Woman’s ties to anthrax case unclear
Originally published August 03, 2008
By Comfort Dorn
News-Post Staff
Two days after a media frenzy following the news that Jean Duley sought legal protection from Bruce Ivins, the chief suspect in the 2001 anthrax attacks, Duley has gone into hiding.
Ivins died Tuesday at Frederick Memorial Hospital, an apparent suicide.
Duley, 45, filed for a peace order against him July 24 in Frederick County District Court, accusing him of stalking, threats and harassment. A temporary peace order was granted that day.
Duley's fiance of seven years, Mike McFadden, spoke to The Frederick News-Post on Saturday from their home in Williamsport and provided a statement on her behalf.
"Jean is currently at an undisclosed location," McFadden said.
Duley had numerous meetings with the FBI in the past month, McFadden said, but he declined to provide specific information about those meetings.
He said Ivins had threatened Duley's life.
Court documents state that Ivins had made "homicidal threats, actions, plans, threats and actions towards therapist."
Duley, a social worker, led counseling sessions attended by Ivins.
The story of Ivins' death and investigation by the FBI broke early Friday. Since then, McFadden said, Duley has been hounded by the national press.
Someone broke into her car Friday night, McFadden said, though no police report was filed. "Nothing was taken," he said, "but everything was jumbled up."
Duley told the court she had been subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury Friday. She was reluctant to become involved in the FBI's investigation of Ivins, McFadden said. "She had to quit her job and is now unable to work, and we have spent our savings on attorneys."
McFadden would not provide any specific information about Duley's involvement with Ivins or the investigation.
"Jean is the kind of person who believes her life is insignificant in comparison with the kind of damage Dr. Ivins is capable of," he said. "She sacrificed all this stuff because she wanted to do the right thing. She'll soon reveal what many wouldn't because they didn't want to be involved with it."
At the request of her attorney, Duley is unable to say anything, McFadden said. "She'd appreciate some semblance of privacy."
With Ivins dead, the Justice Department is expected to decide within days whether to close what had been one of its most high-profile unsolved cases, according to the Associated Press. Prosecutors were mulling this weekend whether to tell a grand jury investigating evidence against Ivins to close the case. If that happens, court documents outlining the government's evidence are expected to be unsealed.
Two U.S. officials said victims and their survivors could be briefed as early as Tuesday, the AP reports.
Frederick Mayor Jeff Holtzinger told the News-Post he was briefed on the situation by Frederick Police Department Chief Kim Dine, but did not have any dealings with officials from the FBI or USAMRIID.
"It's a tragedy for the family," he said.
Despite the news that a Fort Detrick scientist may have been the source of the deadly anthrax attacks that killed five people, Holtzinger did not consider the base a harm to the surrounding community.
"Fort Detrick has an excellent safety record," he said. "I just don't think you can provide 100 percent safeguard from someone who intends to do harm."
Ivins shared two anthrax-related patents with other scientists. The first, filed in November 1994, was for a system to produce a protective antigen against bacillus anthracis. The second, filed in March 2000, was for making an anthrax vaccine. The other local inventors listed on the patents could not be reached for comment.
Maryland's chief medical examiner, Dr. David Fowler, confirmed Saturday that the cause of Ivins' death was found to be an overdose of acetaminophen, the active drug in Tylenol; and that it was ruled a suicide based on information from police and doctors, according to the AP.
Kimberly Thomas, a forensic examiner with the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, would not comment Saturday on results from Ivins' autopsy or confirm Dr. Fowler's statement.
Despite the widespread publicity following Ivins' death, Keeney and Basford Funeral Home said Saturday that the family had made no changes to funeral arrangements announced Friday in his obituary. A memorial service is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday at St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church in Frederick, followed by a reception at the church parish hall.
Ivins' brother, Tom Ivins, said he had not spoken to Bruce Ivins since 1985, but acknowledged the possibility his brother may have been the anthrax mailer.
"It makes sense, what the social worker said," Tom Ivins said. "He considered himself like a god."
Ivins' wife Diane refused to comment today from the couple's home on Military Road in Frederick.
Their two children posted messages to their father on their Facebook pages Wednesday.
Daughter Amanda wrote, "forever my hero, forever in my heart, forever my daddy - rest in peace I will always love you!!"
Son Andy wrote, "I will miss you Dad. I love you and I can't wait to see you in Heaven. Rest in peace. It's finally over."
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sectio ... ryID=78336
Dr. Bruce Ivins, Ms. Jean Duley, and the FBI’s “Court Document”
Bruce Ivins plays keyboard with the band Celtic Live at Bushwaller's in Frederick on March 17, 2006.
