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Authorities identify man killed in Waupaca County explosion

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Posted at 3:51 PM, May 29, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-29 17:26:07-04

Authorities have identified the victim of a fatal explosion in Waupaca County.

According to the Waupaca County Sheriff's Office, 44-year-old Paul A. Casperson, from Belvidere, Illinois, was killed after he was hit by sharp metal from an explosive that went off at a home Sunday night in Marion.

42-year-old Kenneth Niemer of Clintonville, 37-year-old Robert Mattes of New London and 60-year-old Scott Mattes of Marion are charged in Waupaca County with homicide by negligent handling of explosives, a felony. The three men appeared in court Wednesday. Signature bonds of $25,000 were set for each man.

A criminal complaint describes the explosive as a homemade “cannon”, a 4-foot-long steel pipe with a plug welded onto the bottom.

According to the complaint, after the first attempt to ignite the device failed, it exploded during the second try, sending a piece of shrapnel that killed Casperson. The complaint says the victim’s wife made two videos of the incident.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.