The middle aged greyhound trainer died when he opened the door of a booby trapped garage in Villiers Lane at Portland early on the morning of July 24.

What was at first suspected to be an accident was soon found to be a bizarre homicide.

Mr Burrows was the victim of a bomb attack — a method of attack previously unknown in Portland.

Forensic police announced within hours of the death that a bomb had been planted in the garage — a death dealing item of someone’s handiwork officially described as an improvised explosive device.

Perhaps even more alarmingly was the revelation that this was a ‘sophisticated device’.

The immediate response across the district was a mixture of shock and disbelief.

“This is Portland, not the Middle East,” was the feeling being freely expressed.

So who would have a motive to kill Mr Burrows is such a carefully planned and chillingly executed fashion?

And who would have had a knowledge of his daily movements to make the plot possible?

And finally who would have the knowledge to manufacture a ‘sophisticated device’ that could be used to booby trap a garage door?

Around 6.30 am on July 24 Mr Burrows followed his usual workday practice of walking from his home in Wolgan Street a short distance to his mother’s home in Villiers Lane.

He kept his car in the garage and was on his way to his shift at Mt Piper power station.

As he opened the door he was hurled backwards by a massive blast that was heard all over Portland.

A month later the mystery remains and police are remaining tight lipped on what progress is being made in the investigation.

It is, however, widely discussed in Portland that Mr Burrows had revealed for some time that he had been receiving unspecified threats.

That will clearly be a key factor in the investigation.

The fact that Mr Burrows was well respected in the wider community was reflected in the big turnout at his funeral service in Hoskins Uniting Church in Lithgow on Friday and subsequently at the Portland Golf Club.