Did you read the comments on the Kansas City article? Yeesh.

"Sounds like he knew too much and they offed him..."

"The government offed him and then set him up as a patsy..."

The black helicopters, tin foil, fire can't melt steel crowd rears its ugly head.

Remember Dr. Hatfield? They said the same BS about him, well he sued the feds, and won a nice chunk of change from us taxpayers.

Show the proof, and maybe it will stand up to light. But don't hold your breath.

"Show the proof, and maybe it will stand up to light. But don't hold your breath."

Don't hold my breath? Seriously?

So you don't think the fact that a person who worked in that field for 18 years and killed himself when the Feds simply informed him he would be prosecuted is any indication of his potential involvement?

The prosecution process would have been an opportunity for Ivins to exonerate himself. You know. Just like the same Dr. Hatfield you mentioned in your own comment.

Did Ivins leave a suicide note? If so, did he confess? Did he give reasons for either the attacks or his suicide? Assuming Ivins was the source of the anthrax attacks, it's important to know how he was able to launch them undetected. If one can do it then others with access to even more deadly means can also launch attacks. Fixing the system should be the top priority.

From the Times:

One of his longtime colleagues told The Times that Ivins, who was being treated for depression, indicated to a therapist that he was considering suicide.

Soon thereafter, family members and local police officers escorted Ivins from USAMRIID, where his access to sensitive areas was curtailed, the colleague said.

Ivins was committed to a facility in Frederick for treatment of his depression. On July 24, he was released from the facility, operated by Sheppard Pratt Health System. A telephone call that same day by The Times verified that Ivins' government voice mail was still functioning at the bacteriology division of USAMRIID.

The scientist faced forced retirement, planned for September, said his longtime colleague, who described Ivins as emotionally fractured by the federal scrutiny.

"He didn't have any more money to spend on legal fees. He was much more emotionally labile, in terms of sensitivity to things, than most scientists. . . . He was very thin-skinned."

From the known facts, one possible interpretation is that he knew he was caught and so he killed himself. Another is that in his depressed, suicidal and financially-strained condition, he was unable to face the prospect of a federal prosecution for something he didn't do.

I haven't seen enough evidence to convince me of anything, one way or the other, but after seeing how things turned out with Hatfield, I'm in no hurry to jumped to any conclusion without some solid evidence.

My last comment had blockquotes around everything from the beginning up through "thin-skinned". The preview showed it formatted that way, but it didn't actually post that way. I have noticed previously that formatting will show up one way in the preview and then be different in the actual post. All I can say is Arrrrrgg!

My best guess is that he was going to be charged with lying to the FBI, a la Scooter Libby, and perhaps obstruction. It is possible though very unlikely that at this late date the FBI had enough evidence to arrest him, or anyone, for the murders themselves.

Perhaps Ivins was in a position to shed light on the details of why the anthrax was sent to Sens. Leahy and Daschle, both, coincidentally, key votes in the then impending approval of the initial Patriot Act. The gang of criminal reprobates currently in power have proven time and again that they are absolutely beyond any ethical or moral scruples when it comes to twisting and reshaping the government to fit their sick vision.

I'd really like to believe the best, but I put nothing past them at this point.

"I haven't seen enough evidence to convince me of anything, one way or the other, but after seeing how things turned out with Hatfield, I'm in no hurry to jumped to any conclusion without some solid evidence."

I'd just like to add one more comment. Obviously, there is still a lot about Mr. Ivins we don't know. I'm not jumping to conclusions, and I do believe in innocence until proven guilty in a court of law. But; whenever anyone commits suicide just as law enforcement is closing in, I remain very skeptical (remember--being skeptical is much different than being convinced or concluding) of the person's innocence as an observer until proven otherwise. That's just common sense. I'm definitely interested in seeing all the evidence, one way or the other.

Don't forget that law enforcement is keenly aware of the Hatfield case, and I'm betting with that history and the fact that this is a high profile case, that they've learned their lesson and are carefully crossing their T's and dotting their I's.

I'm with Blogical. Given the FBI's past track record on this case, Ivins stood to make a bundle if they'd screwed the pooch again. And don't give me any of that 'he couldn't afford legal help'. Lawyers would have fallen all over themselves to take the case on contingency for 30% of the 'winnings'. Hatfield got 6 million, you think they would not ask for at least double that if the case was botched again?

Hatfill, Hatfill, Hatfill, please, folks.

Chuck:

Thanks! You're absolutely right--I was referring to Hatfill, not Hatfield. Sorry for the error.

"The dude had the cred for days and days."

Paul, I'm sorry to be so simple, but I'm not sure exactly what you mean by the "cred". Could you please spell it out since I'm being so thick on this?

Thanks. And it's good to see you post a few lately.

Judging by how they handled Hatfill, the FBI probably just waited until someone among the various scientists with anthrax access in the US died (suicide, natural causes, car accident, whatever) and then tells everyone that this was the guy. Case closed since the dead guy can't defend himself.

The suicide does not point towards guilt or innocence, only a depressed man who felt he had no better alternative, had the means available, and made the sad choice to end his life.

Telling someone who has just been released for a prolonged hospitalization for depression they are about to be charged with such a nefarious case would be near to homicide, regardless of their guilt or innocence.

The latest AP break on this shows a therapist thought he was a serial psychopathic killer. That certainly narrows down the possibilities. If the leaked info is accurate, he's the bad guy.

Tom to answer you a few days later... I was making the point that he was VERY well established in his field and that his field was Anthrax.

The was clearly an expert in that field.

Could he have done it? I dunno. The more I read the skeptical I am. Time will tell.

I had had to make a bet I would bet against it but it's only about a 55% hunch right now.

It's an "easy" case for the FBI to prove. And that's a dual edged sword. By that I mean there are so many things we don't know proving any one of them pretty much nails him...

Can we prove he took the 200 mile drive that day?... Did he pay a toll or get gas with a gas card in the area?

Where the HECK did he make the stuff? It apparently required equipment his lab did not have. (so I've read) If they find that equipment in his basement he's pretty much the guy...

On the other hand, because there are so many easy ways to connect him to this, the failure to produce even one solid link will speak volumes.

Where DID he make the stuff?