# They arrested Elvis for that ricin **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 18, 2013, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-arrested-elvis-for-that-ricin/656001 "2013-04-18T02:55:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![retsin2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@retsin2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/retsin2000)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-arrested-elvis-for-that-ricin/656001/1 "2013-04-18T02:55:34Z")
Or an Elvis impersonator anyway. At least according to [this.](http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20130417/NEWS/130417027/Who-Paul-Kevin-Curtis-) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-arrested-elvis-for-that-ricin/656001/2 "2013-04-18T02:58:34Z")
Why am I not surprised? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-arrested-elvis-for-that-ricin/656001/3 "2013-04-18T05:57:45Z")
I just skimmed a few articles about this, for example this one: [Feds Arrest Paul Kevin Curtis for Allegedly Sending Ricin-Laced Letters Signed ‘KC’](http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2013/04/feds-arrest-paul-kevin-curtis-allegedly-sending-ricin-laced-letters-signed-kc/64335/) (The Atlantic), and none of them offer any clue as to how this guy is thought to be connected, or why he is a suspect – other than his initials being KC. ---
**Author:** ![Anonymous\_Coward](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/94ad74/32.png) [@Anonymous\_Coward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anonymous_Coward)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-arrested-elvis-for-that-ricin/656001/4 "2013-04-18T14:19:46Z")
I heard on CBC radio this morning that this KC fellow has posted many times on the net and used quite a few similar and exact phrases found in the letters. The letters were also posted in town close to where KC lives. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-arrested-elvis-for-that-ricin/656001/5 "2013-04-18T14:24:21Z")
Elvis is going to Supermax Florence and he won’t be leaving the building. Maybe putting his initials on those letters wasn’t such a great idea. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-arrested-elvis-for-that-ricin/656001/6 "2013-04-18T14:33:43Z")
When I read that a (crazy) Elvis impersonator had been arrested, the first person I thought of was Jesco White. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-arrested-elvis-for-that-ricin/656001/7 "2013-04-18T14:50:00Z")
Is he a Fat Elvis or a Skinny Elvis? ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-arrested-elvis-for-that-ricin/656001/8 "2013-04-18T15:41:54Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Is he a Fat Elvis or a Skinny Elvis? Skinny. Apparently he has spread his rants to multiple websites. But not here. I feel like the last kid picked for kickball. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-arrested-elvis-for-that-ricin/656001/9 "2013-04-18T15:54:18Z")
I’ve wondered how a nut case like this gets ricin? Made it himself from castor beans? Bought it somewhere? Anyhow I’m glad they caught him pretty quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-arrested-elvis-for-that-ricin/656001/10 "2013-04-18T17:28:18Z")
Perhaps he can add a few new verses to “Jailhouse Rock”. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-arrested-elvis-for-that-ricin/656001/11 "2013-04-18T18:04:18Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I’ve wondered how a nut case like this gets ricin? Made it himself from castor beans? Bought it somewhere? > > Anyhow I’m glad they caught him pretty quickly. We don’t know that it’s ricin, and in fact the odds are that it’s not. It takes some effort to actually make the stuff, but a positive result from a test can happen even if the guy was handling castor beans when he mailed the letters. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-arrested-elvis-for-that-ricin/656001/12 "2013-04-18T18:11:48Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > We don’t know that it’s ricin, and in fact the odds are that it’s not. It takes some effort to actually make the stuff, but a positive result from a test can happen even if the guy was handling castor beans when he mailed the letters. Mailed the letters which contained “a suspicious granular substance”. Letters which contained death threats. I think its safe to assume he was up to no good. I’m no expert but from what I understand its relatively easy to get ricin. > **[FBI confirms letters to Obama, others contained ricin | CNN Politics](https://www.cnn.com/2013/04/18/politics/tainted-letter-intercepted/index.html?hpt=hp_c2)** > > The FBI confirms that letters sent to President Obama, a U.S. senator and a judge contained the poison ricin. