Anthrax suspect commits suicide
posted at 7:29 am on August 1, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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Just as the Department of Justice readied its prosecution of a top biodefense scientist at USARMID in the anthrax mail attacks from 2001, their suspect committed suicide. Bruce Ivins, who worked at the same laboratory as the exonerated Steven Hatfill, took a massive dose of the prescription Tylenol/codeine medication on Tuesday:
A top government scientist who helped the FBI analyze samples from the 2001 anthrax attacks has died in Maryland from an apparent suicide, just as the Justice Department was about to file criminal charges against him for the attacks, the Los Angeles Times has learned.
Bruce E. Ivins, 62, who for the last 18 years worked at the government’s elite biodefense research laboratories at Ft. Detrick, Md., had been informed of his impending prosecution, said people familiar with Ivins, his suspicious death and the FBI investigation. …
The anthrax mailings killed five people, crippled national mail service, shut down a Senate office building and spread fear of further terrorism after the Sept. 11 attacks.
The extraordinary turn of events followed the government’s payment in June of a settlement valued at $5.82 million to a former government scientist, Steven J. Hatfill, who was long targeted as the FBI’s chief suspect despite a lack of any evidence that he had ever possessed anthrax.
The payout to Hatfill, a highly unusual development that all but exonerated him in the mailings, was an essential step to clear the way for prosecuting Ivins, according to lawyers familiar with the matter.
If you have never heard of Bruce Ivins, there’s a good reason. The FBI took a lot more care with their investigation after ruining Hatfill’s name. They had their witnesses sign confidentiality agreements to keep from leaking the information to the media. The FBI did not want a repeat of their disastrous run at Hatfill, which both embarrassed the agency and sent the investigation into a years-long dead end.
However, they knew they had the right source for the anthrax. Genetic testing determined that the spores could only have come from USARMID, where the nation’s best biodefense scientists work to negate such attacks. Ivins became a suspect early, within months of the first attack, when he claimed to have cleaned up a lab contamination without informing his superiors — and without testing again to ensure that the area was clear. Ivins lived about 200 miles from the New Jersey mailbox where the letters were first posted. However, for some reason the FBI failed to follow up on Ivins until just recently.
The suicide probably speaks for itself. Unfortunately, the US will not get its day in court with the man who allegedly murdered five people and frightened a nation already reeling from the 9/11 attack. The letters attack Congress — really, the staffers and mail handlers who work for Congress — as well as the media. At the very least, we deserved to hear Ivins’ defense, and if convicted, a reason why.
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Really- you’re right, but on the other hand…you can’t help but think that no reason or explanation was going to suffice. And we saved a bunch of money.
drjohn on August 1, 2008 at 8:00 AM
Massive incompetence at the FBI. I hope that there has been, or will be, a major housecleaning there as a result of this horribly botched investigation. I also think the government owes the families of the anthrax victims a lot of money and a public apology.
What kind of sick bastard this guy must have been.
rockmom on August 1, 2008 at 8:05 AM
The Troofers will be going ballistic today. Say, did anyone see Rove or Cheney yesterday?
BohicaTwentyTwo on August 1, 2008 at 8:17 AM
Cries of “Cover Up” in 3,2,1, Hello Keith Olberman
Gwillie on August 1, 2008 at 8:19 AM
I am not totally convinced until all the evidence is out on the table. Maybe, just maybe, Ivins was innocent and saw the hell that Hatfill was put through. Perhaps the suicide was to avoid a similar fate.
rbb on August 1, 2008 at 8:19 AM
rbb… sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
What is odd though is that we lost something today too.. In googling this guy up, he was apparently one of the best anthrax guys we had. - So I guess it should be noted that his talents will be missed in that regard.
Diogenes of Sinope on August 1, 2008 at 8:36 AM
Yes he commmitted suicide…and so did vince Foster.
SaintOlaf on August 1, 2008 at 9:12 AM
Enjoy Hell, Bruce.
His brother comments
IreneFingIrene on August 1, 2008 at 9:19 AM
Deserved? That’s an interesting word to use. I for one would like to know why this attack occurred but I’m not sure that equates into deserving an answer.
highhopes on August 1, 2008 at 9:25 AM
Anyone want to venture into his political donation record?
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on August 1, 2008 at 9:25 AM
Ed, the acronym is USAMRIID, United States Army Medical Institute for Infectious Diseases.
Just thought you’l like to know.
Longhorn Six on August 1, 2008 at 9:32 AM
We don’t deserve anything, but it does seem freakishly ‘coincidental’ that there were anthrax attacks shortly after 9/11. No conspiracy theory seems as suspicious as the timing of 9/11 and anthrax. Given no apparent motive, the security clearances of the alleged perps, who had everything to lose, and nothing apparently to gain, I mean wtf?
Beagle on August 1, 2008 at 9:33 AM
correction That should be US Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases.
