-Caveat Lector- http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-spstevens15feb15.story
Anthrax victim's widow seeks $50 million By Kathy Bushouse Staff Writer Posted February 15 2003 A lawyer for the widow of the nation's first bioterrorism attack victim says he has filed a $50 million wrongful-death claim with the federal government, alleging that lax security at the U.S. Army's Fort Detrick may have allowed the theft of a deadly strain of anthrax that was used to kill her husband. Tabloid photo editor Bob Stevens, who worked for American Media Inc. in Boca Raton, died of inhalation anthrax on Oct. 5, 2001, after he handled an anthrax-tainted letter at his desk. Frustrated by the government's silence on almost every detail surrounding her husband's death, Maureen Stevens is pursuing a financial settlement, her lawyer said. In the process, she would like more information about what led to her husband's death, possibly to reinvigorate the investigation, said Richard Schuler, a West Palm Beach lawyer. "There have been no arrests. There's been no information given to her, no indication that the investigation is progressing," Schuler said. Stevens was particularly upset that she could not get copy of her husband's autopsy report, he said. Schuler said he sent the claim to the Defense Department and the Army. In it, he outlines his theory that the anthrax that killed Stevens came from a security breech at Fort Detrick in Maryland, home of the Army's Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. Much of the information supporting the widow's claim came from a whistle-blower's lawsuit filed by two scientists against the government, Schuler said. They claim they were fired because they asserted security at Fort Detrick was "just completely non-existent, and they were trying to improve matters," he said. The scientists' lawsuit included a1992 internal Army memo with the subject line, "missing anthrax blocks, etc.," Schuler said. A copy of this memo is included in Stevens' claim. If the government denies the claim, Schuler would have six months to file a lawsuit. Chuck Dasey, an Army spokesman at Fort Detrick, had no comment on Stevens' claim or security problems at Fort Detrick. Stevens' claim would not be the first against the federal government in the wake of the anthrax attacks. In January, a postal worker who survived inhalation anthrax filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Postal Service, claiming his life was endangered because the Postal Service did not immediately close the Brentwood postal facility, where he worked. The postal center in Washington, D.C., was contaminated with anthrax and the government has spent up to $100 million to decontaminate it. The building where Stevens worked remains under quarantine by the Palm Beach County Health Department. On Thursday, Congress approved a measure that will allow the federal government to buy the AMI building for $1, then assume the cleanup cost. Collecting information about the anthrax attacks from the federal government or proving government negligence contributed to Stevens' death could be difficult, said William Banks, a professor at Syracuse University's College of Law. A settlement might be the most likely scenario, Banks said. Schuler did not rule out a settlement, saying Stevens wants information about her husband's death. "This family and this country deserve some answers," the lawyer said. Staff researcher Bill Lucey contributed to this report. Kathy Bushouse can be reached at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or 561-243-6641. <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http://archive.jab.org/[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http://archive.jab.org/[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
