Lane County man detained in suspicious letters case

A Lane County man has been detained for questioning in connection with suspicious letters sent to more than 20 Oregon sheriff’s offices, Oregonian State Police confirmed to NewsChannel 21 Tuesday evening.

Lt. Bill Fugate said they were confident they have the person who sent the letters. He said he expected to be able to release more information shortly about the person of interest in the case, but added there is no threat to the public.

He also reiterated earlier FBI information that none of the envelopes tested were found to have any powder or hazardous substance.

Earlier Tuesday, the FBI said is working with Oregon State Police on the suspicious letters that began arriving Monday at more than 20 Oregon county sheriff’s offices, but added there was no evidence so far of any powder or toxic substance in them.

Jefferson and Crook County sheriff’s officials said Tuesday they were among recipients of the envelopes, but Deschutes County so far has not received one.

Jefferson County Sheriff Jim Adkins said his staff partially opened the suspicious letter, but didn’t see any white powder, and turned it over to OSP.

“(The) outside envelope was the same as all the others sent around the state,” Adkins told NewsChannel 21 by text message.

The Crook County Sheriff’s Office said it did not open the letter and gave it to the FBI. Undersheriff John Gautney declined to share further details, as the FBI investigation is ongoing.

FBI Oregon spokeswoman Beth Anne Steele told NewsChannel 21 she’s not aware of reports of similar recent incidents in other states, and that all the recipients were sheriff’s offices. More than 20 departments are reported to have received the mail.

The possible threat has put the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office on alert.

“We took a good look to make sure we had not received a letter,” sheriff’s Capt. Deron McMaster said. “We’ll take extra precautions to make sure we’re diligent about our mail.”

In Grant County, KGW reports Sheriff Glenn Palmer was hospitalized after he opened his letter and got a rash and metallic taste in his mouth.

“When one of us is treated this way it impacts law enforcement across the board,” Palmer told KGW. “I’m not looking to get anyone in trouble, but if there was something in the letter the public needs to be held accountable.”

McMaster said the department occasionally gets mail from disgruntled people.

“Things like this can happen — we don’t like it to happen,” McMaster said. “But by and large, 99.9 percent of those letters that come in are innocuous.”

He added, “We are increasing that vigilance a little bit to ensure the safety of our staff and our facilities.”

Here’s the full statement issued Tuesday by the FBI’s Portland office on the suspicious letters:

“The FBI, Oregon State Police and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are working with affected Oregon counties to determine the origin and nature of a series of suspicious letters that started arriving in the mail on Monday, July 27 th .

“To date, field testing by hazardous materials crews has shown NO toxic substance on any letter or in any envelope. In addition, at this time there is no evidence of a visible powder to be found in any of the envelopes/letters.

“There are approximately 20 known letters delivered and all were addressed to Oregon sheriffs or their offices. Law enforcement is collecting the letters and transporting them all to the FBI and/or the Oregon State Public Health Laboratory for analysis as appropriate.

“Due to the ongoing nature of this investigation, we are not releasing any further information.

“Further updates will be posted at www.flashalertportland.net.

Oregon State Police said late Monday afternoon they and other police are conducting a statewide investigation after several government offices around the state received suspicious mail, some with an unknown substance.

Hazardous materials teams and investigators responded to the reports, Fugate said.

The Blue Mountain Eagle reported that Grant County Sheriff Glenn Palmer had opened an envelope addressed to him containing a white substance. The paper said, “In a matter of seconds, Palmer had a reaction to the substance, including a skin rash on his arms, according to a county official at the scene.”

Palmer was taken to Blue Mountain Hospital in John Day for treatment and observation, as were two other people, the paper said..

Meanwhile, the county jail next door to the courthouse in Canyon City was cordoned off and haz-mat personnel in clean suits worked to decontaminate the area and any others who may have come into contact with the substance. The jail and sheriff’s office share an air conditioning system, so there could be up to a dozen inmates and other staff affected, the newspaper said.

The envelopes reportedly have been been received at Baker, Harney, Wasco, Jackson, Umatilla and Sherman counties, as well as Grant County, targeting sheriffs’ departments and county courthouses. Staff at other counties have also been reported ill after coming in contact with the substance, the Blue Mountain Eagle said.