Nashville Bomber’s Girlfriend Warned Police He Was Building Bombs

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos

Pamela Perry, a girlfriend of Anthony Q. Warner, the 63-year-old man who set off the explosion in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, early in the morning on Christmas Day, apparently told police last year that Warner was making bombs in his RV, as reported by The Tennessean. And it reportedly wasn't only Perry, but also an attorney who once represented Warner himself, who raised a major red flag 16 months ago.

On Friday, an explosion outside an AT&T transmission facility injured at least eight people, in addition to damaging at least 40 nearby buildings. The explosion also affected telecommunications for police and hospitals in the Southeast region. Warner's motive is still unknown, and investigators are still working through debris to gather evidence from the crime scene. As reported by CNN, Warner's remains were found at the scene. He was identified based on comparing DNA from the scene to that found on a hat and gloves found in a vehicle he owned. Red flags about Warner went up more than one year before the explosion.

Attorney Raymond Throckmorton, who at one point represented Warner and Perry, said he called police to Perry's home on Aug. 21, 2019, after he says he received "suicidal threats" from Perry on the phone. As reported by CBS News, Perry was transported for psychological evaluation. While police were at her residence, however, Throckmorton was present, and he told authorities Warner "frequently talks about the military and bomb-making." According to the report, he also told authorities he "believes that the suspect knows what he is doing and is capable of making a bomb."

According to a police report, Perry told authorities Warner was "building bombs in the RV trailer at his residence." From there, the police went to Warner's home—where he did not open the door, and they, apparently, did not investigate further. Why? There was no evidence of a crime. According to the report, officers did see the RV parked outside of Warner's residence at the time, but could not see inside of it or access it. The report noted that security cameras and wires were attached to the door of the RV.

The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department then sent the report on to the FBI.

Warner's girlfriend's report is particularly important because, asSlate points out, state authorities initially said they didn't have a file on Warner. From their end, they had no clue he might be a danger. In fact, according to CBS, Warner's only arrest ever was for a marijuana-related charge in the late '70s. But, according to that local police report, at least two people spoke up with very specific concerns more than one year ago.