Kevin Curtis, initial suspect in the ricin laced letters sent to President Obama and Senator Wicker and a judge, has been released. It appears plausible that he was framed.
Since this sort of thing often gets buried, let's make that clear:
Kevin Curtis has been released. Most likely, he didn't do it. He's home with his family.
And charges have been dismissed.
What focused the government’s attention on Curtis in the first place was a tagline he frequently uses on social media. That tagline was the signature on the ricin-laced emails. So if it wasn’t Curtis who sent the letters, it really, really seems like someone else was trying to frame him.
TPM
On Monday, FBI Agent Brandon Grant testified that Friday searches of Curtis’ vehicle and house in Corinth, Miss., found no ricin, ingredients for the poison, or devices used to make it. A search of Curtis’ computers found no evidence he researched making ricin.
“There was no apparent ricin, castor beans or any material there that could be used for the manufacturing, like a blender or something,” Grant testified. He speculated that Curtis could have thrown away the processor.
OK, absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. But ...
McCoy also questioned why Curtis would have signed the letters “I am KC and I approve this message,” a phrase he had used on his Facebook page.
McCoy said in court that someone may have framed Curtis, suggesting that a former business associate of Curtis’ brother, a man with whom Curtis had an extended exchange of angry emails, may have set him up.
"McCoy" is Christie McCoy, Mr. Curtis' lawyer.
My advice to people trying to get even with someone over a business dispute is not to attempt to frame them for attempted assassination of the POTUS. The people who are going to investigate that are likely to be quite a bit smarter than you are.
UPDATE BELOW THE ORANGE SQUIGGLE OF POWER.
h/t jeff in nyc, in the comments.
A former Republican candidate for Mississippi’s House of Representatives named J. Everett Dutschke expressed disbelief and dismay Tuesday shortly after a man he was accused of framing for mailing letters that tested positive for the poison ricin to President Barack Obama and other officials was released from jail. Dutschke has not been charged in the ricin case and has denied any involvement.
... SNIP ...
Dutschke denied any involvement in the ricin case in an interview with a local newspaper, though he admitted he spoke with FBI agents on Thursday and allowed them to search his home.
... SNIP ...
Dutschke expressed disbelief when told of Curtis’ release.
“What did you just say?” he asked.
We repeated that Curtis had been released.
... SNIP ...
Dutschke then said he had to go. Subsequent attempts to speak with him were unsuccessful. Less than an hour later FBI agents arrived at Dutschke’s house and he told local reporters on the scene they were there to question him.
TPM, again
This is not Mr. Dutschke's first contact with law enforcement. Earlier this year he was charged with one count of child molestation and released on bond. Also, the judge who received the ricin tainted mail, one Sadie Holland, is the mother of the man who defeated Dutschke in his run for the state house back in 2007.
This seems to be Mr. Dutschke's blog dating back to 2006. He seems to have a beef with the Holland family.