COEUR D'ALENE -- A car at a Coeur d'Alene Quick Lube that had a suspicious device underneath it Tuesday belongs to a local attorney charged with murder-for-hire.
Police closed the Fast Lane Quick Lube at Highway 95 and Bosanko around 12:30 p.m. after a suspicious device was found underneath a vehicle. That suspicious device turned out to be a pipe bomb.
Officers say a customer dropped off the black Mitsubishi SUV earlier today for an oil change. Quick Lube employees found what they thought may be an explosive beneath the vehicle and called authorities.
The license plates on the SUV match records that show the vehicle belongs to Edgar Steele, a local attorney who formerly represented the Aryan Nations.
Steele appeared in federal court on murder-for-hire charges just hours after the device was found. Representing himself in court, he pleaded not guilty but indicated he plans to get outside counsel.
Steele is accused of paying a man $500, allegedly to kill his wife and mother-in-law. Investigators say Steele promised $100,000 more when the insurance settlement came through.
In court, Steele requested to be released on his own recognizance, saying he is not a flight risk. The prosecution contended by citing overwhelming evidence of a threat to the community, and mentioned what transpired at the Quick Lube. A judge denied Steele's request.
Steele's wife cried when the judge ordered he have no contact with her. Steele called the order an outrageous invasion of his marriage. She appeared to support him, despite the fact a bomb was found in her car.
The Spokane County Bomb Squad used a robot to remove the pipe bomb from the SUV and detonate it around 4:15 p.m.
The SUV was towed away from the scene, as well as an additional vehicle that also belongs to Steele.
Highway 95 was closed while the Bomb Squad investigated but it has since been reopened.
