Circumstantial, like a trout in the milk

The New York Times says that the evidence amassed by FBI investigators against Dr. Bruce Ivins, the Army scientist who killed himself last week after learning that he was likely to be charged in the anthrax letter attacks of 2001, was largely circumstantial, and a grand jury in Washington was planning to hear several more weeks of testimony before issuing an indictment."

Rico says sure, hear all you want; the guy's dead, after all.

"While genetic analysis had linked the anthrax letters to a supply of the deadly bacterium in Dr. Ivins’s laboratory at Fort Detrick, Md., at least ten people had access to the flask containing that anthrax."

Rico says surely they're going to lean on those people, too...

"The unsealed evidence would likely include affidavits for search warrants laying out the bureau’s reasons for focusing on Dr. Ivins, including summaries of scientific evidence that investigators consider central to their case. Dr. Ivins’s house near the gates to Fort Detrick was the subject of an extensive search by FBI agents last November, and bureau surveillance vehicles openly followed the scientist for about a year."

Rico says it looks like the Feebs bumbled this one, focusing their investigation on Hatfil too early and missing Ivins until far too late...

The 'trout in the milk' reference? Henry David Thoreau, of course.