More on Las Vegas Ricin Story

Photo of Extended Stay Hotel from source, Associated Press

The Las Vegas ricin incident is back in the news, but I'm not sure why. The only new thing I can glean from this article is that traces of ricin were found in the hotel room the actual ricin was found in. Um yeah, so? Doesn't that follow?

This is a maddeningly vague case. We know the guy has been in a coma since Feb. 14, that they didn't find the vials of ricin until Feb. 28 (by whom, they're never clear on), that the guy has woken from a 4-week coma, and that's about it. Clearly, if he's awake, he's been questioned by the FBI. They must be holding on to quite a bit of information that they're not releasing.

Vague as the story is, it should be a big flag to the "take my rights away, I don't care, just keep me safe" crowd. What warrantless wiretapping or data mining would have prevented this? Who could they have tortured for the information?

Some guy home brews a poison, and goes to a no-name Vegas motel with it. If he hadn't gotten sick, and the unnamed person hadn't found the ricin in his room, what's to have prevented the 24 scenario?

[Excerpt]

Ricin Cop Tests for Castor Derivative

A police officer who went to a motel room where ricin was later found has tested positive for trace amounts of a substance that can be derived from the poison's source, authorities said Thursday.

The male officer has shown no signs of illness or symptoms of ricin poisoning, officials familiar with the investigation told The Associated Press. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity, citing the ongoing investigation into the discovery of the vials of ricin and the raw material, castor beans, in the motel room. . .

Read more at: Associated Press