▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁Anth ra x ▁Att acks , ▁which ▁had ▁inf ected ▁ 2 2 ▁people ▁and ▁killed ▁five . ▁While ▁assist ing ▁with ▁the ▁science ▁from ▁the ▁beginning , ▁it ▁also ▁soon ▁became ▁the ▁focus ▁of ▁the ▁F BI ' s ▁investigation ▁of ▁possible ▁perpet rat ors ▁( see ▁Steven ▁Hat fill ). ▁In ▁July ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁a ▁top ▁U . S . ▁bi ode f ense ▁research er ▁at ▁US AM RI ID ▁committed ▁suic ide ▁just ▁as ▁the ▁F BI ▁was ▁about ▁to ▁lay ▁charges ▁rel ating ▁to ▁the ▁inc idents . ▁The ▁scient ist , ▁Bruce ▁Edwards ▁I v ins , ▁who ▁had ▁worked ▁for ▁ 1 8 ▁years ▁at ▁US AM RI ID , ▁had ▁been ▁told ▁about ▁the ▁imp ending ▁pro sec ution . ▁The ▁F BI ' s ▁identification ▁of ▁I v ins ▁in ▁August ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁as ▁the ▁Anth ra x ▁Att ack ▁perpet r ator ▁remains ▁controvers ial ▁and ▁several ▁independent ▁government ▁investig ations ▁which ▁will ▁address ▁his ▁cul p ability ▁are ▁on going . ▁Although ▁the ▁anth ra x ▁prepar ations ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁attacks ▁were ▁of ▁different ▁gr ades , ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁material ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁same ▁b acter ial ▁stra in . ▁Kn own ▁as ▁the ▁Am es ▁stra in , ▁it ▁was ▁first ▁research ed ▁at ▁US AM RI ID . ▁The ▁Am es ▁stra in ▁was ▁subsequently ▁distributed ▁to ▁at ▁least ▁fifteen ▁bio - res earch