More Poison Found At Home Of Deceased Merck Chemist: Police

Police in Bucks County have confirmed that additional amounts of a poisonous chemical were found at the home of a deceased Merck chemist accused of dumping deadly potassium cyanide into a public stormwater inlet in December.

Richard O'Rourke, 60, was found dead at his Warrington home last week from what police say was a self- inflicted gunshot wound. The Bucks County Hazmat team and Bomb Squad were called to his Highland Road home at that time due to a "suspicious" item found at his property.

The item, a metal box inside the breezeway of the residence with a large padlock in it, was examined and later sent to Merck for further testing and evaluation.

On Tuesday, Warrington Police Chief Daniel Friel confirmed the box contained 2.9 grams of potassium cyanide.

Friel told Patch he does not believe O'Rourke had sinister motivations in possessing the poisonous chemical at the time of his death. "It was a very small amount considering what was taken from Merck," Friel said.

Authorities allege O'Rourke stole nearly 220 grams of potassium cyanide from the Merck & Co. laboratory in Upper Gwynedd Township in December. He later told authorities he had planned to use it to kill rodents on his property, but on Dec. 15 illegally dumped it into an inlet in the area of County Line and Street roads, between Easton Road and Second Street Pike, after he learned he may be under investigation.

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Still, authorities are not clear why he hung on to some of the deadly chemical. "I don’t know why he would have that small amount in there," Friel said, noting the box was in plain view and had a warning note on it.

Police were called to O'Rourke's home shortly before 4 p.m. on April 17 to check on his well-being. A neighbor called the authorities because she hadn't seen him for several days.

When Warrington Police arrived, they found O'Rourke deceased inside his residence and a box in the home's breezeway with a piece of paper taped to the top that said: "Danger Toxic could be cyanide, give to police."

Upon discovery of the box, police called in the Warrington Fire Company, Warrington Emergency Management, Bucks County Hazmat Team and Montgomery County Sheriff's Officer Bomb Squad before handing it over the Merck for further testing.

Exposure to potassium cyanide can be "rapidly fatal," according to the CDC.

O'Rourke had been charged with causing or risking catastrophe in connection with the dumping incident,which put local water departments on high-alert status for two weeks, authorities said.

Image of Richard O'Rourke via Warrington PD