The 2001 anthrax attacks Attack , also known as Amerithrax from its FBI case name , occurred Presence in the United States over the course of several weeks beginning on September 18 , 2001 , one week after the September 11 terrorist Terrorism attacks Attack .

Letters were mailed Sending containing anthrax spores to several news media offices and to Democratic Senators Tom Daschle and Patrick Leahy , killing Killing 5 people and infecting Bodily_harm 17 others .

On April 11 , 2007 , Ivins was put Placing under periodic surveillance and an FBI document stated Statement that he was `` an extremely sensitive suspect in the 2001 anthrax attacks Judgment_communication '' .

Federal prosecutors declared Expressing_publicly Ivins the sole culprit on August 6 , 2008 , based on DNA evidence leading to Causation an anthrax vial in his lab .

The report cast doubt on the government 's conclusion that Ivins was the perpetrator , finding Know that the type of anthrax used in the letters was correctly identified Check as the Ames strain of the bacterium , but that there was insufficient scientific evidence for the FBI 's assertion that it originated Coming_to_be from Ivins 's laboratory .

the government settled Resolve_problem lawsuits Legality that were filed Submitting_documents by the widow of the first anthrax victim bob stevens for $ 2.5 million with no admission of liability .