The three neighborhoods terrorized by package bombings still bear the scars of the past two weeks.
In Harris Ridge, the doorway of the home where Anthony House was murdered on March 2 remains boarded up by plywood; one orange evidence flag pokes out from the front yard. In Tannehill, where Draylen Mason was murdered on March 12, a residual line of police tape bars the awning to his family’s home. And in Montopolis, where a third bomb severely injured Esperanza Herrera, half of Galindo Street bears evidence circles from spray paint.
Those markings are nothing compared to the emotional toll sustained by a community still searching for answers. State and federal agencies are assisting the Austin Police Department in their investigation, but haven’t speculated publicly about the source the three bombings, and neighbors have struggled to determine a motive. Their understanding of the incidents has grown murkier with each new known detail.
In particular, people have struggled to sort out whether the three bomb victims were deliberately targeted or random. While House and Mason are related by their families’ strong ties to the Wesley United Methodist Church, that’s not so for Herrera, who by all accounts did not know either of the two families. There’s an Erica Mason who lives a few doors away from Herrera, but the Statesman talked to her and she claimed no relation to Draylen. She said she feels “survivor’s guilt” at the idea that the bomb that hurt Herrera was meant for her.
Which makes the question of who the bomb maker may be – and who they may have been targeting – more mystifying. If the Mason family was targeted for personal reasons, wouldn’t whoever sent the bomb know that Erica Mason wasn’t related to them?
Earlier this week I caught up with Enzo Yaksic, co-founder of the Atypical Homicide Research Group at Northeastern University, whose 150-member think tank has developed a database detailing the profiles of 11,000 serial-murder cases. He told me the Mason issue – and the fact that the devices were constructed from parts available at a hardware store – suggests whoever made the bombs “is more inexperienced than the average serial murderer and overestimated his own abilities.”
The fact that there haven’t been other bombings raises another presumption. APD has responded to hundreds of calls about potentially dangerous packages over the past six days, but none were found to actually be dangerous. Yaksic said this indicates “the operation is not a coordinated effort.” Rather, he suspects the attacker methodically stockpiled materials in preparation for the attacks. Nonetheless, Police Chief Brian Manley has repeatedly told reporters police would rather check any unexpected packages than have a recipient open it themselves. Manley has refused to specify what types of unexpected packages to be wary of, citing the perpetrator’s ability to change the appearance of the packages (by putting stamps or other markings on them) should they strike again.
Manley’s latest update came Thursday at a community meeting at the Greater Mt. Zion Baptist Church, though it wasn’t too rich in details. Evidence from each crime scene has been sent to the FBI’s lab in Quantico, Virginia. While that process continues, Manley urged anyone with information to call CrimeStoppers. There’s currently a $65,000 reward for any tips that lead to an arrest. “I know there is someone out there who knows who is doing this,” Manley said. (Manley’s address was part of a lengthy forum put on by the Austin Justice Coalition, where people from across the city gathered to express fears, offer ideas to keep the community united, and vent on the current state of policing. More on that this week.)
Yaksic sees the situation similarly. “Although these activities were conducted in secret, acquaintances may have taken notice of odd behavior,” he wrote. He cited the deliveries occurring so close to South by Southwest as a clear effort to “deviate suspicion,” suggesting “a socially aware offender who displays forethought.”
This article appears in March 16 • 2018.