Animal activists’ letters have LV postmark

Ed Koch and Kim Smith

Wednesday, Oct. 27, 1999 | 11:10 a.m.

Razor-lined letters postmarked Las Vegas have been sent to universities throughout the United States apparently by radical animal rights activists as a warning to discontinue animal research, officials said.

The organization Americans for Medical Progress in Alexandria, Va., sent alerts to universities nationwide Tuesday, including UNLV, warning them to be on the lookout for the spiked mail.

The organization, which is funded by the pharmaceutical industry, said at least seven envelopes had been received by experimental labs at universities on Monday.

The alert noted: "The envelopes already received are note size, have handwritten addresses and are postmarked from Las Vegas."

Letters containing razor blades have been sent to more than 80 scientists at 18 academic centers, USA Today has reported. An animal rights group calling itself the Justice Department has taken credit for the letters. It posted an Internet announcement of its mailing on Monday with a list of targeted scientists.

USA Today further reported: "Officials at Emory University in Atlanta described the letter as a hand-addressed, plain white envelope postmarked Oct. 22 from Las Vegas. The razor blade was attached to an inside upper corner."

UNLV spokesman Tom Flagg said the universities that have been targeted by the animal rights terrorists are doing primate research work. UNLV does not experiment on primates.

"We are not on the list of universities targeted but our biological lab and our police chief have been alerted," Flagg said. "We have not received such envelopes."

UNLV's animal research is limited to small animals, including frogs, laboratory mice and desert fish.

Attempts to reach Las Vegas-based United States Postal Service inspectors for comment on the investigation were not successful.

Randy Riggenbach, a threat investigator with the U.S. Marshal's Service, said he had not been contacted in connection with the case.

FBI Special Agent Kevin Caudle said, "we are familiar with the case and are looking into the matter."

FBI officials in other cities have confirmed they have received reports of the letters from university researchers at Harvard University, Emory University, Tulane University, the University of Michigan, Oregon Health Sciences University and the University of Wisconsin.

More letters are expected to arrive at other academic centers and primate-research centers today, and possibly through early next week.

Some letters reportedly contained a note threatening violence unless animal research was stopped by autumn 2000.

Threats of violence and vandalism at the laboratories and homes of animal researchers appear to have increased in recent months, according to Americans for Medical Progress. The group, which supports animal studies for research, tracks threats and violent acts toward scientists.

Last weekend, members of a group called the Animal Liberation Front vandalized a research lab at Western Washington University and released four rabbits and 37 white rats.

Vandalism and death threats to researchers also have been reported since March at the University of Minnesota, the University of California-San Francisco and several private biotechnology and medical device companies, most recently at Bio-Devices of Orange County, Calif.

Animal Liberation Front and Justice Department group members also target the fur industry. Last week, Barbarash said, four vans belonging to a fur company in Warwick, R.I., were "torched." In August, a fire leveled a mink feed cooperative in Wisconsin. The blaze did $1.5 million in damage.

USA Today contributed to this report.