Posted on 03/01/2008 1:42:08 PM PST by STARWISE
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced today it has entered the investigation of a 57-year-old man who is hospitalized in critical condition who may have been exposed to the deadly plant toxin ricin.
The Centers for Disease Control says it is working with the Southern Nevada Health District’s Environmental Health Division, the FBI and other public health and law enforcement agencies investigating a former resident of the Extended Stay America motel.
CDC investigators believe the man may be the victim of deliberate ricin poisoning, which may be injected, ingested or inhaled.
Metro Police said that they do not believe the city is in danger from a terrorist threat.
Metro Police have not identified the hospitalized man or a 53-year-old relative or relation who discovered two vials of ricin in the patient’s room on Thursday, launching a hazardous materials response by authorities.
Metro Police on Friday expanded their investigation into why the vials containing white powder, confirmed by two Nevada laboratories as ricin, and castor beans in a plastic bag were in the man’s motel room at Valley View Boulevard and Flamingo Road, just west of the Strip.
Police searched a room Friday at the Excalibur where the 53-year-old man stayed Wednesday night, but after two hours inspecting the room they did not find any traces of ricin, Capt. Joe Lombardo of Metro’s Homeland Security Bureau said Friday night.
“I want to assure everybody that the Las Vegas Valley is safe,” Lombardo said. “We currently don’t have a terrorist threat.”
Police revealed new details and a clearer timeline of events at Friday night’s media conference.
Lombardo said that on Feb. 22 the 53-year-old man contacted the Extended Stay America Motel manager to tell him that animals were in the room.
The manager called the Humane Society which rescued two cats and a dog, which was later put to sleep from lack of food and water.
The manager returned to the room on Tuesday and discovered guns and an “anarchist-type textbook” with a section written about ricin bookmarked, Lombardo said. The manager called police and authorities seized the firearms and the textbook, he said.
On Thursday the 53-year-old man brought a vial containing ricin to the apartment manager, 13 days after the 57-year-old man called paramedics saying he was having difficulty breathing and had been taken to Spring Valley Hospital on Feb. 14, Metro Police Deputy Chief Kathy Suey said earlier Friday.
Since then, he has been at Spring Valley Hospital in critical condition and unable to speak to investigators about what happened in the motel room, Suey said.
A reporter asked Suey during the interview if the man could be a victim.
“That’s possible,” she replied at the time.
Suey said that people might try to make ricin just to see if they can, or for revenge or curiosity.
Dr. Lawrence Sands, chief health officer of the Southern Nevada Health District, said if a person is exposed to a lethal dose of ricin, death can occur in 36 to 72 hours. However, if someone survives three to five days, recovery is possible with medical treatment.
The laboratory at the Health District, built after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, confirmed that the white powder found in the vials was ricin, a powerful plant toxin made from castor beans that is used in organ transplant cases and cancer treatments, but that can be lethal in doses inhaled, swallowed or injected in amounts that cover the head of a pin and larger.
The Centers for Disease Control’s information says that 700 cases of suicides by ricin have been investigated.
For additional information about ricin, including signs, symptoms and treatment, please visit CDC’s Web site.
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/ricin/index.asp
The CDC ought to be involved in the Endoscopy Clinic crisis.
Absolutely .. it’s criminally outrageous.
BTTT!
I’ll be darned if I can follow this “time line”.
It’s wacky I’ll tell ya, Bah.
We need Columbo.
They mention days with no date and dates with no day specified. I got a headache.
Very odd, indeed. This whole thing is just odd, odd, odd. And the timeline makes no sense, as you say.
Thanks for the ping.
I am always suspicious when a name is not given... of either the guy in the hospital or his friend..
Nothing to see here! Keep moving please.
I’m not sure if the timeline is wacky, or if whoever wrote it is wacky. It doesn’t read right at all.
I remember an old “Festus” scene from Gunsmoke where Doc asked Festus why he doesn’t learn to read. Festus replied “Why Doc, if you’re gonna wanna read what the writer wrote, how do you know what the writer wrote is right?”. Festus had a point, here.
I’m gonna take a nap .. ;)
I know it did start on the
14th when Mr. Ricin had breathing
difficulty and called an ambulance
the pets, firearms, ricin and
anarchist textbook were missed
during a couple of visits (or
else placed there after Mr. Ricin’s
hospitalization and the police visits)
The alleged cousin “found” the vials
of ricin and castor beans and brought
them to the hotel office
they did sloppily inform the
public yesterday .. the 29th,
which is over 2 wks, and the
health experts say if you survive
3-5 days, you’ll probably make it,
but Mr. Ricin is still unconscious
and can’t speak
the dog had to be put down (autopsy ?),
the two cats will live
and they just towed his car away
today from the Extended Stay place,
according to FNC.
~~~
Crack police work, wouldn’t
you say? LOL
Mr. Ricin: Roger Von Bergendorff
“cousin”: Thomas Tholen
This entire story makes no sense. Something is up, and it's probably not a simple murder plot by an individual. Two vials of ricin powder are probably enough to kill hundreds of people.
on going “main” thread here about all of this
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1978737/posts?q=1&;page=1
A complicating factor...If you're going to kill someone, maybe even a couple people, one vial is sufficient. Vial(s) says there's probably more going on.
This is the home state of Harry Reid (Troll-NV). Has he tried to blame Rush Limbaugh yet?
Cheers!
Okay, STARWISE, if one is near paralysis from yardwork and annoyed enough at how this story was written, one can come up with this timeline:
Thurs, Feb 14 - Mr. Ricin falls ill at the Extended Stay (Motel) and is taken to hospital.
Fri, Feb 22 - “Cousin” contacts Motel manager about animals in the room and Humane Society comes to the rescue.
Tues, Feb 26 - Motel manager returns to room and finds guns and manual.
Wedns, Feb 27 - Cousin stays at place called Excalibur.
Thurs, Feb 28 - Cousin brings ricin vials to Motel manager.
Fri, Feb 29 - Police search Excalibur and hold conference.
Sat, Mar 1 - CDC is called in.
I note, as have others, that they have not revealed the names of either Ricin man or his “cousin.” This story is like a piece of Swiss cheese.
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