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Wednesday, January 7, 2009

The Other Ricin Letter

Posted by on Wed, Jan 7, 2009 at 2:11 PM

We posted a copy of the threatening letter that was sent to 11 gay bars but we didn't post a copy of the letter we received at the Stranger. Folks are asking to see it, and here it is...

ricinstrangerlett.jpg

There isn't much in it that I didn't include in my first post about this story yesterday.

 

Comments (36) RSS

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1
You also did not mention (or I missed) the part about Saturday.

Where were these postmarked from? You can track IPs down to rough zip codes, too, so maybe a little A to B'ing of this could at least point you in some direction, as elenchos may have helped with in one of the other threads regarding that guy on the tear about barebacking, something relevant to the quoted poem.
Posted by AJ on January 7, 2009 at 2:16 PM
2
Confirmed: I missed the part about Saturday.
Posted by AJ on January 7, 2009 at 2:17 PM
3
confirmed: you have downs AJ

and for the record it isn't Non. I love the Stranger and teh gays
Posted by Non on January 7, 2009 at 2:21 PM
4
All I believe this to be is someone's attempt at hurting gay bars even more than they might be, given our current economic situation, in the hopes that some may have to close their doors.
Posted by pragmatic on January 7, 2009 at 2:21 PM
5
@3: Yawn, no wonder you couldn't even hack it on James' flist.
Posted by AJ on January 7, 2009 at 2:27 PM
6
I saw a headline in one of those grocery store tabloids "Gays burn Palin's church". I thought this would be something to trigger some nut to retaliate. Just my thoughts, but what "Gays"? It made it sound like a gay conspiracy or something. Disgusting and irresponsible "journalism".
Posted by Vince on January 7, 2009 at 2:29 PM
7
OMG, Track the shit down! Find the invisible call tag that printers watermark printouts with and find out where he printed that letter!
Posted by Fenrox on January 7, 2009 at 2:31 PM
8
There is part of me that almost thinks this is more of a really fucking sick prank as opposed to an actual threat. I mean claiming a number of approximately 55 deaths? What range is he or she thinking? "Maybe 45 maybe 65? I'll just split the difference."

Posted by Cato the Younger Younger on January 7, 2009 at 2:39 PM
9
That's what the FBI does, @7.

There should be three watermarks - one is paper source, one is copier, and one is printer.

Even if they used gloves in prepping the paper it's still traceable.

of course, if someone paid cash and used a library computer or a fake name, it won't do much good.
Posted by Will in Seattle on January 7, 2009 at 2:40 PM
10
OMFG! I GOT ONE OF THOSE TOO! i just thought it was an ex. as usual.
Posted by adrian! on January 7, 2009 at 2:54 PM
11
AJ: whats Jame's flist?

Is that the name of your special ed class?
Posted by Non on January 7, 2009 at 2:54 PM
12
@11: Well, given the somewhat educated content of the letter, this reply of yours rules you out. You're free to go now! Run, run back to the wilds of Spanaway! Go!
Posted by AJ on January 7, 2009 at 2:58 PM
13
Spanaway? LOL fail.
Posted by Non on January 7, 2009 at 3:11 PM
14
So, is the scratchy line at the bottom actually on both letters, or is that from The Stranger offices copier/scanner?

Just curious.
Posted by Amateur sleuthing is more interesting than my job. on January 7, 2009 at 3:13 PM
15
If you love something set it free.

If it comes back, lock the door, it's a stalker.
Posted by Will in Seattle on January 7, 2009 at 3:14 PM
16
Sounds like ecce homo to me.
Posted by Bystander on January 7, 2009 at 3:16 PM
17
#8, he's still insane but he said 5 deaths at each of 11 bars. 55.
Posted by Still Insane on January 7, 2009 at 3:20 PM
18
notice that the author used "CC's" and not C.C. Attles/The Cadillac Grill/Promenade Deck or whatever else is on their sign. Nor did he use C.C. Slaughter's North or whatever that is listed in the county records/licenses.

