Reports of the bombings in Austin appeared to have East Texans on edge, especially after a scare in Laird Hill. Thankfully, it wasn't anything life threatening. The Rusk County Sheriff's Office determined it was a 'mail stealing device'. Deputies said it appeared someone was attempting to steal mail. Even though the investigation turned into something else, there were concerns bombing inspired a copy cat; someone who's inspired by the criminal acts of others.
A 2017 criminology study by Oxford said one of the reasons behind 'copy cat crime' is for the attention. CBS 19 then reached out to Dr. Wilson Renfroe, a psychiatrist in Tyler, to see if attention is a motive for copy cats. The Austin bombing was used as an example.
A KVUE report said those who knew the 23-year-old bombing suspect was described as someone who was "very reserved and very introverted." Psychiatrist Renfroe said someone who commits this level of crime is usually secluded from others. Based on what he knows about the suspect, Renfroe said this is a significant mental health issue. He explained how the person would have the crime justified in their eyes.
"It's always typically mixed with a sense of paranoia and twisted thinking," Renfroe said. "Unfortunately the truth of it is that these kind of people rarely seek help."
Renfroe said when they feel as if their actions are right, they're thinking society is wrong. He went on to say people who replicate crimes don't view it as getting negative publicity. However, to them, its equivalent to knowing a celebrity or famous athlete. The Oxford study does point out signs of copy cat crimes.
One factor is a crime's timing. The crime would happen near or around the time of the original. Another is the consistency of the crime's theme. Is the act mimicking what the originator did? For example, is the suspect wearing the same type of clothes or showcasing similar mannerisms? Also, the person displays an obsession with how the crime was committed.
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