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| Man Is Freed as U.S. Questions Another Over Poisoned Mail | Man Is Freed as U.S. Questions Another Over Poisoned Mail |
| (42 minutes later) | |
| Criminal charges were dropped Tuesday against a Mississippi man accused of mailing poisoned letters to President Obama and two other officials. | |
| One day after the F.B.I. said it could find no evidence that the man, Paul Kevin Curtis, was behind the plot, a federal judge released him from jail and federal authorities shifted focus to another person of interest in the case. | One day after the F.B.I. said it could find no evidence that the man, Paul Kevin Curtis, was behind the plot, a federal judge released him from jail and federal authorities shifted focus to another person of interest in the case. |
| Lawyers for Mr. Curtis, 45, a celebrity impersonator, said he had been framed by a longtime personal enemy, J. Everett Dutschke, a martial arts instructor from Tupelo, Miss. F.B.I. agents raided Mr. Dutschke’s house but did not immediately bring charges against him. Mr. Dutschke, reached by phone, denied involvement but did not elaborate. | Lawyers for Mr. Curtis, 45, a celebrity impersonator, said he had been framed by a longtime personal enemy, J. Everett Dutschke, a martial arts instructor from Tupelo, Miss. F.B.I. agents raided Mr. Dutschke’s house but did not immediately bring charges against him. Mr. Dutschke, reached by phone, denied involvement but did not elaborate. |
| At a news conference after his release, Mr. Curtis said he did not harbor any ill feelings toward prosecutors or the president and was relieved to be free. “I respect President Obama,” he said. “I love my country and would never do anything to pose a threat to him or any other U.S. official.” | At a news conference after his release, Mr. Curtis said he did not harbor any ill feelings toward prosecutors or the president and was relieved to be free. “I respect President Obama,” he said. “I love my country and would never do anything to pose a threat to him or any other U.S. official.” |
| Mr. Curtis, a party entertainer who dresses and sings as Elvis, Prince, Johnny Cash, Bon Jovi and others, had been in jail since Wednesday. He said he had never even heard of ricin. “I thought they said rice,” he said. “I said I don’t even eat rice.” | Mr. Curtis, a party entertainer who dresses and sings as Elvis, Prince, Johnny Cash, Bon Jovi and others, had been in jail since Wednesday. He said he had never even heard of ricin. “I thought they said rice,” he said. “I said I don’t even eat rice.” |
| This month, Mr. Obama; Senator Roger Wicker, Republican of Mississippi; and Sadie Holland, a Lee County judge, received threatening letters postmarked Memphis and filled with a white powder. Tests confirmed it was ricin, a poison made from castor beans that can be lethal. | |
| The letters read: “Maybe I have your attention now even if that means someone must die. This must stop. To see a wrong and not expose it, is to become a silent partner to its continuance.” They were signed: “I am KC and I approve this message,” a phrase that Mr. Curtis had used on his Facebook page. | The letters read: “Maybe I have your attention now even if that means someone must die. This must stop. To see a wrong and not expose it, is to become a silent partner to its continuance.” They were signed: “I am KC and I approve this message,” a phrase that Mr. Curtis had used on his Facebook page. |
| According to a senior federal law enforcement official, the authorities were first drawn to Mr. Curtis because the language used in the letters was strikingly similar to language he had used before in letters to elected officials. | According to a senior federal law enforcement official, the authorities were first drawn to Mr. Curtis because the language used in the letters was strikingly similar to language he had used before in letters to elected officials. |
| Prosecutors did not immediately respond to questions about the dropped charges. A court filing released Tuesday said the “ongoing investigation has revealed new information.” | Prosecutors did not immediately respond to questions about the dropped charges. A court filing released Tuesday said the “ongoing investigation has revealed new information.” |
| Mr. Curtis thanked God and his lawyer for his release. A father of four, he has a long history of mental illness, including bipolar disorder, his friends and family have said. Last week, as he faced 15 years in jail, friends stood by him. | Mr. Curtis thanked God and his lawyer for his release. A father of four, he has a long history of mental illness, including bipolar disorder, his friends and family have said. Last week, as he faced 15 years in jail, friends stood by him. |
| “He’s definitely been framed,” said Carol Scott, a longtime friend who is a nurse in Brisbane, Australia. “All I can tell you about him is he’s a well-respected man. He would not be guilty of anything.” | “He’s definitely been framed,” said Carol Scott, a longtime friend who is a nurse in Brisbane, Australia. “All I can tell you about him is he’s a well-respected man. He would not be guilty of anything.” |
| On Monday, an F.B.I. agent, Brandon Grant, said that investigators had not found ricin or ingredients for making it while searching Mr. Curtis’s house or vehicle. The F.B.I.’s search of Mr. Curtis’s computer found no evidence that he researched making ricin, Mr. Grant said. | |
| On Tuesday, Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, said another ricin-laced letter may have been discovered at Bolling Air Force Base in Washington. Mr. Reid said he knew no details, and the base, where the Defense Intelligence Agency Headquarters is, did not release any information. | |
| Mr. Dutschke was a rival of Mr. Curtis, according to Mr. Curtis’s lawyers. It is not known exactly why the two men began arguing, but Mr. Curtis said they swapped angry e-mails for years. | |
| In January, Mr. Dutschke was arrested on charges of child molesting. He was released on a bond of $25,000 and is awaiting trial. | In January, Mr. Dutschke was arrested on charges of child molesting. He was released on a bond of $25,000 and is awaiting trial. |
| In 2007, he ran for a seat in the State Legislature and lost to the incumbent, Steve Holland. Mr. Holland’s mother is Sadie Holland, the judge who received one of the letters. | In 2007, he ran for a seat in the State Legislature and lost to the incumbent, Steve Holland. Mr. Holland’s mother is Sadie Holland, the judge who received one of the letters. |
Cynthia Howle, Campbell Robertson and Michael S. Schmidt contributed reporting. | Cynthia Howle, Campbell Robertson and Michael S. Schmidt contributed reporting. |
| This article has been revised to reflect the following correction: | This article has been revised to reflect the following correction: |
| Correction: April 23, 2013 | Correction: April 23, 2013 |
An earlier version of this article misspelled, on one reference, the surname of the Senate majority leader. He is Harry Reid, not Reed. | An earlier version of this article misspelled, on one reference, the surname of the Senate majority leader. He is Harry Reid, not Reed. |