Justice Department Poised to Halt Anthrax Probe

Doubt Remains as Officials Maintain Ivins Is Culprit

by Jason Ditz, July 26, 2009

Eight years into their probe of the 2001 anthrax letter killings, the Justice Department is poised to announce that it is closing the long, embarrassing case. Officials say the move could have come last week, but lawyers are still trying to decide how much information can be made public.

Bruce Ivins

The convoluted investigation included a massive lawsuit by initial suspect Steven Hatfill, who successfully sued the Justice Department for $5.8 million after officials identified him in the media as a “person of interest” in the investigation.

Officials seem to have settled on the late Bruce Ivins as the culprit. Ivins, who committed suicide in 2008, has been publicly condemned, and prosecutors insist that they are confident his acted alone. Much skepticism remains, however, over the lack of concrete evidence. Plenty of questions are yet unanswered, and will likely remain so with the investigation coming to a halt.

Last 5 posts by Jason Ditz