No physical evidence links Hatfill to anthrax attacks

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Investigators probing last fall's anthrax attacks have no physical evidence linking Dr. Steven J. Hatfill to the crime, but they are not prepared to clear him, a law enforcement official said Monday.

Hatfill, whose name surfaced more than a month ago but has not been declared a suspect, went on the offensive over the weekend, saying he has cooperated with the investigation only to see his life and work destroyed through speculation and innuendo. He emphatically declared that he had nothing to do with the attacks that killed five.

His attorney accused the FBI of leaking defamatory information about him and promised to lodge a formal complaint with the Justice Department.

A U.S. law enforcement official said Monday that Hatfill has been straightforward answering questions from investigators but a number of intriguing items from his past make them unwilling to declare him cleared of any suspicion.

Investigators continue to be frustrated by the absence of physical clues linking anyone to the mailings, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The FBI has searched Hatfill's apartment in Frederick, Md., twice, as well as his car, a storage locker in Florida and the home of his girlfriend.