I could be wrong but i'd think you would have to be in the gay community to know that we call it CC's. That can't be inferred from their sign.
Posted by happy renter on January 7, 2009 at 3:20 PM
19
AJ and Non: How many threads are you guys going to flirt through? Maybe you should just do it and get it over with. For all of our sakes.
Posted by Aislinn on January 7, 2009 at 3:24 PM
20
@9, although it has been a few years since i looked into it, microdot printing was only used with color laser printers, and surely a copy machine would not have the ability to reproduce anything so tiny. i haven't followed the issue since Slashdot and the EFF made a big deal out of it; so perhaps things have changed.
Posted by mb on January 7, 2009 at 3:26 PM
21
@18: But he didn't target the Bus Stop which any self-respecting gay would have jumped on.
Posted by Jigae on January 7, 2009 at 3:28 PM
22
Somehow this letter is way creepier and frightening than the one sent to the clubs.
Posted by laterite on January 7, 2009 at 3:33 PM
23
Notice the semicolon-comma usage.

And look - if you draw lines between all the bars on the list in the order given, it makes a CLUE! Okay, kidding.
Posted by Greg on January 7, 2009 at 3:38 PM
24
The way the letter writer used dashes instead of actual bullet points for his list is very British, or possibly Canadian or European. I would bet several pounds this person was educated or is from or once knew someone from one of those places.
Posted by Chris in Tampa on January 7, 2009 at 3:47 PM
25
@19 He didn't target Bus Stop because the author is a cookie-cutter gay. Cookie-cutter gays don't go to Bus Stop. She's probably reading 'Bus Stop' right now and thinking - Bus Stop?!
Posted by PussyDunkinHines on January 7, 2009 at 3:50 PM
26
The guy quotes obscure fish poetry but can't spell "Crescent". CRAZY!!!
Posted by DOUG. on January 7, 2009 at 3:56 PM
27
@14 That was my first thought too when I saw that. They look identical.
Posted by Bruce Garrett on January 7, 2009 at 4:05 PM
28
@25 The fact that some gays happen hang out there does not make it a gay club. Or else we would be calling Cha Cha and other clubs gay as well.
Posted by Bill W. on January 7, 2009 at 4:44 PM
29
To do my part in the Auguste Dupin game...

First of all, Elenchos at: http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Comme…

has a good point - that person seems to have been suspiciously primed for an argument about the irony of this event. Why? It occurred to me that "55 deaths" could have some parallel to 55 HIV infections or deaths, listed in some statistic somewhere. So I googled 55, HIV, etc. The only connection I came up with was an article on HIV+ MSM and their disclosure practices. The number of participants was n=55! (they were in Seattle and LA)

http://repositories.cdlib.org/cgi/viewco…

Okay, that's as far as I have gotten. Someone get to home base with that, please.
Posted by Jude Fawley on January 7, 2009 at 5:13 PM
30
People who go out to the bars named should start posting photos in the Stranger's Flickr pool of themselves: one hand holding a drink, the other giving the camera a one-finger salute.
Posted by Greg on January 7, 2009 at 5:36 PM
31
you're right, dan. this guy totally is queer. i'm definitely convinced, especially after reading this second one.

crazy!
Posted by yikes. on January 7, 2009 at 8:56 PM
32
Kinda hilarious that Goat Sucking and Gangsta Shootings get more interest than Queer Killings here at the Stranger.
Posted by Yawn. on January 7, 2009 at 9:37 PM
33
I wonder if there is a guide (tourist, gay, or online) that lists those 11 bars, including the "CC's" spelling, esp. if listed in this order?
Posted by fen on January 7, 2009 at 9:42 PM
34
And why not gay restaurants? Charlies, B'way Grill, Rosebud, Julia's, etc. all seem to be immune from threat.

Posted by NapoleonXIV on January 7, 2009 at 9:56 PM
35
I was getting randomly lectured at tonight at a bus stop on the Hill by this right-wing ex-military nutcase from New Zealand going on and on about liberal lifestyles and how he'd rather die than "be politically correct to all this bullshit around here." I asked what he was even doing here and just got the answer: "just here for a couple days...Im flying out of here right now goddammit"

And then went on to make fun of this clearly butch female as she was walking by.

I wanted to ask "you write crazy letters to ghey bars much?"

I really should have asked. Damn my Seattle introvertedness.
Posted by Jesse JB on January 7, 2009 at 10:17 PM
36
hmmph. it must be two people. a male and a female. cuz we all know they dont let men into the Wild Rose. and if a male does show up there, believe he would stand out like a sore thumb!
Posted by zaCKzackzack on January 8, 2009 at 11:41 AM

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