Longhorn Six on August 1, 2008 at 9:40 AM
If you check google news archive on a simple “bruce ivins” search, on page 3 of 3 a few of those oldest entries have something about NAMBLA and Ivins’ maybe belonging to it or somehow in league with them. I could see why Democrat types wouldn’t want this guy’s life publicized if that is the case because he probably has a lot of friends in Democrat politics.
The concern now should be how do people like this guy end up in the most dangerous postitions of trust. I think that we will find that so many of the worst people alive are in positions of trust that they see to it that other terrible people get into those positions.
http://news.google.com/archivesearch?q=%22Bruce+Ivins%22&um=1&sa=N&start=20
Buddahpundit on August 1, 2008 at 9:51 AM
So now that he’s dead, do you think the FBI will release the evidence they had against him?
SoulGlo on August 1, 2008 at 9:53 AM
9/11 took biological weapons concerns off the table. His brother gave a hint as to his mindset - he would not have liked his own importance to have been downgraded.
OldEnglish on August 1, 2008 at 9:56 AM
The families of those who were killed by those anthrax spores deserve an answer, at least. Unfortunately, they will never get it.
Case closed, I guess.
newton on August 1, 2008 at 10:25 AM
No listing in the FEC search. Given the attacks’ targets, I would venture to guess he probably was NOT a fan of Sens. Leahy and Daschle.
CP on August 1, 2008 at 10:26 AM
You really think he was a Dem loyalist when those letters were primarily addressed to Democrats including Daschle (remember him?) and Leahy?
That sounds a bit conspiratorial. I think the more logical answer is that once one has held a position of trust for a period of time the tendancy is to think that the rules are different. Beyond that I want to see a full investigation and some heads to roll at the FBI for this very botched investigation of something that should have been their top priority.
highhopes on August 1, 2008 at 10:26 AM
I could only speculate on the reasons why he sent the letters to those people. The obvious reason is that he wanted America to suspect that Republicans were somehow behind those attacks.
Do we know if this guy had a wife and children? The NAMBLA references to this guy in the old news archives are very interesting. If he was an open NAMBLA sympathizer in 1993, he sure as hell was never a Republican. He apparently felt strongly that pedophiles should be allowed to work in child care ( first entry on the articles I linked to ), and I doubt he would ever find any Republicans to vote for who shared that view.
Buddahpundit on August 1, 2008 at 10:53 AM
The article mentions his widow and the fact that they raised twin boys now 24.
highhopes on August 1, 2008 at 11:04 AM
Does anybody have a login to NewspaperArchive.com so that we can read the links Buddahpundit posted?
IreneFingIrene on August 1, 2008 at 11:12 AM
Let alone the possibility that one of the 9/11 hijackers had been exposed to anthrax, as per a doctor that saw him…
18-1 on August 1, 2008 at 11:20 AM
Thanks. The article wouldn’t load for me, nor the other LAT article that was in the headlines section. I don’t know why.
Buddahpundit on August 1, 2008 at 11:21 AM
Cowards. Cannot face up to what you did (not just the deaths due to actual anthrax, but the cloud over all your colleagues), and you took the easy way out.
Sir, you gave all scientists a bad name.
/btw, I personally think he did it ‘with good intentions’
Sir Napsalot on August 1, 2008 at 11:27 AM
Ooops, it came out wrong. I did not excuse him. I am just saying the road to hell is paved “with good intentions”.
Sir Napsalot on August 1, 2008 at 11:28 AM
OldEnglish,
Interesting, as I see it exactly the other way: 9/11 made loose bioweapons concerns that much more critical. Not that he didn’t see it that way, just that I don’t.
Beagle on August 1, 2008 at 11:59 AM
You may well be right. I, too, was thinking more of his own attitude. Also, judging by the govt’s reaction to 9/11, airport security et al, one could easily think that explosives were the main concern.
OldEnglish on August 1, 2008 at 12:23 PM
I don’t think this guy personally sent the letters. He prolly provided the material to someone else, who foolishly mailed one to the ‘American Media’ which turned out to be a tabloid parent co. in Florida.
Team America would have done a better job at figuring out this Anthrax plot, sheesh.
Neo on August 1, 2008 at 12:55 PM
I wonder where he went.
Entelechy on August 1, 2008 at 1:28 PM
Well, if he’s the guy, I hope his death wasn’t too quick.
R. Waher on August 1, 2008 at 2:58 PM
Will Bruce E. Ivins, name be added to the wingnut rouges gallery that includes yet another manifestation of Eric Rudolph, Jim Adkisson or Timothy McVeigh?
Senator McCain was sayin’ at the time it was all Hussein’s fault…!
Oh Ooo! Wrong again?
Where the *#@! Was Holy Joe?
J_Gocht on August 1, 2008 at 7:59 PM
So Democrats are so eager for power that they are willing to murder each other in order to discredit Republicans? Despite the fact that sending Anthrax in the post does nothing to discredit Republicans without proof? When, shortly after 9/11, the prime suspect in Anthrax murders would rightly be Al-Qaeda?
I don’t buy it. Too convoluted and irrational.
aengus on August 1, 2008 at 10:58 PM