Caught in the middle of a small town Mississippi feud, authorities dropped charges Tuesday against the man they had charged with sending ricin-laced letters to the White House, a U.S. senator and a county judge as the FBI appeared to turn its attention toward his longtime antagonist.
A federal magistrate judge directed that charges against Paul Kevin Curtis dismissed because "the ongoing investigation has revealed new information," according to his written order. The charges were dropped without prejudice, meaning they could be lodged again in the future.
But James Everette Dutschke of Tupelo, Mississippi, said the FBI was searching his home in connection with the ricin letter case Tuesday afternoon. Dutschke said he was innocent and knows nothing about the ingredients for ricin.