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'Stopping the Austin bomber': The clue that cracked the case

We learn how the bomber's trip to FedEx led the employee who waited on him to give investigators major information to help break the case.

AUSTIN, Texas — The role of a FedEx employee in helping stop the Austin bomber is coming into clearer focus a year after the attacks.

RELATED: Days before identifying Austin bomber, investigators focused on the wrong suspects

The employee provided clues about the bomber after he shipped two explosives, one of which later detonated at a FedEx distribution facility in Schertz, about 60 miles south of Austin.

RELATED: VIDEO: How a trip to an electronics store revealed the Austin bomber

Investigators traced the package back to the store, where the employee told detectives: "That guy was very strange. In fact, he smelled like burnt wire," said Fred Milanowski, who heads the regional office for the federal Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The employee, who could not be reached, also told investigators the kind of car the bomber drove, which set into motion a chain of events that led them to his identity.

The revelations come a year after the attacks. They will be detailed as part of KVUE's upcoming special "Stopping the Austin Bomber" Friday at 7 p.m. in partnership with the Austin American-Statesman.

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