Download 8 Amerithrax Investigation Case Study[Mr_ William So]

-Unclassified/For Official Use Only-
Anthrax Case Study:
Amerithrax Investigation
William So, MS, PhD
Policy & Program Specialist
FBIHQ/WMD Directorate
Biological Countermeasures Unit
Washington, DC, U.S.A.
011-202-324-5536
[email protected]
Federal Bureau of Investigation
-Unclassified/For Official Use Only-
Purpose of Briefing
• To provide the scope of the
investigation undertaken and
lessons learned regarding
pathogen security
(“suspicious” behavior
indicators)
Federal Bureau of Investigation
-Unclassified/For Official Use Only-
Background
• September and October 2001
– Five letters (at least) containing Bacillus
anthracis spores were sent through the United
States Postal Service
• Letters were sent to medial organizations (9/18/01)
– New York Post (New York City, NY)
– National Broadcast Company (NBC) (New York City, NY)
– American Media, Inc. (AMI) (Boca Raton, FL)
» Letter to AMI has not been recovered
• Two letters were sent to U.S. Senators Leahy and
Daschle (both letters recovered) (10/3/01)
Federal Bureau of Investigation
-Unclassified/For Official Use Only-
Amerithrax
Federal Bureau of Investigation
-Unclassified/For Official Use Only-
Victims
• 22 individuals were confirmed with anthrax
infections
– 11 had cutaneous anthrax
– 11 had inhalation anthrax
• Five deaths (inhalation anthrax)
• 31 others tested positive for exposure, but
no infection
• 10,000 were deemed at risk
Federal Bureau of Investigation
-Unclassified/For Official Use Only-
Contamination
• 35 postal facilities and commercial
mailrooms
– Trenton, New Jersey and Washington, DC
facilities were most contaminated
• Over 1.8 million pieces of mail were quarantined
• 26 buildings near the U.S. Capitol
– $27 million USD for cleanup
Federal Bureau of Investigation
-Unclassified/For Official Use Only-
Scope of Investigation
•
•
•
•
Task Force: FBI and USPIS
7 years
600,000+ investigator work hours
10,000+ interviews conducted (in 6
continents)
• 80 searches
• 6,000+ pieces of evidence
• 5,730 environmental samples from 60
locations
Federal Bureau of Investigation
-Unclassified/For Official Use Only-
Scope (continue)
• 1,000+ potential suspects
– International and U.S.
• Assistance and cooperation from 29
governments, universities, and commercial
laboratories
• New forensic techniques required
– Genetic laboratory tests developed and
validated
– Traditional forensic examination on
biologically contaminated evidence
Federal Bureau of Investigation
-Unclassified/For Official Use Only-
Suspect Profile
• Scientific ability
• Laboratory access to the Ames strain
• Proximity to Princeton, New Jersey
(where the letters were mailed)
• Suspicious behavior
• Tips from public and scientific community
• Possible motivation/incentive
Federal Bureau of Investigation
-Unclassified/For Official Use Only-
Bacillus anthracis - Ames
• Ames strain of Bacillus anthracis
– First isolated in Sarita, Texas in 1981
– Sample were sent to United States
Department of Agriculture laboratory in Ames,
Iowa
• Hence the Ames strain
• Only in 15 U.S. and 3 international
laboratories
Federal Bureau of Investigation
-Unclassified/For Official Use Only-
Mutations
• Spores from letters were cultured
– Generally incubated for 24-36 hours only
– Colonies generally round, smooth edges
• When cultures were incubated longer
– Colony morphology differed (the edges of the
colonies were not smooth)
– Mutations in the genetic makeup caused
these differences in morphology
Federal Bureau of Investigation
-Unclassified/For Official Use Only-
FBI Repository (FBIR)
• 1070 samples submitted
• Genetic tests (forensic microbiology) were
validated in 2007
• Based on the new genetic tests, it was
determined that 8 samples were matches
to those recovered from the letters
• All of those samples were submitted from
United States Army Medical Research
Institute of Infectious Disease (USAMRIID)
– RMR-1029
Federal Bureau of Investigation
-Unclassified/For Official Use Only-
Suspicious Indicators:
Activities
• Laboratory activities at USAMRIID
– Sept 11-18, 2001 (9/18/01)
– October 1-8, 2001 (10/3/01)
• Laboratory access logs showed
– Dr. Ivins spent long nights and weekends in
the laboratory prior to the postmark dates
– No such activities were noted in the
months/years prior or after
Federal Bureau of Investigation
-Unclassified/For Official Use Only-
Suspicious Indicators:
Mental Health
• Periods of severe depression/paranoia
– Medication and counseling
• Troubled marriage/home life and feeling of
abandonment (close co-workers leaving/left)
• Distant from co-workers except for two
• Dislike for New York City
• Complaint letter sent to politicians and media in
the past
• Research and funding in jeopardy
Federal Bureau of Investigation
-Unclassified/For Official Use Only-
Suspicious Indicators:
Lying/Deception
• To investigators
– Downgraded his expertise/experience (lyophilizer)
– Put blame on co-workers
– Submitted different samples than what was asked for to FBIR
• Other deception
– Scenario sent to CDC was improbable
• Mr. Robert Stevens was diagnosed with inhalation anthrax
• Dr. Ivins scenario indicated drinking infected water
– E-mail tracking software
– Habit of using false names, driving long distance to
mail items
Federal Bureau of Investigation
-Unclassified/For Official Use Only-
“I just heard that the
Bin Laden terrorists for
sure have anthrax
and sarin gas”
“Osama Bin Laden has
just decreed death to all
Jews and all Americans.”
Federal Bureau of Investigation
-Unclassified/For Official Use Only-
Federal Bureau of Investigation
-Unclassified/For Official Use Only-
Short Biology Lesson
Transcription
DNA
Translation
RNA
proteins
Federal Bureau of Investigation
-Unclassified/For Official Use Only-
Federal Bureau of Investigation
-Unclassified/For Official Use Only-
Hidden Message
• Dr. Ivins was fascinated with codes and
puzzles
– Books
– Word puzzles sent to co-workers
• Two potential hidden messages
– “FNY”, a verbal assault on New York
– “PAT”, a nickname for one of his former coworkers
Federal Bureau of Investigation
-Unclassified/For Official Use Only-
Summary
• Opportunity (access)
• Motive (research in
jeopardy)
• Mental health issues
• Proximity to
envelopes
• Language similarity
• Guilty conscience
• History of
disguise/false identity
• Unusual habit of
mailing items from a
distance
• Inability to explain
behavior
Dr. Ivins committed suicide in Summer of 2008.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
-Unclassified/For Official Use Only-
QUESTIONS
William So, MS, PhD
FBIHQ/WMD Directorate
Washington, DC, U.S.A.
011-202-324-5536
[email protected]
Federal Bureau of Investigation