NEW SOUTH WALES — Police investigating a fatal explosion in the Central West in 2015 have determined the improvised explosive device (IED) was detonated remotely with a radio controlled receiver.
Strike Force Avail was established in July 2015. It comprises detectives from Chifley Local Area Command – with the assistance of State Crime Commands Homicide Squad to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of 58-year-old John Burrows.
Burrows was killed in an explosion as he approached the rear garage of his mother’s property in a laneway behind Villiers Street, Portland, about 6.30am on Friday 24 July, 2015.
Police located the remains of an IED which had been placed outside the garage and remotely detonated. The IED had been concealed under a ‘Hills’ knapsack sprayer cardboard box.
After extensive investigations, police believe the radio-controlled receiver and components of the device were likely sourced by someone in the Portland community
Police recovered the radio controlled receiver at the scene which was a Spektrum brand AR610, a brand owned and distributed by Horizon Hobby USA which is sold for use in planes, helicopters and other aircraft.
The product has only been available since May 2013 and could have been purchased on its own or sold inside a product such as a ready-to-fly model aircraft kit or helicopter kit.
Chifley Local Area Command Crime Manager, Detective Chief Inspector Luke Rankin, said he needs the help of the community to help progress the investigation.
“We are particularly interested in speaking to retailers or people in the Portland area who may have sold an item – on social media sites, garage sales or even disposed of at a local tip – matching the description of the radio-controlled receiver,” Det Ch Insp Rankin said.
“We believe the steel tubing used around the outside of the device was sourced as scrap metal and modified to make the device.”
Strike Force detectives are confident there are people out there who have information but, for whatever reason, have been reluctant to come forward.
“Someone must know something about these devices so I urge you to pick up the phone and call us – you can do this anonymously through Crime Stoppers,” Det Ch Insp Rankin said.
