As I tried to squish everything I had down to 750 words for our "Person of Interest" assignment I came across some very fascinating information about Dr. Steven J Hatfill, aka "Mr. Z" - most importantly that Dr. Hatfill was exonerated by the FBI in 2008 of any association in the anthrax attacks.
As I read and read and read through articles about the anthrax attacks, Dr. Hatfill, and the F.B.I.'s investigation I began to see how important it is to question all sources of information and evidence - especially if the evidence is circumstantial. We had discussed linkage in our last class - and it is something I saw a lot of when reviewing our assignment and articles. In the New York Times article, "New Details on F.B.I.'s False Start in Anthrax Case"
Dr. Hatfill's lawyer, Mark A. Grannis was quoted saying "... an accumulation of claims from acquaintances can cast an innocent person in a highly suspicious light."
Never is this more true, especially when the innocent person is in the line of some very public scrutiny. Just look at the damage that Dr. Barbara Rosenberg's gossipy comments through the FAS forums had done. I really did not know that a lifelong academic pursuit of microbiology would equip someone with the psychological expertise of a criminal profiler! It's amazing how easy it is to link someone to an action with a little bit of imagination and a desire to "pin the perp". Our
society demands such swift justice that we tend to avoid steady reason and opt for a brut force reaction.
Here are a few links about Dr. Hatfill & the Anthrax Investigation:
New York Times' topics page on Dr. Hatfill:
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/h/steven_j_hatfill/index.htmlNew York Times' topics page on Anthrax:
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/a/anthrax/index.html
Article on the effects of the FBI's anthrax investigation on some of the suspects:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/10/washington/10anthrax.html?fta=y
OpEd column by Nicholas D. Kristoff that includes an apology to Dr. Hatfill:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/opinion/28kristof.html
This case reminded me a lot of Richard Jewell, a security guard during the 1996 Olympic Bombing in Atlanta - Jewell was caught in a media firestorm that pinned him as a hero, then a bomber and back.
Here is the New York Times topics page on Jewell:
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/j/richard_jewell/index.html
4 comments:
Hatfill put himself into the cross-hairs of the FBI with all his boasts, lies, scientific fraud and forgeries of letters of references, Diplomas and a Ph.D.certificate. Read the lowdown on the lowdown life at
http://luigiwarren.blogspot.com/2005/12/just-some-asshole-who-has-too-much-to.html
Yes ... Hatfill definitely had some skeletons in his closet - but this assignment had more to do with the media coverage of Hatfill rather than the FBI case against him ...
What amazes me is that Hatfill has never been brought to book for obtaining employment, salaries, research funding, etc., through his use of fraudulent documents. All American taxpayers money. I think it says much about the moral levels of American society in general. Read the quote below:
On 11 March 2007, Hatfill's lawyer Tom Connolly (in his lawsuit against former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft and the FBI) admitted that his client had "Puffed on his resume. Absolutely. Forged a diploma. Yes, that's true." He went on to state, "Listen, if puffing on your resume made you the anthrax killer, then half this town should be suspect."
I can't feel sorry for Hatfill since he blames the world for his problems. At the end of the day, the negative coverage did not ruin his life. I think it is safe to say that Hatfill devastated his own life by forging educational credentials on his resume. And I think that is malice itself. Not only did he lie and cheat with his employers and career, he lied and cheated on himself, as well as his friends and the educational institution.
And it looks like we are watching Hatfill getting a taste of his own medicine... Hatfill possessed poor morales and values, and that should hurt him the most. "Two wrongs, don't make a right", and I think I am being brutally honest, and not malicious.
Posted by Alex.S at 8:00 PM
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