Synopsis
The anthrax letter attacks of 2001 resulted in a seven year investigation that the FBI described as "one of the largest and most complex in the history of law enforcement." However, because nearly seven years passed before the public was made aware of who the FBI had determined was the lone perpetrator, the public's view of the case was muddled by wildly inaccurate news reporting, by a constant barrage of conspiracy theories, and by wild distortions of the actual facts of the case by people who had their own beliefs about who sent the letters and why. "A Crime Unlike Any Other" is a narrative non-fiction true-crime book that chronologically describes the crime as it was committed by Dr. Ivins, it describes the investigation and the science of the case, and it also "fills in the blanks" by examining and fitting together the known facts as found in the many thousands of pages of official documents that have been released since the case was closed in 2010. Actions by Ivins which respected scientists with strong opinions but no direct knowledge of the case say were "impossible" are shown to be actually very simple and routine. Example: The making of the anthrax powders. Distortions and incorrect information routinely printed by the media are shown to be what they are: distortions of the facts and incorrect information. Example: How Dr. Steven Hatfill became a "person of interest." The book describes what the facts show to be the way the crime was committed, why it was committed, how the public was misled by conspiracy theorists and the media, and how the FBI gradually determined that Dr. Bruce Edwards Ivins was the sole perpetrator of the biological attack upon the United States in 2001 that killed 5 innocent Americans, injured 17 others, and resulted in BILLIONS of dollars of damages, while also playing a role in starting a war with Iraq. Because the story is told chronologically, "A Crime Unlike Any Other" may read like a suspense thriller. But it's just "What the Facts Say About Dr. Bruce Edwards Ivins" and the Anthrax Attacks of 2001."