Posted on 02/29/2008 8:18:37 PM PST by STARWISE
Detectives may be looking at the discovery of a poison-infested vial at a Las Vegas motel as a murder plot that has left one man gravely ill, FOX News has learned.
The toxin known as ricin turned up at the Extended Stay America Motel, leaving one person in critical condition and in the hospital, with some reports suggesting that he may be in a coma. No one else has exhibited signs of ricin poisoning to date, police said Friday.
Law enforcement officials told FOX that the Las Vegas Police Department is leading the probe and the investigation appears to be focusing on a possible murder plot of some kind. Las Vegas authorities wouldn't confirm that during a Friday afternoon news conference.
"We don't have a lot of specific information," said Kathy Suey, deputy chief of the Las Vegas police Homeland Security division.
One of those exposed to the ricin is in critical condition and might be comatose, according to some accounts, after the vial of ricin was found in his room.
Police on Friday would not confirm an Associated Press report that the man — whose identity wasn't released — was in a coma, but did say he was very sick.
"Right now, we don't know (whether he's conscious)," Suey told reporters. "We know he is in critical condition and he's unable to speak with us right now."
Suey said the man, whom she described in his 40s or 50s, lived in the hotel room where the ricin was found and went to the hospital Feb. 14 complaining of respiratory distress. He has been there ever since.
*snip*
"We don't know whether he was in possession of the ricin," Suey said. "That's part of the investigation. ... We don't know an awful lot right now."
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
I don’t know. I’ve never been within a thousand miles of it, as far as I know.
LOL,,,Need Much Salt!...;0)
I suspect too many people will be getting an education, that should not be allowed an education concerning ricin.... my opinion.....it is a matter where information should probably be withheld, till LE has a chance to validate, but with the cat out of the bag....it is probably way too late to catch the truth now....mho....may I be wrong.
I definitely think he’s scared...he acts nervous (and I don’t think his nervousness is because he’s on camera).
“A pinhead-sized amount can kill an adult....Ricin is 6000 times more toxic than cyanide and 12000 times more poisonous than rattlesnake venom by weight.”
salt for what??
National Guard Team Plays Key Role in Ricin Response
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=49131
A National Guard civil support team was on scene within an hour last night after Las Vegas authorities sought help with a suspicious substance that later turned out to be deadly ricin.
Two members of the 92nd Civil Support Team take a sample of a simulated hazardous substance in a Sparks, Nev., shopping mall during training Nov. 25, 2005. The Nevada National Guard’s civil support team was called to assist Las Vegas Metro Police on Feb. 28, 2008, with a suspicious substance that was later identified as deadly ricin.
The team is one of 52 certified units nationwide to support local and state authorities at domestic incident sites by identifying hazardous agents and substances.
The incident happened at an Extended Stay America hotel on Valley View Boulevard in west Las Vegas, said Army Capt. April Conway, the Nevada National Guard’s public affairs officer.
The Nevada National Guard’s 92nd Civil Support Team provided support with identifying the suspicious substance and assisting with decontamination, Conway said.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department asked for support from the Nevada National Guard’s 92nd CST about 5 p.m. Within 30 minutes, a 19-member team and half a dozen vehicles from the 92nd CST were out the door, and they were on scene less than 60 minutes from the initial request, Conway said.
The vehicles provide communications, laboratory and other on-scene support for the team.
“They worked in conjunction with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and Clark County fire and hazardous materials teams to collect samples and analyze samples on site,” Conway said. “Initial tests came back indicating that the substance that they were testing was ricin. More samples were sent to the Nevada public health laboratory for additional testing.”
Because CST members regularly train side by side with civilian responders, they already know each other and don’t have to exchange business cards during a crisis, Conway said.
“The role of the Nevada National Guard in this incident was very significant,” Conway said. “We work very well with Las Vegas Metro police and very well with other Clark County first responders. They have a very good relationship, and it’s very easy for our folks to go in there and be of use.”
