Chilling Note Cracks 4-Year Mystery After Pennsylvania Man Blew Up House With Wife and Kids Inside

Nearly four years after a devastating explosion destroyed a Pennsylvania home, a father is accused of causing the blast — and allegedly admitted it in a chilling note that read, “P.S. I did blow up the house.”

​The incident occurred on April 22, 2022, at a residence on the 5000 block of Hialeah Drive in Plum. Authorities said the blast destroyed the residence, injured five people, including a child who suffered severe burns, and damaged several other neighboring homes.

On Dec. 29, 2022, Jacob Rabb’s ex-girlfriend, Laura Petty, told authorities that Rabb left an MP3 player in her mailbox with farewell videos to his family.

​Petty separated from Rabb and filed a protection order against him on May 24, 2023, according to Penn Live. A few days later, Petty allegedly found a note in her kitchen cabinets that said, in part, “If I can’t have her, no one will, or my kids see you all in h-ll.”

​The arrest affidavit said Petty found another note dated May 23, 2023, that said, “P.S. I did blow up the house.”

Investigators say the cause of the explosion remained a mystery for years — until a note allegedly written by Rabb surfaced.

The blast did not result in anyone’s death, but one of the children suffered first-degree burns on his back and torso, according to a criminal complaint filed against Rabb.

On March 9, Jacob Rabb, 41, was charged with 25 criminal offenses, including attempted homicide and aggravated arson. Rabb is being held at the Allegheny County Jail without bail after a judge determined he posed a threat to the “victim, witness, or the community.”

​Rabb’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 18 in District Judge Mike Doyle’s Plum office.

​Authorities said Rabb intentionally tampered with the dryer’s gas valve and turned the gas on, leading to an explosion at 11:30 p.m. on the day of the incident. Rabb, petty, and their three children were home at the time.

​“I don’t remember hearing a blast or feeling the blast or anything. I woke up in bed with the roof collapsed on me. I was super disoriented. If it wasn’t for Jake, we wouldn’t have made it out,” Petty said in an interview with a local newspaper.

According to court documents, “extremely high” gas consumption of about 300 cubic feet per hour was recorded at the home on April 18, 2022, April 21, 2022, and April 22, 2022.

An expert told authorities that normal household consumption was around 180 cubic feet per hour, CBS News reported.

​An Allegheny County deputy fire marshal said the cause of the fire was natural gas vapors intentionally released through manual manipulation of a gas line.

​The fire reportedly originated from the furnace, according to a criminal complaint.

Terri Aubele, a neighbor, said she rarely saw Rabb leave the house or care for his children, adding that she felt something was amiss in the home.

​The charges came as a relief to another neighbor, Jen Van Horn. “We were in the dark the whole time,” Van Horn said, according to Trib Live.

​Harriet Schwartz, who lives across the street, said learning about the charges brought a sense of relief to neighbors who had spent years wondering what caused the devastating blast.

Read more crime investigations from Front Page Detectives.