Man apologizes to 6 held at Clinton office

Accused in N.H. writes 'open letter'

December 16, 2007|Associated Press

DOVER, N.H. - A New Hampshire man has apologized to six people he is accused of holding hostage in a Hillary Clinton campaign office.

Leeland Eisenberg, 46, of Somersworth, provided Foster's Daily Democrat a handwritten letter through his lawyer from the "crazy man with the bomb."

"This open letter is niether [sic] an attempt nor desire to seek your forgiveness sympathy nor make excuses for my own absolution, for I deserve neather [sic]," he wrote. "Rather I want to fully and sincerely acknowledge the fear pains [sic] and lasting effects my senseless actions caused you to suffer."

Police arrested Eisenberg, 46, peacefully more than five hours after he entered Clinton's Rochester office on Nov. 30 and charged him with kidnapping and other crimes, all felonies. The bomb turned out to be road flares.

In the letter Eisenberg apologized profusely to the victims.

He also thanked them for displays of compassion and empathy, mentioning that "near the end when I began to tell you my story and breakdown and cry, one of you put your arm around my shoulder while the other sought empathize and console me."

Throughout, Eisenberg consistently referred to himself as sick and desperate.

"Having been victimized and knowing the horrors of trauma myself, knowing now and having to live with the fact, that I, traumatized you as I have been, is something I can't bare [sic] to live with nor will I ever forgive myself and neither should you!" the letter read.

Eisenberg offered to pray "each and every day and each night" for their recovery.

READER COMMENTS »

View reader comments » Comment on this story »