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."

Comments

Nothing to see here, move along

[spun]

This isn't the least bit suspicious.

that's the problem

[circletimessquare]

people who think real life resembles a b-grade hollywood movie plot. if they were comparing this to a bad hollywood movie plot and laughing, i would certainly lighten up and laugh along. in fact, some do make this joke, and i do laugh:

Antisocial scientist behind Anthrax attacks commits suicide before I Am The Law closes in on his Madhouse to Bring The Noise; no word if he was Armed & Dangerous

now that's funny! ;-)

but now read some of the posts here. look for a humours tone. none. you are talking about posters here, go ahead, read some posts, who *actually* believe the government killed this guy and made it look like a suicide. AND they spread the anthrax in the first place. AND they did 9/11. its all masterminded by the top secret cabal you see

there are actual low iq fools, posters in this thread, go ahead, read, who really firmly and honestly believe these things. go ahead, read some posts here, MODDED UP as interesting and informative no less. it is of course a joke. but the really crazy joke are those who take conspiratorial fantasies seriously. and its not a fringe parnaoid schizophrenic few, this cretinous stupidity is mainstream

i mean, creationism is pretty hilarious too, when you think about it. flying spaghetti monster and all that... if creationism weren't taken so seriously by so many fools that they actually warp our education system. the same goes for people who's opinion of government comes from the plot of steven seagal movies. same stupidity, taken very seriously, by enough fools, and you have something that's not funny anymore, but something to seriously denounce as unhealthy for society

i'll say it again:

healthy distrust of your government is normal and helpful to the functioning of a vibrant society

however, rabid, paranoid schizophrenic musings on all evil in the world falling at the government's doorstep is not anywhere near the definition of "healthy distrust". more like pathological hobbling distrust