Anthrax suspect kills himself by Livia Cseresova

Bruce E. Ivins, a scientist who has recently been named the top suspect in anthrax attacks killing five people, committed suicide last week. According to officials, the anthrax-laced letters were probably a part of his twisted plan to test his cure for the toxin.

Before Ivins, his colleague Steven Hatfill was suspected, but as recently found out, wrongly suspected and paid $5.8 million.

For 18 years, Ivins worked at the Army’s biological warfare at Fort Detrick, he was one of the government’s leading scientist researching vaccines and cures for anthrax and according to papers filled in local court, Ivins had also a long history of homicidal threats.

For more than 10 years, Ivins had tried to develop anthrax vaccine effective even in cases where different strains of anthrax were mixed. He conducted many anthrax studies, including one claiming that animals cannot accurately reflect how people would respond to anthrax treatment.

The anthrax letters were sent to newsrooms, congressional offices and other places soon after the terror attack of September 11, 2001. The anthrax powder killed five people and sent many to hospitals. Major postal substations were closed and newsrooms checked all over because of it.

U.S. authorities were currently investigating whether Ivins, who had previously complained about the limits of testing anthrax on animals, had released the toxin to test the treatment on humans. The investigators noticed his unusual behavior about six months after anthrax mailings, but in spite of that, they didn’t really focus on him.
Ivins' lawyer stated that Ivins was innocent, claiming he had worked together with investigators for more than a year.

And according to his colleagues and court documents he was emotionally unstable and lately received psychiatric treatment. His psychiatrist had described him as homicidal and sociopathic. Recently, he was removed from his job because of worries he had become a danger to himself or others.

by Livia Cseresova for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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posted by Lucia Adamova