Mississippi Man Arrested in Sending of Letters Laced With Ricin
Federal agents in Mississippi arrested a martial arts instructor early Saturday as part of an investigation into ricin-laced letters sent to President Obama and two other officials.
The man, J. Everett Dutschke, was taken into custody at his home in Tupelo shortly before 1 a.m., a spokeswoman for the F.B.I. in Jackson said.
Mr. Dutschke’s arrest came after criminal charges were dropped on Tuesday against another Mississippi man, Paul Kevin Curtis, who said he had been framed by Mr. Dutschke, a longtime personal rival.
Letters postmarked from Memphis and filled with a white powder were received this month by Mr. Obama; Senator Roger Wicker, Republican of Mississippi; and Sadie Holland, a judge in Lee County in Mississippi. Tests confirmed that the powder was ricin, a poison made from castor beans that can be lethal.
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