A ‘Christmas Miracle’ at Holly Hill Farm

A Benton couple says it's a Christmas miracle that they managed to walk away from an explosion at their home without a scratch.

Tracy and Dr. Bobby Hewlett say they heard a boom, saw a big flash of light and went flying when a bomb exploded underneath their bedroom.

"From the minute we were laying on the floor after the explosion, and looking at each other and realizing that neither of us had a scratch, a burn, a bruise," Tracy said. "We went from being in shock, horrified, to actually laughing and saying 'We are O.K. This is a miracle. We are perfectly O.K.'"

The Bossier Sheriff's Office says 54-year-old Douglas Holley, a maintenance worker on the Hewlett's 280-acre horse farm, is accused of planting the explosive device.

"His demeanor was the same every day. He was much a loner, but he was always nice. Always did pretty much what we asked him to, and did his job well," Dr. Hewlett said. "And then to have this happen...you can ask yourself why, but you can never figure out what an irrational person does, because it's not a rational thing."

Tracy Hewlett said it was overwhelming knowing that someone on the farm wanted to kill her and her husband.

"I just basically went into shock at the thought that somebody could be that evil, dark, to plan and actually want to blow us up," she said.

Tracy also said when investigators asked the couple whether they knew anyone who was capable of something like this, they both said the same name...Holley's.

Detectives speculate that the bomb-planting might have been retaliation. They say Holley had a horse at the farm that was either ill or injured, and Dr. Hewlett, who's a veterinarian, couldn't do anything to save it.

Holley is charged with two counts of attempted first degree murder and one count of manufacturing a bomb. According to sheriff's deputies, he's not admitted to planting the device, but he was found to have recently done some research on bomb-making.