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Politics

Ricin Suspect Charged Last Week Probably Not The Guy, FBI Looking at Second Suspect

No one's guilty just because they've been charged

Ed Krayewski | 4.23.2013 6:05 PM

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Large image on homepages | Kevin Curtis
(Kevin Curtis)
likely framed
Facebook

Kevin Curtis, the suspect charged last week in relation to a spate of ricin-laced letters, was released earlier today, without details provided about any conditions. Curtis' attorney maintains his client was framed, and the FBI might end up agreeing. Via Fox News:

Two sources had earlier confirmed to Fox News that the FBI was looking into the possibility that Curtis might have been framed as part of a grudge against him from someone in his neighborhood. A detention hearing for Curtis that was scheduled for Tuesday has also been postponed…

Investigators earlier said they hadn't found any ricin in Curtis' house. Agent Brandon Grant said that a search of Curtis' vehicle and house in Corinth, Miss., on Friday did not turn up ricin or ingredients for the poison. A search of Curtis' computers has found no evidence so far that he researched making ricin. 

The charging documents, according to Fox, included a quote on his Facebook page that was repeated in the ricin letters (someone let the boys at bureau know there's no such thing as private on Facebook) as well as a 2007 report from his ex-wife that Curtis was "extremely delusional, anti-government, and felt the government was spying on him with drones."

The Mississippi man faced 15 years in federal prison had he been convicted. 

UPDATED: Charges have been dropped. (h/t commenter Kaptious Kristen)

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NEXT: Nevada Senate Votes To Repeal Ban on Gay Marriage

Ed Krayewski is a former associate editor at Reason.

PoliticsCivil LibertiesCriminal JusticeFBI
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