Austin serial bombing suspect left 25-minute 'confession' on phone: Police

Mark Conditt allegedly detailed differences in all seven bombs that he made.

ByJulia Jacobo
March 21, 2018, 7:43 PM

The suspect in the series of bombings in Austin, Texas, allegedly left a 25-minute recording on his phone confessing to making seven bombs, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said in a press conference Wednesday night.

In the recording, 23-year-old suspect Mark Conditt allegedly described each bomb that he constructed "with the level of specificity" that he was able to detail the differences in each one. Conditt also allegedly indicated that he believed police were closing in on him.

All seven bombs have been accounted for, the seventh of which detonated when police officers closed in on Conditt early Wednesday morning. Conditt was killed. Still, Manley warned the community to "remain vigilant."

PHOTO: The car of the suspect in a series of bombing attacks in Austin is removed from the scene where he blew himself up, March 21, 2018, in Round Rock, Texas
The car of the suspect in a series of bombing attacks in Austin is removed from the scene where he blew himself up, March 21, 2018, in Round Rock, Texas.

While investigators may never determine the rationale behind the explosions, the recording "does not at all mention anything about terrorism or hate," Manley said.

"But, instead, it is the outcry of a very challenged young man talking about challenges in his personal life," the police chief said.

Investigators are labeling the recording as a "confession," Manley said, adding that it does not say whether any individuals were specifically targeted.

PHOTO: Suspect in a series of bombings around Austin, Texas, Mark Anthony Conditt, of Pflugerville, Texas, as seen in a photo released by Austin Community College where he was enrolled from 2010-2012.
Suspect in a series of bombings around Austin, Texas, Mark Anthony Conditt, of Pflugerville, Texas, as seen in a photo released by Austin Community College where he was enrolled from 2010-2012.

Conditt's family told ABC News that they were "devastated and broken" that he was "involved in such an awful way."

Three packages had detonated at residences in Austin, while another explosive was triggered by a tripwire and a fifth went off at a FedEx distribution center about 65 miles southwest of Austin, authorities said. A sixth package was found intact at a different FedEx center, and the seventh exploded in Conditt's car with him inside.

PHOTO: Authorities in Austin, Texas detail the 25-minute recording the suspect in the series of package explosions left on his phone, March 21, 2018.
Authorities in Austin, Texas detail the 25-minute recording the suspect in the series of package explosions left on his phone, March 21, 2018.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott praised the collaborative efforts of both local and national law enforcement in catching the alleged bomb-maker.

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