Suspect in U.S. anthrax case commits suicide

Aug 3 2008

Authorities in the United States say a suspect in the 2001 anthrax mailings case has committed suicide.

They apparently have evidence linking Dr. Bruce E. Ivins, a researcher at an Army biodefense laboratory, who committed suicide, to the anthrax incidents.

It seems DNA evidence from the deadly 2001 anthrax mailings have been linked to a flask used in Dr. Ivins' lab at the U.S. Army Medical Institute of Infectious Diseases, in Fort Detrick, Maryland.

Apparently, 62 year old Dr. Ivins was found unconscious at his home on July 27th and died at a Maryland hospital on the 29th, the day he was to have discussed a plea deal with prosecutors.

While no charges have been made public, and no arrests made in regard to the anthrax investigation, evidence linking Ivins to the case is expected to be released shortly.

Shortly after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the U.S., letters containing anthrax were sent to congressional offices and media organizations with the result that five people died and more than a dozen others became ill - two contaminated letters were sent to Senators, exposing 30 staffers - two postal workers were among those who died.

It appears that Dr. Ivins had worked for decades in the biodefense lab at Fort Detrick, where he was trying to develop a better vaccine against the anthrax toxin and it has been suggested that Ivins released the anthrax as a way to test a vaccine he was working on.

The FBI eventually traced the anthrax used in the attacks to his lab by using new genetic technology on DNA taken from the bodies of the five people killed.

The new technology allowed scientists to examine samples of cells from the victims to identify the kind of anthrax Ames strain that killed them, which revealed very subtle differences in the strain used in the attacks to other types of Ames anthrax.

It is being suggested Dr. Ivins killed himself after being told he would face murder charges but his lawyer says Ivins had been subjected to "relentless accusation and innuendo", and that his innocence would have been proven in court.

Dr. Ivins had been actively involved in the investigation to find the perpetrators of the anthrax attacks.

It has been revealed that at the time of his death, Ivins was under a temporary restraining order sought by a social worker who counseled him in private and group sessions, who accused him of having harassed, stalked and threatened violence in the previous 30 days.

The social worker reportedly told the court that Ivins had spent time at a mental health facility.