FBI accused of hardball tactics in anthrax case

[AlphaCentauri]

Source: CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former colleagues of Bruce Ivins, the man blamed for the 2001 anthrax attacks, accused federal agents Wednesday of hounding the government researcher and his family to the point where Ivins took his own life.

A source with knowledge of the case told CNN that federal agents searched Ivins' home in Frederick, Maryland, and questioned his children. They offered Ivins' 24-year-old son the $2.5 million reward for information about his father and showed his twin sister pictures of the anthrax victims, telling her, "Your father did this," the source said.

Ivins' former colleague, Jeffrey Adamovicz, said Ivins gave him a similar account of events.

"One of the statements that he relayed to me -- that his children were, in fact, told by FBI agents that were doing the interview that their father was a murderer," said Adamovicz. "And that I could tell greatly disturbed Bruce, as it would anybody."

But federal agents, who presented evidence Wednesday they said implicates Ivins as the lone culprit, defended their tactics and denied harassing the family.



Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/08/06/fbi.tactics/

[Muttocracy]

1. coming up to the family in the shopping mall is one of the most bizarre. nt