Large police contingent

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The suspect's residence in Premstätten was searched by a large contingent of police.

(Bild: Scherbichler Wulf/Wulf Scherbichler)

The next major operation for the police in the Jehovah bomber case: on Wednesday evening, the house of the Styrian (55) in Premstätten was searched. Further explosives were suspected there. The demining service left again at around 9 pm. It is still unclear whether suspicious substances or objects were actually found. 

On Wednesday, the man who terrified Jehovah's Witnesses in Styria was caught by the police. The 55-year-old Styrian, who is suspected of being behind several bomb attacks, has already confessed. 

Maintenance dispute as motive
The IT technician was himself a Jehovah's Witness from 1991 to 2011, was married to a woman from the religious community and had two children with her. However, after the divorce he was expelled from the Jehovah's Witnesses - this was followed by a years-long maintenance dispute with his ex-wife. Last year, he apparently made the decision to kill her.

A special robot was also used.

(Bild: Scherbichler Wulf/Wulf Scherbichler)

A search for explosive devices was carried out in Elisabethstraße in Graz on Wednesday afternoon.

(Bild: Wulf Scherbichler)

Rupert Meixner, head of the Styrian LSE, Styrian police chief Gerald Ortner and Rene Kornberger, head of the Styrian Criminal Police Office and bomb expert at the press conference on Wednesday

(Bild: Krisper Monika)

House in Premstätten searched
After several bomb attacks, in which fortunately there were no victims, the investigators tracked down the man. From Wednesday evening, the Styrian's house and property in Premstätten were searched by a large contingent of officers, as further explosives were suspected there. The area around the suspect's residence was therefore cordoned off. However, the demining service has since left again. 

Neighbors expressed their shock to the "Krone" newspaper, describing the 55-year-old as "very withdrawn". They had not known each other.

The man had previously admitted under interrogation that he had already attached a pipe bomb to his ex's car using a magnet at the beginning of May. This led to another large-scale operation on Wednesday afternoon in the Graz-Ries area (Elisabethstraße), including a police cordon. However, no evidence of an actual explosive device was found, as the police announced on Wednesday evening. Nevertheless, the investigation continues.

 "Relief" among Jehovah's Witnesses
In any case, there is great relief among Jehovah's Witnesses: "We are grateful that the authorities have arrested the perpetrator who, as confirmed by the police, has carried out attacks on members of our faith in recent months," says Markus Kakavis, spokesman for Jehovah's Witnesses in Austria: "This news offers all families and members of our religious community a certain degree of relief and security. We particularly appreciated the protective measures and support from the police at this time, who took the threat very seriously."