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Washington: Answers to one of the most high-profile unsolved mysteries in the US are in documents that could be released as early as this week - and help explain how the government chased the wrong suspect for years.
Prosecutors were mulling whether to close the investigation early this week, possibly as early as today or tomorrow. If that happens, court documents detailing newly developed scientific evidence that recently led the government to Bruce Ivins may be unsealed.
Five people died and 17 others were sickened when anthrax-laced letters began showing up at congressional offices, newsrooms and post offices soon after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Decorated scientist
After wrongly investigating army scientist Steven Hatfill, the FBI more than a year ago began looking at Ivins, who worked at the same military lab. Ivins, a decorated scientist who was working on an anthrax cure, killed himself last Tuesday.
Two US officials said victims and their survivors could be briefed tomorrow on the final piece of the attacks that confounded the government.
The Justice Department attributed the break in the case to "new and sophisticated scientific tools" that cost the FBI about $10 million (Dh36.7 million).
Investigators said the science focused, in part, on how the anthrax strains were handled and who had access to it at the time of the mailings.
FBI scientists were also able to isolate strains used in the attacks, and determined they were not as common as previously thought.
And that led investigators to Ivins.
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