Police in Mississippi charged a man with sending a letter laced with the poison, ricin, to President Obama.
Paul Kevin Curtis, was arrested at his home in Corinth, and faces two felony counts, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday (April 18).
Lab tests (and the fact that Curtis signed the correspondence “I am KC and I approve this message“) helped confirm him as the culprit.
Curtis believed that “various parties within the government” were out to ruin his reputation because he allegedly stumbled upon a plot to sell human body parts on the black market.
The 45-year-old is accused of sending three letters covered in poison, one of which went to the president, and another to Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker. Curtis used similar dialogue in both letters, also aiding in him being positively identified.
Wicker confirmed meeting Curtis 10 years ago. “I have indeed met the gentleman, yes. At a social event,” he told the press. “He’s an entertainer. He’s an Elvis impersonator.”
According to Wicker, he and his wife threw a party where Curtis performed. “It’s my understanding that since that time he’s had mental issues, and may not be as stable as he had been.”
Family members are said to be “shocked” by the arrest. “I don’t think anybody had a clue that this kind of stuff was weighing on his mind,” his cousin said in an interview.
Curtis is scheduled to appear in federal court today. If convicted he faces 15 years in prison.
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