Desert Once a Peaceful Oasis for Victim of Odd Explosion

Lynn Standish, a single mother killed by a mysterious explosion in the desert near her home, was remembered Monday by friends and family as a woman who often hiked through this sandy terrain, looking for collectibles, recyclables and a few moments of peace in what was sometimes a troubled life.

The desert calm was shattered Friday afternoon, investigators said, when some type of explosive device went off while Standish, 33, was sifting through discarded items in a patch of open desert. She might have either picked up or stepped on the item that turned out to be an explosive.

“She loved making jewelry,” said her mother, Virginia Holmes. “She would find old beads or old bottles that they don’t make any more. She’d find old lace out there--even clothes. It was peaceful and relaxing.

“She loved anything to do with the outdoors.”

With a smile, her father, Keith Holmes, added: “She came back the other day and showed me she had 10 pennies that someone had thrown away with their junk.”

Two of Standish’s three sons accompanied her on the hike. Her 4-year-old son, Michael Hepburn, suffered a serious leg injury in the blast. His brother, Jeffrey Standish, 9, who was standing a short distance away from his mother, was not injured.

Family members provided some details about what happened after the blast.

Seeing that Michael was injured, Jeffrey took off his own shirt and used it to cover his younger brother. Jeffrey then carried Michael to their mother’s car. A passing motorist, who apparently heard the explosion, summoned help.

Although he was not hurt, Jeffrey stayed in his brother’s Antelope Valley Hospital room for three days after the accident, offering comfort.

His grandparents said Michael must remain in traction for four weeks while receiving treatment for his leg injury, but they said he is expected to recovered fully.

A third son, Jared Standish, 14, had not joined the others on the hike.

At the time of her death, Standish was not employed. She lived with her parents in the small unincorporated town where she had grown up. She devoted most of her time to caring for her children.

“Being a single mother, she felt she needed to be with the three boys,” Holmes said.

Standish had relocated to Colorado late last year, hoping to find work and a new start for her life. The move did not work out, however, and she returned in January, deciding that Pearblossom was the best place to raise her sons, her parents said.

“She had struggled being a single mother,” Holmes said. “But we felt she was at a real peaceful time now in her life, with a real positive direction.”

After Standish’s death, church members and neighbors in Pearblossom, about 20 miles east of Palmdale, quickly rallied around the surviving family members, offering sympathy, meals and donations for Standish’s funeral and for her sons’ future.

Holmes was touched by the outpouring of support but remained mystified by her daughter’s sudden death. “It’s hard to explain your feelings,” she said. “You know what’s happened, but you don’t believe it.”

On Monday, sheriff’s homicide investigators were still trying to figure out what sort of explosive device Standish had stumbled upon and who left it along a dirt road near 106th Street East.

“It was some sort of an explosive device--that they are sure of,” said Sgt. Noel Lanier. “But they don’t have any more specific information.”

Longtime residents of Pearblossom and neighboring Littlerock said they have complained for years about the widespread dumping of old sofas, appliances, junk vehicles and other trash in the undeveloped desert areas. But county officials have said they have neither enough funds nor staff to adequately enforce laws against dumping in the desert.

While some residents have complained about the discarded goods, others, such as Standish, have looked for treasures that may be mixed within the trash.

Still, several local leaders said that before Friday, they’d never heard of an explosive device turning up among the discards.

“I’ve lived here for seven years, and I’ve never known anyone who’s gone out to the desert collecting things and has become injured like this,” said April Biglay, a Littlerock horse-riding enthusiast. “We’re always looking for rattlesnakes when we’re on horseback--not pipe bombs.”

The funeral service for Lynn Standish will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday at Pearblossom Foursquare Church, 34005 123rd St. East. Officiating will be the Rev. Cheryl Baker, a close friend of Standish and her family.

Baker said she will treasure the sand-dollar necklaces that Standish crafted for her and her daughter. “She was very creative,” the pastor recalled. “She enjoyed talking to my brother, who is a woodcarver. She was a very friendly person.”

At Sunday’s service, several church members shed tears over Standish’s death. “It really brought eternity close, that you never know when you’re going to die,” Baker said.

The church is accepting donations to help with the family’s expenses. Baker said checks can be mailed to P.O. Box 440, Pearblossom, Calif. 93553.