'Miserable' father used homemade bomb in Allentown car explosion to kill her, friend

The deadly car bomb blast in Allentown, Pennsylvania on Saturday that killed three people, including a toddler, was a targeted murder-suicide by a depressed father, authorities said early Thursday.

Jacob Schmoyer killed his 2-year-old son, Jonathan and friend David Halman, 66, when he used a homemade explosive device inside his car on Saturday. A spokesperson for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said in a press conference that Schmoyer sent letters to the Allentown Police Department outlining his plans to kill both Halman and his son.

The Allentown Police Department first received a letter from Schmoyer, 26, on Tuesday, after the explosion and the following day. Robinson told reporters Thursday Schmoyer's letters outlined the materials and construction of the device he intended to use as his decision to kill Halman and his son.

"He was miserable." Basically, the four letters describe a miserable life, he was unhappy himself, "Don Robinson, the special agent in charge at the Philadelphia ATF field division told reporters Thursday. "I do not know if it's too strong of a word of what he did later, but he admitted to a lot of criminal acts, he did not think it was going to be any better. there, and obviously, some directed at Mr. Halman and his son. "

Authorities are still working to confirm the authenticity of the letters. Robinson did not describe the relationship between Schmoyer and Halman, but did not know the other side of the story.

Schmoyer's father, Glenn, said in a statement to NBC News earlier this week that he was "traumatized" by what happened to Jacob.

"Glenn Schmoyer's statement said," He always played with his son and I did so much. "It was never a thing to do, it was to give you something to do."