#1 Out of the Loop? Here's What you Missed
Shortly after the days of the Boston Marathon tragedy, it was publicly announced that an apparent assassination attempt had been carried out on President Obama. Letters tainted with the deadly poison substance ricin were detected, and the search for the culprit was immediately commenced.
Investigators came across the phrase "I am KC and I approved this message" within the letter, and the link seemed obvious when the sending address was considered. The Tupelo, MS address led them to a local Elvis impersonator named Kevin Curtis who was reported to use that catchphrase frequently. But, as any experienced investigator knows, the link could not possibly be that easy.
Curtis was baffled by the accusations, and snippets of interviews played nationally left us confused as to whether Curtis was guilty as sin or truly as bewildered as he claimed. The guy was a fountain spewing an endless stream of hilarious quotes, and he case turned bizarre as he spoke of a man he believed was framing him.
As the case unraveled Curtis seemed less and less crazy and evidence led investigators to a new suspect, J. Everett Dutschke, who appears cornered by the trail of facts. The facts and timeline of the case can be hard to sort out, but that's what we're here for.
#2 What is Ricin?
Ricin is a naturally occuring poison found inside of castor beans. If you simply swallow or ingest castor beans, there is likelihood of some damage but it likely will not be fatal. When castor beans are crushed in order to make castor oil, however, the remaining waste, or "mash" is the basis for ricin.
Castor oil is widely used around the globe for cooking, and only those with cruel intentions have use for the mash. Ricin can be created in powder form, such as the traces on the Obama letter, but can also take a pellet or mist form. It is dissolvable in water or acid, which means it is extremely dangerous if someone chooses to use it in someone's drink, a move that can easily go undetected.
According to the CDC website, you cannot feel the full effect of ricin poisoning by accident, so if you suffer these fatal symptoms you have almost undoubtedly been targeted. The fact that ricin is getting exposure is scary, because its versatility as a potential weapon may give others ruthless ideas. The CDC warns, "If made into a partially purified material or refined into a terrorist or warfare agent, ricin could be used to expose people through the air, food, or water."
#3 Who is Paul Kevin Curtis and How is He Involved?
Paul Kevin Curtis sounds like a character straight out f Napoleon Dynamite. An Elvis impersonator, when he was arrested for sending the ricin-laced letter to government officials including the President, spouted off seemingly incriminating lines like ""I thought they said rice, so I said, 'I don't even eat rice,'".
He claimed that he had a stalker who had framed him, that a waitress had come to his house one night to tell him about a mysterious man who was asking for him, and other stories that seemed outlandish at the time. But his outright denial and other factors made it clear to investigators that they should still be looking for other suspects even while Curtis was in custody. After all, did it make sense that a man would write his own catchphrase on the letter when he has used it publicly, including on his Facebook, numerous times? Only the most oblivious of criminals would make such a mistake, and his willingness to point to a specific person as a possible suspect peaked the police's interest.
This man was named James Everett Dutschke, and he had worked with Curtis' brother at an insurance agency for sometime, also working with Curtis' ex-wife. Searches of Curtis' house revealed no ricin or other incriminating evidence, and he was released from jail a week after he was initially charged, leading investigators head first into an inquiry regarding J. Everett Dutschke.
#4 James Everett Dutschke: His Political Failures
James Everett Dutschke is the type of disgruntled oddball you might expect to find behind a letter laced with poison. This tactic has been tried before, and where there is a potentially fatal letter there is almost always a story of disappointment, undue blame, and personal vendetta behind it.
According to his MySpace he is a graduate of Western Alabama and held jobs as a broadcaster, insurance agent, and producer, amongst other gigs. Upon moving to Tupelo, MS and getting involved in taekwondo at a local venue, the owner says he had to ask him to leave because of questionable behavior. It was reported that he was dating a married mother of one of the kids, and he was dismissed from another club when he was found guilty of embezzling from them.
He parlayed those impressive resume builders into a career in politics in 2007, when he was defeated for the race for a seat in the state House of Representatives. After losing more obscure races, he became notorious for vicious attacks on opponents character, and was even reprimanded by the same judge he sent ricin to for his irresponsible actions. This political flameout set the tone for his bitter frustration that would compel him to attempt murder, but that was not even the most dire sign of J. Everett's evil.
#5 Taekwondo Instructor/ Child Molester
Everett Dutschke believes that he is an innocent man. He has been quoted as saying, "I guess Kevin (Curtis) got desperate. I feel like he's getting away with the perfect crime." Unfortunately for Everett, in recent months his criminal record has gotten dirtier and dirtier, and a side by side comparison with Curtis would expose Dutschke as the more likely suspect.
He was sentenced to 6 months in jail just this year, convicted of indecent exposure to a minor. On top of that, charges surfaced in January that he had molested young girls, ages 7 and 8, as well as a girl who is currently 18 years old using his taekwondo studio as a crime scene. On top of numerous personal testaments of how Dutschke could be abrasive, he does not exactly pass the character test.
His last character witness, who was not named, recalls a line from roughly 1 year ago delievered to her by Dutschke. He said he could make a concoction and store it in a letter and, "whoever opened these envelopes containing the poison would die". No one ever heard the Elvis impersonator say anything of the sort.
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