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-arrested-elvis-for-that-ricin/656001/13 "2013-04-18T18:19:39Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I’ve wondered how a nut case like this gets ricin? Made it himself from castor beans? Bought it somewhere? They said that initial tests were positive for ricin, but that it wasn’t clear that the contents were actually dangerous. Ricin is trivially easy to extract from castor beans in detectable quantities, but considerably harder to purify into a form that could be delivered as a weapon. To actually be dangerous in an envelope, it would have to be very pure, very fine, and treated to make it non-clumping to the point that you might accidentally inhale it. Since it was described as “granular,” it was probably a relatively crude extract. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-arrested-elvis-for-that-ricin/656001/14 "2013-04-18T18:44:42Z")
Ground castor bean could trigger a ricin detected response. One of the media outlets said there was an original positive test and two susequent tests proved inconclusive. The sample was supposed to have been sent to another lab for more thorough testing. Considering how “accurate” the media reports have been, I don’t know if I should believe this story either. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-arrested-elvis-for-that-ricin/656001/15 "2013-04-18T18:58:26Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > Ground castor bean could trigger a ricin detected response. > > One of the media outlets said there was an original positive test and two susequent tests proved inconclusive. The sample was supposed to have been sent to another lab for more thorough testing. Considering how “accurate” the media reports have been, I don’t know if I should believe this story either. Just to be on the safe side, though - Gitmo for all Elvis impersonators. If we are gonna have a kneejerk reaction, might as well be a useful one! ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-arrested-elvis-for-that-ricin/656001/16 "2013-04-22T22:08:09Z")
Elvis may be innocent! [http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083\_162-57580764-504083/paul-kevin-curtis-update-fbi-says-no-ricin-found-in-home-of-mississippi-suspect/](http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57580764-504083/paul-kevin-curtis-update-fbi-says-no-ricin-found-in-home-of-mississippi-suspect/) > [@](#): > > Investigators say they haven’t found any ricin in the home of Mississippi man accused of mailing poisoned letters to President Barack Obama, a U.S. senator and a local judge. > > FBI Agent Brandon Grant, testifying in federal court Monday, said a Friday search of Paul Kevin Curtis’ house in Corinth, Miss., did not turn up ricin or ingredients for the poison. A search of Curtis’ computers has found no evidence so far that he researched making ricin. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-arrested-elvis-for-that-ricin/656001/17 "2013-04-23T18:55:03Z")
They released him today in bond. Elvis can sing again. > **[Charges Dropped Against Ricin-Letter Suspect as Cops Search New Suspect](https://abcnews.go.com/US/ricin-laced-letter-suspect-released-prison-bond/story?id=19022408)** > > A Mississippi man arrested last week for allegedly sending ricin-tainted letters to President Obama was released today and the charges against him dismissed, as federal agents began searching the home of a new suspect this afternoon. The person responsible may still be out there ready to do this again. > [@](#): > > Paul Kevin Curtis, suspected of sending ricin-tainted letters to President Obama and other public officials, was released on bond today, a day after a court hearing in which investigators said they found no evidence of the poison in Curtis’ home or car. > > The U.S. Marshals office in Oxford, Miss., confirmed that Curtis had been released from jail, where he had been kept since last week on formal charges of sending threats through the mail. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-arrested-elvis-for-that-ricin/656001/18 "2013-04-23T23:40:55Z")
[Yes, Elvis is innocent!](http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2013/04/23/us/ap-us-suspicious-letters.html?hp) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-arrested-elvis-for-that-ricin/656001/19 "2013-04-23T23:42:35Z")
Oh good. I was thinking this story wasn’t nearly weird enough. ---
**Author:** ![RyJae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9d8465/32.png) [@RyJae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RyJae)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-arrested-elvis-for-that-ricin/656001/20 "2013-04-23T23:48:53Z")
And now his conspiracy theories may have a lot more substance. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-arrested-elvis-for-that-ricin/656001.md?page=2)