The anthrax attack took place after the 11^th September attacks and killed five individuals while 17 others were sickened (Johnston, 2005). Equipped with new proof from the different systematic innovations, the task force employed to establish the prime suspect of the anthrax attacks were granted access to USAMRIID whereby researchers had kept RMR-1029 between 11^th and 18^th September 2001. The location provided a window of a prospect to have mailed and processed anthrax that was used to conduct the criminal activity. All the professionals were polygraphed and appropriately interviewed. The Task Force focused on the alibis and scrutinized records and notebooks in the laboratory. For each of the professionals, the Task Force recommended an appraisal to validate whether each of the individuals owned the necessary technique for producing and drying spores of pure anthrax. The Task Force further carried out searches of work and home computers where they scrutinized the emails of each of the suspects. The evidence acquired from these and other investigative endeavors assisted in ruling out all the other individuals who had access to RMR-1029.  According to the evidence collected, the Task Force concluded that Dr. Bruce Ivins indeed committed criminal activity.

The reason why Dr. Bruce Ivins was connected to the anthrax attacks is that investigators established that during the night before the attack and during the weekend, he was working alone in the laboratory where RMR-1029 was stored. Before the anthrax attacks, Dr. Bruce had not shown the habit of comprehensively working alone in the laboratory during non-working hours (Lagadec, Michel-Kerjan & Ellis, 2006). Investigations further revealed that Dr. Ivins never worked in the laboratory after the anthrax attacks. After piecing the evidence from the scene of the crime, the detectives confronted Dr. Bruce who was not able to provide a reasonable clarification for keeping the infrequent and mistrustful working hours in the context of the inquiry.

Detectives conducted a review of the many emails belonging to Dr. Irvin, which included emails that he either sent or received when the anthrax attacks occurred. According to the evidence collected, Dr. Ivin was suffering from significant psychosomatic challenges, which did not just become a concern to the investigators, but further led to their inquiry and intensive care. Investigators acquired the authority of placing pen registers on email accounts and telephone accounts of Dr. Ivin at work and home. The investigators were also permitted to analyze Dr. Ivin’s hard disks. The Task Force further investigated Dr. Ivin’s postings and searches on the internet and made a review of his email communication from both his USAMRIID and personal computer after they had received approval from the USAMRIID commander (National Research Council, 2011). The detectives installed a GPS device on Dr. Ivin’s car and further carried out interviews with his friends. The investigators also searched Dr. Ivin’s trash where they utilized confidential sources to collect additional information.

By fall 2017, prosecutors and agents concluded that they had drained the outcomes that could be acquired from utilizing clandestine tools for purposes of carrying out investigations. All the evidence collected implicated Dr. Ivin to the crime (United States General Accounting Office, 2003). The detectives further gained access to Dr. Ivin’s office in USAMRIID, his cars and his home in Federick. They undertook these procedures with the intention that the evidence would connect him to the anthrax attacks. On 1^st November 2007, the detectives handling the case implemented the search warrants thus resulting in the retrieval of numerous elements that were of interest to the case. The letters included one that had been sent to BBC News using the same address in 1987 on the Brokaw dispatch. The investigators additionally obtained two stun guns, three handguns, an electronic device for detection, computer software for snooping and a taser.

Another shocking evidence that was uncovered was that Dr. Ivins had been using part of his basement as a firing range. The connection between the projected recipients of the letters and those who were supposed to get the anthrax attacks letters was another piece of evidence that connected Dr. Ivins to the anthrax attacks. The search conducted by detectives on his email accounts and trash can gave further evidence that connected Dr. Ivins to the anthrax attack. According to the data provided, it was evident that Dr. Iving was responsible for sending the anthrax-laced letters. The conclusion can be made based on a compilation of certain aspects including opportunity, motive, struggles with mental health, nearness with the source of envelopes and the source of anthrax spore.

References

Johnston, R. (2005). Review of Fall 2001 Anthrax Bio attacks. http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/terrorism/anthrax.html

Lagadec, P., Michel-Kerjan, E. O., & Ellis, R. N. (2006). Disaster via airmail: The launching of a global reaction capacity after the 2001 anthrax attacks. Innovations: Technology, Governance, Globalization, 1(3), 99-117.

National Research Council. (2011). Review of the scientific approaches used during the FBI’s investigation of the 2001 anthrax letters. National Academies Press.

United States General Accounting Office. (2003). Bioterrorism: Public Health Response to Anthrax Incidents of 2001: Report on the Honorable Bill Frist, Majority Leader, U.S Senate.