Anthrax Probe Returns to Forest Close to Scientist's Former Home

fox ^ | 1/27/03

[knak]

FREDERICK, Md.

[knak]

I'm starting to think this Hatfill guy is tied to Iraq.

[Ciexyz]

Wonder what lead caused the feds to take this action.

[bigfootbob]

Or being set up for a fall.

[Riley]

<<Or being set up for a fall.

I don't recall for sure, but it sticks in mind that there's a Freeper who knows Hatfill, and spoke highly of him on a thread some time ago.

[txzman]

I've watched Hatfill an awful lot, and going solely on 46 years of gut instinct, common sense and a small ability to smell a rat, I'll take Hatfill's side.

I think the Feds over-reached here, got nailed and are pissed. As long as they keep this smokin' they effectively keep their case against him alive, independent of Hatfill's denials or alibis.

[APBaer]

"Wonder what lead caused the feds to take this action?

Overtime, mon ami!

[Riley]

Well, you've got me beat by five years. :-)

I think that in all of this time with all of their resources that if they had anything on him, they'd have moved on it- but then, what do I know?

[blackdog]

I found Anthrax vials, the front door from the Davidian compound, a whole mess of FBI files, pictures of Richard Jewell, a foot locker of sex toys belonging to Gary Condit, Jim McDougals heart pills, Danny Williams birth certificate with an interesting father listed, Arlen Specter's Scottish to American constitutional cross reference guide, and Craig Livingstone's offer of employment letter......Just a partial list of miraculous discoveries at the bottom of lake Scape-Nubian

Time for the FBI to tie up a whole mess o' loose ends by fishin in the bottom of a lake.

[John H K]

I've watched Hatfill an awful lot, and going solely on 46 years of gut instinct, common sense and a small ability to smell a rat, I'll take Hatfill's side.

It's pretty well documented that Hatfill forged a diploma claiming a PhD that he does not have, and listed the PhD on his resume.

From the October 9th, 2002 Baltimore Sun:

But when applying for a research job in 1995, Hatfill provided to the National Institutes of Health a handsome Rhodes University Ph.D. certificate in molecular cell biology with his name on it, signed by the university vice chancellor and other officials.

The Ph.D. certificate, a copy of which was obtained by The Sun from the NIH under the Freedom of Information Act, is a forgery, Rhodes officials say. The university seal is not in the right place, the vice chancellor's signature has the wrong middle initial and other names are made up, they say.

"Our parchment doesn't even look like that," says Angela Stuurman, assistant to the registrar at Rhodes University. "It's most definitely a forgery."

So, something to consider if you want to turn Hatfill into some Ollie Northe-esque hero. For whatever reason outside of the Sun major news outlets didn't really look into the forged diploma story.

Of course, the response when I've noted this before was was "Everyone fudges their resume" yet more proof that few people on FR actually read carefully.

There's a HUGE difference between inflating a few things on a resume and literally sitting down to forge a complex document like a diploma.

Indicates a prediliction for "forging" items/documents, though.

[bigfootbob]

The FBI is looking in all the wrong places. Too damn poliically correct. They're afraid of where the investigation will take them.

[Karsus]

Did the FBI notify the media in advance again so they could be there?

[John H K]

I think that in all of this time with all of their resources that if they had anything on him, they'd have moved on it- but then, what do I know?

Given the exact same level of evidence in this case against both, a scary-looking Arab guy with a funny accent would be convicted by a jury, while a well-spoken fairly good looking white guy would get off.

They'll need much more evidence against Hatfill than they would against almost anyone else to get a conviction, because of jury psychology.

[John H K]

The FBI is looking in all the wrong places. Too damn poliically correct. They're afraid of where the investigation will take them.

Anyone who thinks that in the current environment investigating someone fairly deep inside the US defense and security establishment is LESS politically dangerous than investigating foreign Arab guys is in desperate need of a brain transplant.

[APBaer]

"There's a HUGE difference between inflating a few things on a resume and literally sitting down to forge a complex document like a diploma."

Well there's an even "HUGER" between the above and engaging in bioterrorism.

That can be shown by the fact that the UN told Blix to see if Saddam had biwarfare capability, and did not tell him to report back whether Saddam had forged his diplama from the Tirik University of Dictators and Tyrants.

[bigfootbob]

"Anyone who thinks that in the current environment investigating someone fairly deep inside the US defense and security establishment is LESS politically dangerous than investigating foreign Arab guys is in desperate need of a brain transplant.

I don't believe that for a minute. Look how successful the FBI was investigating Bubba & Algore's China connection, Vince Foster, Teamsters union contributions during the '96 election, flight 800, etc.

I never said anything about Arab's. Who knows where this case will end up, that was my point. Besides smearing Hatfield which is reprehensible, what have they accomplished?

[okie01]

For what it's worth, here's a topographic map of the area described.

Fishing Creek Reservoir appears in the right center of the frame. The ponds appear to be on the ridgeline above (and to the left of) the Reservoir -- which is quite small.

You can zoom in on the ponds by clicking the 1:25000 scale at the upper left of the frame.

Fairly rough country, with the ponds themselves apparently located on rough tracks or trails. If someone "buried" anything in one of these ponds, he probably would've needed a get a boat in there -- in order to reach deep enough water for concealment purposes.

The largest pond appears to be roughly 2 acres, measuring about 600' x 300' at its longest and widest points.

[Shermy]

Gee, it's so important in this very important story that they take their 2 or 3 searches spaced out well over time, at leisurely pace.

My guess: he walked his dog there (if he has one). Someone saw him throw a rock into a pond, gave a tip, not looking for his "factory" there.

[Shermy]

Did the FBI notify the media in advance again so they could be there?

Yes, last week. Same MO as before - maximum, unneeded publicity.

[okie01]

"Gee, it's so important in this very important story that they take their 2 or 3 searches spaced out well over time, at leisurely pace."

Consider the insanity of searching a pond bottom in the ultimate low light conditions -- through a hole cut in the ice.

Somebody's not thinking this through...

[knak]

Awful lot of activity in the case in the last couple of weeks though.