Lawless Planet: "The Unsolved Bombing of an Earth First! Activist"

Podcast: Lawless Planet
Host: Zach Goldbaum
Episode Date: January 19, 2026

Episode Overview

This gripping episode tells the story of a 1990 car bombing that nearly killed environmental activists Judy Bari and Daryl Cherney, both members of the radical Earth First! movement. Host Zach Goldbaum guides listeners through the couple’s environmental crusade to save Northern California’s old growth redwoods, their campaign’s opposition, the attack that left Bari permanently injured, and the decades-long investigation—full of cover-ups, botched police work, and unsolved mysteries. The episode also explores the broader context of the environmental movement's clash with industry interests and law enforcement, and the unresolved question: Who really planted the bomb?

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to the Activists and the Bombing

• Setting: May 24, 1990, Oakland, California; Judy Bari and Daryl Cherney are driving when a bomb detonates in their car (00:10).
  • Judy: “She can't move, can barely think. It feels like her back is broken...” (02:24)
  • Daryl: “My ears are ringing, which I later found out was…my eardrums flapping because they had been broken” (01:55)
• Aftermath: Judy is severely injured. When she wakes in the hospital, police arrest her instead of helping (03:15).

2. Earth First! and the Redwoods Campaign

• Background: Daryl and Judy’s romance and activism were intertwined by their passion to protect old-growth redwoods from aggressive logging (04:27).
  • Earth First! was known for nonviolent protest, but also for "monkeywrenching" (sabotaging equipment), which caused public controversy (09:04).
  • Judy’s stance: “Shall we compromise half of the ozone layer? Shall we compromise half of the forest? It's not ours to give away… no compromise in defense of Mother Earth.” (08:53)

3. Escalation & Threats Leading to the Bombing

• Judy and Daryl faced hostility from logging companies and law enforcement:
  • Near-miss with a logging truck, which they suspect was an intentional attack (12:29).
  • Death threats, including a photo of Judy in rifle crosshairs: “Instead, they tell her they don't have the manpower to investigate. One officer tells her, 'If you turn up dead, then we'll investigate.'” (13:12)

4. Redwood Summer & Industry Pushback

• Redwood Summer was launched as a protest movement inspired by Civil Rights Freedom Summer, planned as direct action (19:06).
• Timber industry responded by labeling activists as eco-terrorists and faking press materials encouraging violence (17:41).
  • “These fake press releases…so that people would think that we were going to be violent to loggers, so instigating violence against us as well.” (17:41)

5. The Bombing and Immediate Aftermath

• After the explosion, law enforcement swiftly accused Judy and Daryl of transporting and accidentally setting off their own bomb, rather than investigating outside suspects (20:00–21:05).
  • Daryl: “I literally spoke to them for four hours…begging them to go out and look for the bomber.” (20:45)
• No other suspects were seriously pursued, despite evidence and a letter from someone calling themselves “The Lord’s Avenger” taking responsibility (23:51–24:18).

6. Legal Battle and Exoneration

• Authorities fabricated and misrepresented evidence, even as they raided Judy’s house and seized nails that proved unrelated to the bombing (27:08).
  • Charges were never filed; a DA found no evidence (27:29).
• Judy and Daryl sued the FBI and Oakland PD, uncovering proof in discovery that agents had known the bomb was under Judy's seat—not in plain view as claimed (29:04–29:22).

7. Legacy, Lawsuit Outcome, and Unsolved Status

• Judy became a powerful public speaker and organizer despite her injuries (29:34).
• Judy passed away in 1997 at age 47, after providing a deposition from her sickbed (32:23–32:06).
• In 2002, a jury found law enforcement liable for civil rights violations, awarding $4.4 million to Daryl and Judy’s estate (32:34–33:03).
  • “They are liable for these damages…they deliberately targeted us because of our positions on protecting the environment.” (33:03)

8. Lingering Suspicions and Unanswered Questions

• Suspicious coincidence: The FBI—led by agent Frank Doyle—conducted bomb training with Louisiana Pacific (a logging company) weeks before the attack (34:05–35:09).
  • Daryl’s theory: It seems likely the FBI was at least complicit in framing them, or worse.
• The possibility of FBI involvement and a cover-up lingers, as no new leads have surfaced and evidence was nearly destroyed in subsequent years (35:29–36:26).
  • Daryl: “They deliberately and immediately covered up the tracks of the bomber, which makes them an accessory after the fact…” (36:26)

9. Call to Action and Legacy

• Daryl encourages modern activists to adhere unwaveringly to nonviolence, follow the money to those truly accountable, and “build bridges” (37:13).
  • Only 5% of the original 2 million acres of old growth redwood forest remain, thanks in no small part to the activists’ efforts (37:46).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the impact of seeing the redwoods:
  • “I was looking at these trees…that had been there for 2,000 years, and you get a sense of just how small you are in the grand scheme of things.”
    – Daryl Cherney, (05:42)
• Judy’s hospital bed resolve:
  • “I think the energy is phenomenal…every time they try to stomp out Earth First, it grows three new heads.”
    – Judy Bari, (25:27)
• On law enforcement’s framing:
  • “They are liable for these damages, that they violated our freedom of speech, our First Amendment rights, because they said we were guilty because of our political and environmental positions.”
    – Daryl Cherney, (33:03)
• Reflecting on unresolved case:
  • “Well, anybody confess on their deathbed? The short answer is I don't know, but I will never give up trying to solve the case of who Bombed Judy Bari?”
    – Daryl Cherney, (38:20)

Key Timestamps

• 00:10–03:00: The bombing attack and its immediate, traumatic aftermath.
• 04:27–09:04: Introduction to Earth First!, the activists’ motivations, and their controversial tactics.
• 12:29–14:01: The prior attack by logging truck and escalation of threats.
• 15:04–18:49: The design and political stakes of Proposition 130 (Forest Forever) and the industry’s response.
• 19:06–20:45: The Redwood Summer campaign; Judy and Daryl accused after bombing.
• 24:05–25:27: “The Lord’s Avenger” letter claims responsibility for bombing.
• 27:29–29:22: Lawsuit leads to key evidence revealing the FBI’s misrepresentations.
• 32:34–33:20: Exoneration, civil suit victory, and accountability.
• 34:05–36:26: The suspicious FBI/logging company connection; the ongoing mystery.
• 37:13–37:46: Daryl’s advice to activists and discussion of the redwoods’ fate.
• 38:20–38:47: Daryl’s resolve to keep searching for the truth.

Episode Tone and Style

The narration is riveting, blending suspense and investigative journalism with first-person testimony and flashes of dark humor. The tone moves from tense (during attacks and investigations) to reflective and inspiring when considering the activists’ resilience and achievements. Daryl Cherney’s and Judy Bari’s direct voices add urgency and raw emotion, especially in recounting moments of triumph, fear, and injustice.

Conclusion

The episode is both a true crime mystery and a tribute to environmental activism, leaving unresolved the central question of who bombed Judy Bari. It exposes failures and possible corruption within law enforcement and offers actionable insights for today’s climate activists: maintain nonviolence, target real sources of harm, and build inclusive coalitions. The fight for the redwoods and for justice continues—echoing in Daryl’s final, unresolved vow to never give up the search for the truth.

(Advertisements, introductory credits, and outros omitted in this summary)