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Apparent Suicide In Anthrax Case
penguin_dance passes along the news that a respected anthrax researcher, about to be indicted, has committed suicide. The FBI has been investigating the case since anthrax-contaminated letters were sent to the media and various politicians in 2001. The AP's coverage mentions that prosecutors intended to seek the death penalty. The suicide was not the one you might imagine if you've been following the story. "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... 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."
He just accidentally mixed up his crack and his research material.
Did he have any friends or relatives in the Middle East?
...though if you're going to be pedantic that should be...
Indeed he did - from TFA:
"Ivins, the son of a Princeton-educated pharmacist, was born and raised in Lebanon"
"Ivins, the son of a Princeton-educated pharmacist, was born and raised in Lebanon, Ohio"
You must be new here.
1. The guy was joking /. admin then you would have identified yourself and put the comment in the FAQ where it belomgs, not in a comment.
2. Most slashdot summaries are all one needs to comment
3. Many links in slashdot summaries lead to stupid blogs, or sites with fifteen one paragraph ad laden pages. Often the summary is superior to the article.
4. Many links in slashdot summaries don't say anything more than the summary does
5. Who the fuck gives an anonymous coward the right to make up rules as to how the rest of us should moderate? If you were a
6. Moderation is NOT for punishment; it is to weed out weak comments and promote good ones. When I make a weak comment (can't be on-topic and insightful or funny all the time) I appreciate a downmodding.
7. Whoever moderated the above AC as "informative" (probably his own sock puppet) better hope I don't get them metamoderating. It was offtic, flamebait (the wikipedia definition of troll), and posted by an AC to boot.
"No karma bonus" checked, but feel free to mod down further if you wish, as it is no more on-topic than the parent post.
mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest
by Reverend528 (585549) * on Friday August 01, @01:59PM (#24437215) Homepage
I've long been an advocate of bringing back crucifixion.
Seldom do I see a topic match a user's name so well!
mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest