Soon after the terrorist attacks of 9/11/01, letters laced with anthrax
began appearing in the U.S. mail. Five Americans were killed, 17 were sickened, and the
nation was terrorized in what became the worst biological attacks in U.S.
history.
The ensuing investigation by the FBI and its partners—code-named “Amerithrax”—has been one of the largest and most complex in the history of law enforcement.
In August 2008, Department of Justice and FBI officials announced a breakthrough in the case and released documents and information showing that charges were about to be brought against Dr. Bruce Ivins, who took his own life before those charges could be filed.
A public release of evidence regarding a suspect who has not been charged is uncommon, but was undertaken in this case because of the extraordinary public interest in the investigation and, because of Ivins’ death, the government would be unable to take the case to trial and present its evidence.
During the course of the investigation, the Amerithrax Task Force, comprised of 17 special agents and 10 U.S. postal inspectors, conducted more than 9,100 interviews, executed more than 70 searches, and followed leads across six continents. In addition, new scientific methods were developed that ultimately led to the break in the case— methods that could have a far-reaching impact on future investigations.
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