After Suicide of Anthrax Scientist, Fed Investigators Say They’ve Made ‘Signficant Progress’

Federal investigators said Friday they’ve made “significant progress” in their probe of the post-9/11 anthrax attacks, but they declined to release any new information in the wake of the death of an Army scientist at the center of the investigation.

Bruce Ivins, who worked at the Army’s biological warfare labs, committed suicide Friday before prosecutors could charge him with sending anthrax-laced letters in late 2001, the Associated Press reported.

The Justice Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service then announced Friday that they have made “significant developments in their probe. But they declined to say what the progress was. They said that they “anticipate” the release of more details in the “near future.”

Below is the investigators’ press release.

The Justice Department, the FBI, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) today announced that there have been significant developments in the investigation into the 2001 anthrax mailings, which killed five individuals and injured 17 others. In particular, we are able to confirm that substantial progress has been made in the investigation by bringing to bear new and sophisticated scientific tools.

We are unable to provide additional information at this time. The Department, the FBI, and the USPIS have significant obligations to the victims of these attacks and their families that must be fulfilled before any additional information on the investigation can be made public. In addition, investigative documents remain under court seal.

We anticipate being able to provide additional details in the near future.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE INVESTIGATION

The investigation known as “Amerithrax” is one of the most complex and comprehensive ever conducted by law enforcement. Over the past seven years, the Amerithrax Task Force, which is comprised of 17 FBI Special Agents and 10 U.S. Postal Inspectors, has executed approximately 75 searches and conducted more than 9,100 interviews in the relentless pursuit of the perpetrator of these attacks.