Anthrax hoaxes reported at two Boston newspapers

October 30, 2008 05:34 PM Email| Comments (2)| Text size – +

By Brian Ballou, Globe Staff, and Anne Baker, Globe Correspondent

Two major newspaper outlets in Boston received suspicious packages in the mail today that law enforcement officials said appeared to be part of a hoax carried out by a California man who is in federal custody.

Field tests for hazardous substances on the mailings received by the Boston Herald and the Christian Science Monitor came back negative, according to the FBI.

The local FBI office will forward the evidence to its Sacramento division to determine whether the two Boston incidents are part of that office’s case, Boston FBI spokeswoman Gail Marcinkiewicz said.

Marc Keyser, 66, of Sacramento, Calif., allegedly sent packages to more than 100 major media outlets across the country. He was arrested Wednesday, but the FBI warned that more of the mailings could be received in the next few days.

Keyser was arrested after allegedly mailing packages containing a CD and a white sugar packet containing a powdery substance that was labeled, "Anthrax Sample," the FBI said today.

Keyser allegedly mailed the packages to media outlets, a congressional district office, and at least two restaurants in the Sacramento area.

Outside the Herald building this afternoon, Police Superintendent Dan Linskey said the Herald had received a compact disc, as well as a packet that was labeled as anthrax. He also said Keyser’s name was on the return address.

Amanda Carswell, an editor's assistant at the Monitor, said in a telephone interview that she opened the envelope and immediately threw it to the floor after seeing the CD and the packet.

Carswell said Keyser's name was on the envelope. She said she "Googled it" and found out via the Internet that the mailing fit the description of the hoax mailings that have been sent out. Carswell said the envelope and its contents were put into the office's "biohazard box" and that the Monitor's security officials were looking into the matter.

"All of our mail and packages are screened; I don't know how it slipped through," Carswell said.