Utah Home Searched in Ricin Case

FBI agents yesterday searched the former Utah home of a man clinging to life after apparent ricin poisoning in his Las Vegas hotel room. Neighbors within a two-block area were evacuated but were later allowed to return to their homes.  Local residents described the man as a mild-mannered, down-on-his-luck loner who could be inexplicably vindictive at times. "I never felt comfortable around him," said one neighbor.

The hotel guest was hospitalized in Las Vegas two weeks ago after suffering from respiratory problems. Several vials containing the deadly poison as well as firearms and an "anarchist-type textbook” were found in his hotel room, according to investigators. He remains unconscious and police have been unable to question him about the source of the poison. (More ricin stories.)