FBI: Texas bomber had no known links to terror, hate groups

AUSTIN, Texas — The FBI has determined that the man suspected in a series of bombings in Austin last year had no known links to terror organizations or hate groups, but a motive for the attacks remains a mystery.

Mark Conditt had no accomplices or any “recognized ideology” when he launched the deadly attacks on March 2, the U.S. attorney’s office said in a motion filed last week. The findings were largely based on search warrants released Tuesday, about 10 months after two people were killed and four were seriously wounded when bombs exploded outside homes and in other areas in Austin over the span of about three weeks.

The search warrants show that in the days after the bombings, investigators had sought records from companies like Google, Yahoo and Bing to determine such things as who may have conducted online searches of the homes were package bombs were delivered. Investigators later used the warrants to access location technology that would indicate where Conditt travelled and others he may have contacted.

The 23-year-old Conditt blew himself up on March 21 as officers closed in to make an arrest.

The court documents filed last week indicate that authorities have now have released all the material they’re inclined to make public in the case.

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“The government has no basis to believe that any additional charges will be sought in connection with the bombings, and the government closed the criminal matter on January 10,” according to the motion.

The search warrants had previously been sealed over concern their release could jeopardize aspects of the investigation. Along with the bombs in Austin, another bomb exploded at a FedEx distribution centre in San Antonio.

Investigators later discovered a roughly 25-minute recording that Conditt made on a cellphone in which he allegedly confessed to the crimes and called himself a psychopath . Authorities have not released the recording. An FBI supervisor said last year that authorities didn’t want to release the recording because it could inspire a copycat bomber.

The Associated Press