Bad Things Happen to Nice People 8/16/02

When the FBI decides to put a little pressure on you, they don't break out the sand-filled socks of yesteryear, they call their media pals. That's what they're doing to suspected anthrax mailer Steven Hatfill and based on the treatment he's getting, I think I'd go for the sock.

Unnamed officials have told journalists that Mr. Hatfill has failed three successive voluntary polygraph examinations and has refused to take a fourth test...Someone in the FBI reportedly leaked to the media an unpublished copy of a novel Mr. Hatfill has written about a biological attack on Congress.

The Feds like to keep everybody in the loop. So now Hatfill's lost one job, been suspended from another, and media helicopters are circling his home. According to the linked article, even the neighbors are getting into the spirit of the thing, as some "have raided his garbage cans for souvenirs in case he turns out to be arrested." Now this is just plain weird. Imagine carrying out the daily empties and meeting the next-door family up to their elbows in your trash:

"Hi Bob, Tammy. What are you doing?"
"Um... we're just..."
"Looks like you're going through my trash."
"Ah... we might have put some of ours in here by accident..."

Are they planning to move this stuff on e-bay or what?