Paul Kevin Curtis, the Mississippi man accused of sending ricin-laced letters to President Obama, a U.S. senator and a state judge, addressed the media Tuesday after all charges against him were dropped.
The U.S. government on Tuesday dropped charges against a man it accused last week in Mississippi of sending ricin-laced letters to President Barack Obama and a U.S. senator.
A federal judge signed a court order dismissing the case "without prejudice,'' meaning that prosecutors could, in theory, reinstate the charges later if they found more evidence. The court documents offer little explanation for why the charges were dropped, saying only that "the ongoing investigation has revealed new information.''
Earlier Tuesday, Paul Kevin Curtis, 45 years old, the Elvis impersonator who was charged last week with sending the letters, was released on bond in Oxford, Miss., said Jeff Woodfin, chief deputy of the U.S. Marshals Service in Oxford.
Letters addressed to President Obama and the U.S. Senate have, in preliminary results, tested positive for ricin. How does ricin kill people? Where does ricin come from? Who has used it as a weapon? WSJ's Jason Bellini has "The Short Answer." Photo: Getty Images
Mr. Curtis was arrested last week after letters sent to the government officials were found to contain ricin, a potentially lethal poison. Discovered days after the Boston marathon bombing, the letters set an already nervous nation further on edge.
Mr. Curtis, who was arrested in Corinth, Miss., has maintained to investigators he was set up by another man with whom he had been feuding. During a preliminary hearing Monday, evidence emerged of that feud, according to a person close to the case.
Through his attorney, Mr. Curtis has previously denied the allegations.
Meanwhile, the Defense Intelligence Agency is investigating a case of possible biological agents concealed in mail sent to the agency at its Bolling Air Force Base Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Defense Intelligence Agency spokesman Lt. Col. Thomas Veale confirmed that DIA discovered "possible biological toxins" that were "potentially harmful" on Tuesday morning during "routine screening" of its incoming mail. However, he said, after a further "thorough on-scene investigation, no suspicious packages or letters were located."
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is conducting further testing off-site.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) said Tuesday that the toxin might be ricin.
Lt. Col. Veale declined to comment on whether the substance is believed to be ricin. "DIA has maintained normal operations, and will not comment further on this event until an investigation is complete," Lt. Col. Veale said.
Whether the Bolling incident has any connection to the earlier letters wasn't immediately known.
—Siobhan Gorman
contributed to this article. Corrections & Amplifications
Jeff Woodfin is chief deputy of the U.S. Marshals Service in Oxford. An earlier version of this article incorrectly spelled his last name.
