[jpl]

Ivins died July 29 after taking an overdose of Tylenol a few days earlier, even as federal agents who had trailed him for more than a year began to close in. He and his attorney, Paul Kemp, had been set to meet with prosecutors the day Ivins died. At the meeting, government lawyers were prepared to spell out their evidence and attempt to coax Ivins into a plea bargain.

Let me get this straight: the FBI believed they found their man in one of the most notorious crimes of recent years, a guy who killed five people (and could have killed many more), targeted United States Senators and major media outlets, and they were going to "attempt to coax him into a plea bargain"?

How strong a case could they have possibly had?

[TaxRelief]

By coaxing Ivins into a plea bargain, the FBI would have been able to avoid revealing some of their crime-solving techniques in court.

[weegee]

Sounds like they had several suspects that they were certain of being the one. Is there anything to try to connect Hatfil and this guy to the same conspiracy? And would the FBI dare say it after paying out OUR tax money in a lawsuit?

[piasa]

Not to mention if he’s the only perp, why go for a plea bargain at all? Isn’t a plea bargain more suitable for trying to turn one plotter against another?