [follow through with his threat to] extort money, hurt people or make people act against their will," Homans said in court. Homans pointed to the fact that Womack did not pick up his ransom money, although it was planted in obscure locations in Widener as requested, as evidence that Womack did not intend to follow through on his threats. Womack's anger at the system, Homans argued, stemmed from his having spent two years in Massachusetts hospitals after serving jail time for a 1987 crime. Womack was captured in 1994 after an investigation conducted by Harvard and Northeastern police and the FBI. --Todd F. Braunstein, Marios V. Broustas and Rachel C. Telegen contributed to the reporting of this article.