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CNN Saturday Morning News

FBI Says Progress Made on Anthrax Investigation

Aired August 03, 2002 - 08:02   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LARRY SMITH, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this hour with the story she was just talking about, the anthrax investigation. Nearly a year after the first trace of anthrax surfaced, the FBI says progress is being made. For a second time investigators searched the home of Steven Hatfill. He's a former Army biowarfare researcher they are calling a potential suspect.

CNN's Kathleen Koch is in Washington with the latest -- good morning, Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Larry.

There's no word yet on what evidence, if any, the FBI found in that search. It's conducting various tests this weekend on the items it confiscated as well as evaluating some of the documents it seized.

It was Thursday morning when unmarked FBI vehicles blocked the entrance to 48-year-old Steven Hatfill's Frederick, Maryland apartment complex. For the next seven hours, agents searched the premises, even going through the trash bin. The apartment is just adjacent to the gate of Fort Dietrich, the Army's biowarfare defense lab. Hatfill worked there from 1997 to 1999.

He didn't work directly with anthrax, but sources say he did have access to a lab containing the deadly bacteria. That lab holds the Ames strain. It's the same strain that was used in last fall's anthrax mailings in Washington, D.C. and New York that led to the deaths of five people.

Hatfill, as you pointed out, is being called a potential suspect in the case, but so are another 20 or 30 other people. And law enforcement sources say that some on that short list are also under surveillance. Investigators have also searched other homes.

This marks the second time, though, that the FBI searched Hatfill's apartment, this time with a criminal search warrant. In June, Hatfill voluntarily let them in. At that point, authorities also searched a locker that Hatfill used in Ocala, Florida. Sources say that no incriminating evidence was found in those searches.

Hatfill has also taken a lie detector test. His lawyer says that he passed it. Law enforcement sources say, well, the results were inconclusive.

So far, though, no arrests have been made in this case and sources say that none are expected any time soon -- Larry.

SMITH: OK, Kathleen, thanks so much.

Kathleen Koch in Washington.

We should mention also Mike Brooks, our law enforcement analyst here on CNN, also mentioned last hour obviously some black holes regarding Hatfill, which is why they continue to look into his situation.

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