The Nevada National Guard’s CST is one of 52 certified units nationwide mandated by Congress to support local and state authorities at domestic incidents by identifying agents and substances, assessing current and projected consequences and advising on response measures, Conway said.
CSTs can respond rapidly to assist local first responders in determining the nature of an attack and to provide medical and technical advice. They provide initial advice on what agents may be present and assist first responders in the detection and assessment process.
They generally are the first military responders on the ground.
“They can test air; they can test water; they can test powder substances and help first responders right off the bat know (that), ‘Hey this might be a more dangerous situation than you initially thought.’ That’s really the asset that the CST brings to the table,” Conway said.
The 95th CST of California and that state’s chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high explosive response force package also stood by in case additional assistance was needed, Conway and National Guard Bureau officials said.
The National Guard.........it’s who we always call when a Swede is sick at the hospital. /s
From: 2003
~~~~
Knappster: Ricin scare wasn’t first in Las Vegas
http://www.lasvegasmercury.com/2003/MERC-Mar-06-Thu-2003/20816272.html
Snippet:
Informants told the cops that Dr. Ford, a one-time CIA operative, had stashed an even bigger pile of biochem agents and weapons “somewhere in the desert near a gold mine, within a certain radius of Las Vegas.”
The trail soon led them to Gold City. After months of surveillance, the huge task force swooped down on the mill site in search of dangerous stuff. They didn’t find the buried barrels they had expected. They did find Larry Ford’s business card at the site.
They found what they first thought were castor beans, the same beans used to make ricin. According to one report, they also found directions for making anthrax. At another location in Henderson, they found a pile of literature about biological warfare and bomb-making.
Such a weird story. The guy who is in the hospital had 3 pets with him in the motel room. One has since died (of starvation, they say).
Now what kind of terrorist has three cats living with him. (A gay terrorist, maybe?)
Yup... IIRC, they used a hollow beryllium sphere with a few tiny holes, smaller than a BB, that was filled with ricin. That should give one an idea of just how toxic ricin is. And to the best of my knowledge, there's no cure for it.
Keep in mind that this is in pure form,,,
The 57? yo guy , most likley , got a very,very small amount,
Otherwise he would already be dead,,,
Prolly used a blender !...:0/
No......the presser guy said it was a dog who died (because of starvation, they say)....and the “two cats” are just fine.
Bizarro. Maybe they meant “rats” instead of cat. : )
Ooops .. this was the 1st part of that snippet above from 2003:
~~
The raid was centered on an old milling site dubbed Gold City, located within eyeball range of Railroad Pass south of Henderson. The probe began in Irvine Calif., where police were piecing together very scary details about a suicide victim named Dr. Larry Ford.
After Ford killed himself, police found a huge stash of biological agents, including ricin, anthrax, botulism and other goodies in Ford’s refrigerator.
They also found an arsenal of weapons and explosives buried in his back yard. And they learned that Dr. Ford had been working with a South African scientist dubbed Dr. Death. Dr. Death had been charged by apartheid leaders with coming up with biochemical agents that might be used to wipe out the black majority if things hit the fan in that troubled country.
He may just be a nervous speaker. I found it interesting that he didn’t name the hotel and actually paused like he was going to name a hospital and then said “a local..” He may be telling the truth that there is no longer any danger but how much damage was done? Are there others that are sick? He just seems really ancy about something that has been contained.IMO
Oh...good reminder and point.
Sheesh!
What? A dog and two cats? That’s some odd terrorist.
see post #21 as far as possibly others.....
What vagabond or “just visiting” person is going to have ricin?
However, having pets can make someone think just like you are now....he’s got pets....so, he’s a okay.
Maybe they gave us part of the truth at the beginning and we didn’t believe them. He had 3 rooms and pets. Home? He may have been a lab rat. I don’t for a minute believe that he was working on medical treaments though. What was he up to?
(2003) Las Vegas man believed to have killed himself with ricin
http://www.rgj.com/news/stories/html/2003/03/02/35769.php
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