--- description: Police have uncovered a 25-minute recorded "confession" from Austin bombing suspect Mark Anthony Conditt title: Austin Bombing Suspect Left Behind a 25-Minute Recorded 'Confession' image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte50b079463326632/69892b96929fad6e08bf00ac/austin-bombing-suspect-confession.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Crime](/tag/crime/) ## Crime Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Austin Bombing Suspect Left Behind a 25-Minute Recorded 'Confession'  by [Katie Reilly](/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 22, 2018 12:54 AM CUT  Austin Police Chief Brian Manley speaks to the media near the location where the suspected package bomber was killed in suburban Austin on March 21, 2018 in Round Rock, Texas. Austin Police Chief Brian Manley speaks to the media near the location where the suspected package bomber was killed in suburban Austin on March 21, 2018 in Round Rock, Texas.Scott Olson/Getty Images  by [Katie Reilly](/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 22, 2018 12:54 AM CUT Police have uncovered a 25-minute recorded “confession” from Austin bombing suspect [Mark Anthony Conditt](http://time.com/5207936/austin-texas-bombing-suspect-dead/?xid=homepage "undefined"), in which he described the [deadly explosive devices](http://time.com/5208100/austin-bombings-reaction/ "undefined") that have been detonated across the city since March 2. “I would classify this as a confession,” Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said at a press briefing Wednesday night. He said the 25-minute recording was found on a phone that was in Conditt’s possession Wednesday morning, when he died after detonating a bomb inside his car while police approached the vehicle. Manley said police have still not determined Conditt’s motive. In the recording, the 23-year-old Conditt described seven explosive devices, all of which have now been recovered by police, and detailed how he constructed them, Manley said. “Having listened to that recording, he does not at all mention anything about terrorism, nor does he mention anything about hate,” Manley said Wednesday. “But instead, it is the outcry of a very challenged young man talking about challenges in his personal life that led him to this point.” The [series of explosions](http://time.com/5197159/austin-package-bombs-connected/ "undefined") — which [killed two people](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2018/03/20/a-father-a-musician-a-salsa-maker-the-lives-and-futures-lost-in-austin-bombings/?utm%5Fterm=.bd66f4ab2712 "undefined") and injured several others — [spread fear across the Texas capital](http://time.com/5208100/austin-bombings-reaction/ "undefined") over a nearly three-week period, while police [tried to track down a suspect](http://time.com/5205181/austin-bombings/ "undefined") and stop further attacks. In a [statement to CNN](https://twitter.com/davidgshortell/status/976524121428373505 "undefined") on Wednesday afternoon, Conditt’s aunt said the family was devastated and shocked by his role in the attacks. “We are devastated and broken at the news that our family could be involved in such an awful way. We had no idea of the darkness that Mark must have been in,” the statement said. “Our family is a normal family in every way. We love, we pray, and we try to inspire and serve others. Right now our prayers are for those families that have lost loved ones, for those impacted in any way, and for the soul of our Mark. We are grieving and we are in shock. Please respect our privacy as we deal with this terrible, terrible knowledge and try to support each other through this time.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5210113/austin-bombing-suspect-confession-recording/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5210113/austin-bombing-suspect-confession-recording/"},"headline":"Austin Bombing Suspect Left Behind a 25-Minute Recorded 'Confession'","datePublished":"2018-03-22T00:54:48.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T19:43:56.314Z","description":"Police said the recording described the explosive devices in detail","url":"https://time.com/5210113/austin-bombing-suspect-confession-recording/","keywords":["Crime","Texas","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte50b079463326632/69892b96929fad6e08bf00ac/austin-bombing-suspect-confession.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Katie Reilly","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/"}],"articleSection":"U.S.","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte50b079463326632/69892b96929fad6e08bf00ac/austin-bombing-suspect-confession.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Austin, Texas Terrorized By Series Of Package Bombs","caption":"Austin, Texas Terrorized By Series Of Package Bombs","creditText":"Scott Olson/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/us/","name":"U.S."}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/crime/","name":"Crime"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5210113/austin-bombing-suspect-confession-recording/","name":"Austin Bombing Suspect Left Behind a 25-Minute Recorded 'Confession'"}}]}] ```