Aftermath: Hunt for the Anthrax Killer

Someone Knows Something is the investigative true crime series by award-winning documentarian David Ridgen. In Season 10 of Someone Knows Something, host David Ridgen investigates the sudden 2021 disappearance of Jaclyn Ferland-Smith, a Canadian expat living in Playas del Coco, a paradise veiled in rumour and fear on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica.More episodes of Someone Knows Something are available wherever you get your podcasts, and here: https://link.mgln.ai/SKS10xAM

Old-school detective work and a scientific moonshot finally uncover the truth. But the case exposes failures in national biosecurity, cracks in the mental health system, and a tragic ending that changes America forever.

The White House uses the anthrax attacks to justify the invasion of Iraq, while the FBI shifts its focus to a new prime suspect. Under surveillance and interrogation, he reveals something no one sees coming.

Midnight mailbox raids, bloodhounds, and ice divers all lead the FBI to a former CIA contractor. But despite photo evidence, fingerprinting, and DNA testing, nothing adds up. Then, one clue changes everything.

In just three weeks, three people are dead, tens of thousands exposed, and the FBI has no solid leads. Then, intel points to a Pakistani scientist—only for the White House to push a completely different suspect. 

As senators debate anti-terror legislation, airborne anthrax infiltrates Capitol Hill. And Black postal workers and their families demand answers—was their workplace knowingly left at risk?

Just as the White House assures the public that the Florida attack is an isolated case, another anthrax attack strikes—this time in the heart of Manhattan. Major TV news outlets are hit, and one reporter finds herself at the center of the story she is covering.

Panic grips Florida as two more newspaper workers fall ill with anthrax. The FBI uncovers chilling connections—a 9/11 hijacker with possible anthrax exposure, a disturbing motive, and a direct link to the targeted newsroom. Is this the next wave of terror?Want more episodes now? Binge all 8 early and ad-free by subscribing to Apple True Crime Premium on Apple Podcasts.

Right after 9/11, the FBI and Special Agent Scott Decker scramble to stop a second-wave attack using a deadly toxin. When a Florida photo editor is poisoned by a rare bacteria, agents uncover a possible al-Qaeda plot to spread anthrax from the air. But are they already too late?

In the wake of 9/11, anthrax-laced letters unleashed a new wave of terror across the nation. But who was behind the attacks—and why has America nearly forgotten this story?As government buildings shut down and law enforcement scrambled to track the perpetrator, the FBI launched one of the largest and most complex investigations in its history. Untangling a web of scientific evidence and false leads, the case took unexpected turns with lasting consequences.From Wolf Entertainment, USG Audio, Dig Studios and CBC, this eight-part series grants unprecedented access to declassified materials and firsthand accounts, revealing how the anthrax attacks reshaped America—and the hidden impact that still lingers today.