Al's Morning Meeting

Based on the selection of anthrax as the "weapon" of choice by this individual, the offender:

• is likely an adult male.
• if employed, is likely to be in a position requiring little contact with the public, or other employees. He may work in a laboratory. He is apparently comfortable working with an extremely hazardous material. He probably has a scientific background to some extent, or at least a strong interest in science.
• has likely taken appropriate protective steps to ensure his own safety, which may include the use of an anthrax vaccination or antibiotics.
• has access to a source of anthrax and possesses knowledge and expertise to refine it.
• possesses or has access to some laboratory equipment; i.e., microscope, glassware, centrifuge, etc.
• has exhibited an organized, rational thought process in furtherance of his criminal behavior.
• has a familiarity, direct or indirect, with the Trenton, N.J., metropolitan area; however, this does not necessarily mean he currently lives in the Trenton, N.J., area. He is comfortable traveling in and around this locale.
• did not select victims randomly. He made an effort to identify the correct address, including ZIP code, of each victim and used sufficient postage to ensure proper delivery of the letters. The offender deliberately "selected" NBC News, the New York Post, and the office of Senator Tom Daschle as the targeted victims (and possibly AMI in Florida). These targets are probably very important to the offender. They may have been the focus of previous expressions of contempt which may have been communicated to others, or observed by others.
• is a non-confrontational person, at least in his public life. He lacks the personal skills necessary to confront others. He chooses to confront his problems "long distance" and not face-to-face. He may hold grudges for a long time, vowing that he will get even with "them" one day. There are probably other, earlier examples of this type of behavior. While these earlier incidents were not actual anthrax mailings, he may have chosen to anonymously harass other individuals or entities that he perceived as having wronged him. He may also have chosen to utilize the mail on those occasions.
• prefers being by himself more often than not. If he is involved in a personal relationship it will likely be of a self-serving nature.

• Amerithrax Fact Sheet - September 2006
• Letter to Congressman Rush Holt, Sept. 28, 2006 [PDF]
  
• Statement of FBI Director Robert Mueller on Oct. 16, 2001
• Photographs of the Anthrax Letters
• Linguistic/Behavorial Analysis of the Anthrax Letters, Nov. 9, 2001
• Letter addressed to Senator Patrick Leahy, November 2001:
  

  • Forensic Analysis of the Letter: An Interview with Joseph DiZinno of the FBI Laboratory
  • Details on and Photographs of the Opening of the Letter
  • The Search for Anthrax

• What To Do if You Receive a Suspicious Letter or Package [PDF]
  
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Anthrax
• United States Postal Service: the Security of the Mail