2001 Anthrax Attacks | Diving Into the Amerithrax Investigation
Added 2025-06-16 07:00:07 +0000 UTCInvestigating the post-9/11 bioterror attacks that had people afraid to open their mail: the 2001 Anthrax Attacks.
Weeks after September 11th, letters laced with a mysterious powder began arriving at newsrooms and Senate offices. The powder was quickly identified as anthrax and in just days, five people died and 17 others were left ill. The investigation spiraled into one of the most complex and controversial in FBI history. Today, we examine the infamous 2001 Anthrax Attacks.
Sensitive topics: suicide, bioterrorism, terrorism, political themes
Comments
It really did. Even as a kid I vividly remembered that part
Red Web
2025-06-25 15:36:04 +0000 UTCThat’s a horrible “prank” - as another TF member commented, there were lots of copycats sending various powders.
Red Web
2025-06-25 15:35:29 +0000 UTCOh wow! That’s wild
Red Web
2025-06-25 15:34:41 +0000 UTCAt that time I was working for an American company in Belgium. I was handeling incoming packages. I remeber how the company made procedures. I alsof approached parcels carefully. Just in case. Checking of It know the Sender, having a strategy when something would go wrong. At that time there were a lot of pranksters/copycats sending white powder by mail.
Dirk Van Daele
2025-06-23 08:16:56 +0000 UTCMaybe it’s just me. But I think it would be so funny if when Christian laughs or says anything a picture of a chair popped up. Cuz he’s the chair. Anyway great episode
Cody
2025-06-19 14:18:13 +0000 UTCI was oblivious of these anthrax attacks, 9-11 happening at that time completely had me terrified. I might have remembered my dad mentioning something in passing but I wasnt paying attention all that much as an 11 year old on what he said
Amber Roper
2025-06-18 01:02:38 +0000 UTCGreat episode, the cover up info was actually quite compelling; I’ve never heard that stuff before.
Bazooka Joe
2025-06-17 23:48:52 +0000 UTCpre 911 i think america was in a mindset of they were untouchable trevor saying that government plans for everything i think 911 was a wake up call that know we prepare for everything so i dont think the government new about the attack of the anthrax before hand simply because government at the time was so naive of being a attacked that they did not plan for it
Chrismayn
2025-06-16 21:14:18 +0000 UTCMy grandma actually believed that she got a letter laced with anthrax when this was all happening. I was maybe 10-11 at the time so I don’t remember all the details but I do remember that people came out to her house to investigate it (maybe the bomb squad? I can’t remember). It turned out to be baby powder, I think (it definitely wasn’t anthrax, I do remember that), but she was absolutely terrified.
Maeve
2025-06-16 16:49:47 +0000 UTCThey traced the original mailbox location to Nassau St in Princeton?! I live 10 minutes from there and lived here during the time of these attacks, im glad it didnt actually spread
Michael Miniere
2025-06-16 16:12:35 +0000 UTCThe media made it seem like it could hit anyone at any time
Andrey Chichagov
2025-06-16 12:13:18 +0000 UTCYou said it was cinematic so I wanted to point out it’s season 2 of The Hot Zone. Good show.
Adam Flensborg
2025-06-16 08:53:51 +0000 UTC
