One of the hardest-working, nicest students I ever taught at Ball State University (1985-1989) was a national spokeswoman for the U.S. Postal Service during the anthrax mail scare aftermath in 2001. Her name was Darla Stafford.
When I guest-taught a class for her in 2003 at Martin University in Indianapolis where she was an adjunct journalism instructor, she talked about how stressful it was conducting her PR. duties during the anthrax media blitz. My mentee Darlene Stafford (former resident of Dunkirk, Indiana) later died from heart failure in or near Dallas, Texas, where she had moved to join her new husband. Her mother used to attend class with Darla, and her mother’s phone call to me in 2006 with the bad news of Darla’s passing was so sad to experience.
I cannot blame FBI suspect Bruce Ivins directly for Ms. Stafford’s death, of course, since it occurred five years after the anthrax scare. If he was the anthrax sender, he only can be faulted for causing her job stress at that time.
But I can say with certainty this Dr. Ivins was one troubled, unfortunate individual–one troubled, unfortunate individual with a questionable security clearance at Fort Detrick and access to deadly anthrax.
Hank Nuwer
My small connection to the FBI anthrax investigation was originally published in a 2011 book review at https://www.hanknuwer.com/bruce-ivins/