NASHVILLE TENN. (WTVF) — A newly filed lawsuit is asking a Davidson County court to decide who should receive reward money promised after the Christmas morning bombing in downtown Nashville.
Pamela Perry is suing the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp (NCVC) and others who promised to reward people who came forward with information identifying the bomber.
Perry not only warned Metro police about bomber Anthony Warner in 2019, she also said she called the FBI on the day of the bombing and gave investigators information when they came to her house the day after the bombing.
Perry is also suing Camping World Inc. and its CEO Marcus Lemonis.
Lemonis offered a $250,000 reward after the bombing.
The lawsuit claims "Breach of Contract" after the defendants made a "promise to the citizens of Nashville for information identifying the bomber."
Perry's attorney Jim Roberts said anyone who came forward with information about the bombing should receive reward money — not just Pam Perry.
The Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp has already given the $34,500 it raised in reward money to law enforcement organizations including the Metro Nashville Police Department.
Roberts said it is wrong that the NCVC rewarded the Metro Nashville Police Department.
"It was the Metro Police Department's failure to properly investigate Mr. Warner that led to this tragedy," Roberts said.
Perry spoke exclusively to NewsChannel 5 Investigates in April and detailed how she tried to warn Metro Police about Anthony Warner more than a year before the bombing.
"They didn't take me seriously," Perry said.
In August of 2019, Perry told police officers that Warner was dangerous, and specifically told them he was "building bombs in the RV trailer at his residence," according to the incident report.
"I needed to get this off my soul. I don't know how many people out there know stuff but don't say anything, but I couldn't live that way," Perry said. "I feel like I was looked at as a crazy person."
Police went to Perry's home in 2019 because they thought she was suicidal.
Perry said she agreed to go to a hospital if police would go to Warner's house.
Officers did go to Warner's house that day.
They saw the RV — but left without speaking to Warner because no one answered the door.
"I went into the hospital and came out, and he was texting me," Perry said.
Perry said when she got out of the hospital police did not contact her, but Warner did.
She worried he would try to kill her for turning him in, so she sold her home and moved out of the county.
When she saw the news Christmas morning, she knew who did it.
"They showed that RV and I immediately went into panic mode," Perry said.
At that point, she was not sure if Warner was dead or alive, but she decided to turn him in — again.
"I'm afraid to call the police department, they didn't help me last time. So I called the FBI tip line and spoke to them for over an hour," Perry said.
Speaking via Zoom from out of state, Perry told NewsChannel 5 Investigates the Convention and Visitors Corp ignored her because she reminds people of the police department's failure in 2019.
"I think it's because I embarrassed the police department," Perry said. "Let the judge decide, that's the most objective thing to do."
On Friday afternoon the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp sent a short statement about the lawsuit, "We have not seen it and cannot comment."
In May the President and CEO of the NCVC, Butch Spyridon, defended the decision to give the reward money to law enforcement.
"There were hundreds of citizens that called in tips," Spyridon said in May.
He said the NCVC relied on an FBI report that thanked law enforcement but did not identify any citizens who provided tips.
"I don't have documentation to say this helped more than anything else," Spyridon said.
Even before the lawsuit he told Perry's attorney he needed proof to give her the reward.
"I told Mr. Roberts from the beginning, 'if law enforcement tells me it's your client — great,'" Spyridon said.
Perry said she would have turned in Warner if there were no reward but doesn't want to be ignored — again.
A spokesperson for Marcus Lemonis responded to the lawsuit this afternoon.
Gio Sanafe said Camping World Inc. should never have been part of this lawsuit because Marcus Lemonis personally offered the reward — it was not offered through the company.
He also said the reward Lemonis offered was for information leading to the "capture and conviction" of the person responsible for the bombing.
Warner died in the bomb blast — so he was never captured or convicted.
