Nashville Bomber – Who’s to Blame?

14 miles away from the RV packed with explosives, and I felt it. It shook my house. Within 10 minutes the news broke of an “accidental explosion.” I knew better, but my phone began to ding with messages. It wasn’t “Merry Christmas.” It was, “An RV pulled up blaring music, had a countdown, then a bomb went off.” Christmas was ruined for Nashville! It was stolen by Anthony Quinn Warner who perished in his selfish act. 

Six Metro Nashville Police Officers saved countless lives by acting quickly and warning residents of a bomb. No one was seriously injured, thank God, but the city was damaged. In a short time the case was (basically) closed, but there were so many unanswered questions, such as; Why?! It’s something we may never truly know. Social outlets and media fronts have information to our fingertips so quickly these days, but when it’s not enough, the people demand more! 

As the owner of an investigations & security company I wonder:

-What if AT&T hired a reputable security company that employs off-duty law enforcement officers. Warner might have thought twice with a squared away Officer set up to guard the premises?

-What if AT&T, or whomever had control over that building outfitted it with numerous surveillance cameras? 

-What if AT&T had yearly security assessments to address vulnerable points and conduct penetration tests?

-What if AT&T conducted thorough background checks on employees & contractors? 

-What if friends and neighbors are interviewed as part of the hiring process? 

-What if Superman flew by in the nick of time, picked up the RV and threw it in the Cumberland River before detonation?

Obviously there are a lot of “What Ifs” but what is a life worth to you? Is there a price?

Now, let me address the fact that Metro Nashville Police received a call for service in August 2019 from Attorney Raymond “Chip” Throckmorton III who stated his client, Pamela Perry made suicidal threats to him over the phone. The facts: 

-MNPD Officer responds to Pamela Perry’s home, a 62 year old female

-Police find Pamela in possession of 2 unloaded handguns

-Pamela states the guns are her boyfriends, Anthony Warner

-Pamela states Warner is building bombs in the RV trailer at his residence

-Raymond is also at Pamela’s house and states to police that he is an attorney who represents both Pamela Perry & Anthony Warner

-Raymond tells police that Warner frequently talks about the military and bomb making

-Raymond believes Warner “knows what he is doing and is capable of making bombs”

-MNPD Officer(s) take action and respond to Warner’s home by conducting a knock & talk

-MNPD Officer(s) observe an RV in the backyard, which is fenced

-MNPD Officer(s) cannot see inside the RV    

-MNPD Officer(s) notice security cameras 

-MNPD Officer notifies his supervisor

-MNPD Officer completes a detailed Matter of Record report, because no crime has occurred

-MNPD Officer forwards information to the Specialized Investigations Division 

To obtain a search warrant a peace officer has to establish probable cause with specific and articulate facts establishing that a crime is being committed. The information included in a search warrant has to come from a credible source. Is the person reliable? What is their motive for giving this information? What is their basis of knowledge? These are all questions that must be answered before applying for a search warrant. 

Courts have previously abandoned the Aguilar-Spinelli test, and now use totality of the circumstances. Coming from someone who has been the affiant on hundreds of search warrants, I always utilized the two-pronged test, because it provides a stronger basis. All information must be contained within those four corners to legally violate the 4th Amendment in hopes of finding evidence of a crime. 

Considering that the patrol Officer(s) followed up with the statement, conducted a knock and talk, which is an investigative tactic of last resort, noted what was observed on the property, contacted a supervisor, then forwarded the information to the Specialized Investigations Division, they absolutely did their job. Just as I was quoted in the Tennessean and USA Today, “You clearly can’t just kick in the door based off a tip.” 

In my interview I went on to explain, based on my decade of experience investigating complex cases at the Specialized Investigations Division, how a police officer could get a search warrant based off a tip. But, there are numerous investigative measures that must take place before kicking in the door. In this instance, absent additional facts, police simply did not have enough probable cause to obtain a search warrant at that specific time. 16 months went by without a peep from Pamela, Raymond, family, friends, neighbors, or acquaintances. 

Fast forward to December 25, 2020 and these six officers: Amanda Topping, Brenna Hosey, James Wells, Michael Sipos, Tyler Luellen, & Sgt. Timothy Miller are all hailed heroes, but their fame was quickly overshadowed by the 2019 encounter with Pamela Perry. Politicians and (some) media outlets are attacking the police department citing, they should have done more. Just as Chief Drake said, hindsight is 20/20. 

The most recent news, released late on January 02, 2021, was that FBI Special Agent Jason Pack said authorities are “aware the suspect sent materials which espoused his viewpoints to several acquaintances throughout the country.” However, Anthony Warner had his mind made up and he is the only person to blame. It’s time to stop all the conspiracy theories and just focus on the facts. I’m confident the FBI & ATF will release a full report of their investigation soon, but it will never give Nashville it’s Christmas back.

-Robert Young, Founder & CEO

Covert Results is a Tennessee based private investigations and armed security company with 100+ years of experience. Our team is full of highly trained investigators and security experts. We invest ourselves in your case, your needs, and your safety. Covert Results has two dedicated offices, one in Nashville and one in Clarksville. Robert has been certified in state and federal courts as an expert in narcotics and is a state certified PI trainer & firearms instructor. Recently, Robert published his second book, The Good Line. For more information on private investigations or security assessments visit CovertResults.com or call 615-861-1680. For speaking engagements, panel discussions, or podcast requests, please call email Contact@covertresults.com.