Woman killed on Fox Island mentioned in Palm Springs bomber’s apparent manifesto
The man accused of bombing a Palm Springs fertility clinic on May 17 referenced the recent killing of a Pierce County woman in an apparent manifesto, according to news reports.
Guy Edward Bartkus, 25, is the primary suspect in the bombing at American Reproductive Centers in Southern California. The bombing left four people injured, and Bartkus died in the explosion that has been called an “intentional act of terrorism,” according to the FBI.
An online manifesto that might have been written by Bartkus and potentially linked the bombing mentioned the recent death of a close friend named “Sophie.” The LA Times reports that the references matched the April 20 killing of 27-year-old Sophie Tinney on Fox Island.
Tinney was shot multiple times in the 800 block of Fox Drive. Her boyfriend, Lars Eugene Nelson, 29, has been charged with second-degree murder. Prosecutors allege that Tinney might have convinced Nelson to shoot her as she slept.
The Times wrote that, according to the manifesto, Bartkus became depressed after the recent death of his friend.
“I’ve never related to someone so much, and can’t imagine I ever would again,” the manifesto said, according to the Times.
The manifesto indicated that “Sophie” and Bartkus came to an agreement that if one of them died, the other would die soon after.
The Times wrote that the FBI has declined to confirm whether Bartkus wrote the manifesto and that tracking it was part of the investigation.
The manifesto reportedly had no name and “laid out the case for a ‘war against pro-lifers’ and said a fertility clinic would be targeted,” The Times reports.
“The site extolled a hodgepodge of philosophies, such as ‘abolitionist veganism,’ the opposition to all animal use by humans, and ‘negative utilitarianism,’ the idea that one should act to minimize suffering rather than maximize pleasure in the world,” the story said.
The FBI has said Bartkus had “nihilistic ideations,” which is the belief that life is meaningless and rejects all moral principles and religious beliefs.
Nelson’s attorney, Michael Stewart, told The News Tribune on May 19 that he was aware of the allegations that Bartkus knew Tinney, but it is his long-standing practice to not comment on an ongoing criminal investigation other than in open court.
Nelson has been out of custody since April 22 on a $750,000 bond.
This story was originally published May 19, 2025 at 1:24 PM.
