A WEEK after the death of a Portland man in a deadly booby trap police continue to sift through an ever mounting wave of evidence in a bid to identify the culprit.
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Fifty eight year old John Burrows died early last Friday when a huge explosion occurred as he opened the door of the garage at his mother’s home.
He had walked from his home in Wolgan Street to Villiers Lane to collect his car for the start of his shift at Mt Piper power station.
The explosion inflicted fatal injuries on Mr Burrows and scattered debris over a wide area.
It soon became evident that this had not been a tragic accident.
Bomb Squad officers found the remains of what was described as an improvised explosive device — the type of booby trap used to deadly effect in war zones in Afghanistan and the Middle East.
Fearing the possibility of further explosions and to assist with their inquiry police evacuated nearby residents to temporary accommodation.
The Homicide Squad was quickly called in and a strike force set up for what had become a murder inquiry.
Police also began a doorknock in the vicinity questioning other residents.
It has been learned that Mr Burrows, a well known greyhound trainer, had confided to his workmates at Mt Piper that he had been receiving unspecified threats but the issues were not known.
Police said yesterday that all aspects of the case were being painstakingly analysed but there had been no further developments at that time.
The type of crime is previously unknown in Portland and has shaken the normally quiet town.
