WASHINGTON — Survivors of the anthrax attacks and relatives of the victims expressed relief Friday that the long-running case appears finally to be closed, but they wondered about questions that might never be answered because of the suicide of suspect Bruce Edward Ivins.
“It’s either made right on this side of the grave or the other,” said Mary Morris, widow of Washington, D.C., postal worker Thomas Morris Jr. “Nobody gets by with anything. But we do just have to wait on the Lord.”
Five people died as a result of the anthrax mailings in 2001, which came soon after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. Another 17 people were sickened with respiratory and skin infections.
Mark Cunningham, op-ed editor for the New York Post, developed an infection on his face after being exposed to the pathogen at work. His newspaper was one of the targets of the letters containing anthrax that were sent to media companies and Senate offices.
“The suicide is pretty convincing evidence that it was him,” said Cunningham, 45.
Cunningham said he hoped the government will make full disclosure of the evidence in the case, but he wondered whether some doubts will linger on.
