Melissa Grace Davaz

Linfield College senior Melissa Grace Davaz said she had been drinking when she read a newspaper account about a suspicious object found on campus Nov. 29. It attracted Oregon State Police Bomb Squad attention, but turned out to consist of nothing more than a plastic milk jug filled with concrete.

Her admission was contained in a probable cause affidavit written by McMinnville Police Detective Sam Elliott.

The anthropology major from Livingston, Mont., she said she decided to follow up by placing wrapped but unmarked packages in various locations around campus, the affidavit indicates. Found Sunday, the packages also brought out the bomb squad, and the publicity multiplied several-fold with the return visit.

Shaken by the magnitude of the resulting ruckus, Davaz went to the police station Monday morning and turned herself in. After detailing the incident for Elliott, she was arrested and lodged in the Yamhill County Jail.

Davaz was arraigned Tuesday in Yamhill County Circuit Court on five counts each of possession of a hoax destruction device and disorderly conduct, both Class A misdemeanors. Judge Ronald Stone ordered her continued detention on $50,000 bail, pending a release hearing.

The defendant's mother was in the courtroom. Her father was reportedly en route.

Though Davaz has no adult criminal record, Pretrial Release Officer Jim Van Arsdel recommended she be held on bail because he did not know where she would reside, with whom she would reside or what level of supervision she would be under if released.

Van Arsdel said she had not only been banned from her campus residence, 1155 S.W. Blaine St., No. 13,, but also from the campus at large. He said she would be allowed to go to her residence to retrieve her personal possessions only in the company of an officer from the campus police force.

The packages, consisting primarily of cardboard boxes wrapped in tape, had been placed in public areas. Locations included the Oak Grove, Maxwell Field, Nicholson Library and Dillin Hall.

Campus Public Safety notified the McMinnville Police Department, which notified the Oregon State Police Bomb Squad in turn.

With the assistance of the McMinnville Fire Department and Campus Public Safety, the bomb squad determined none of the packages contained explosives. Fire, college and law enforcement personnel walked the entire campus Sunday, in case there were additional packages that had escaped notice, before clearing the scene and reopening the campus to foot and vehicle traffic.

Linfield notified students by phone and e-mail when the first suspicious package was discovered Sunday morning, and sent a followup to both students and staff when additional packages were discovered.

The messages urged everyone to stay where they were while the bomb squad went about its work.

"Our first concern is safety, the safety of the students, staff and community," said Mardi Mileham, spokesperson for the college.

About 1,250 of Linfield's 1,600-plus students live in dorms and apartments on campus. Since it was early on a Sunday morning, near the end of a semester, most were in their residences at the time.

During the suspicious package incident of Nov. 29, most students were away for Thanksgiving break.

Sunday's warning messages advised resident students to stay inside. They advised staff members and non-resident students to stay away for the time being.

"People were very cooperative," Mileham said. "By and large, when they heard the message, they stayed put."

Students also have been good about following a message that Linfield continually sends out.

"They need to report suspicious behavior and suspicious packages all the time, Mileham said. "Don't go up and touch or handle it; just call campus safety or the police."

Emergency call stations are sprinkled about the campus. A student can contact public safety by simply pushing a button.

"It's better to err on the side of safety," Mileham said. "We're really trying to reinforce that, because we're all responsible for one another's safety."

She added, "There's a sense of concern here, but not panic."

Mileham expressed thanks to the bomb squad, public safety and the local police and fire departments for their prompt and effective response. Regrettably, she said, "A lot of resources have been expended on these two incidents."

Stone appointed Sheridan attorney Elana Flynn to represent Davaz. She has a trial report conference scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 31.

Davaz will also be subject to disciplinary action of some type by the college, which could range from some form of probation to dismissal.

Mileham said the process is overseen by Dean of Students Dave Hansen. She said a timeline had not yet been established.

However, unlike the court outcome, the campus resolution will not be made public.

"Any disciplinary action that is taken is something we can't release," Mileham said. "Federal guidelines prohibit the release of that information."

- News-Register reporter Starla Pointer contributed to this report.