Man Awakes After Apparent Ricin Exposure

The man at the center of the Las Vegas ricin case was awake Friday and talking to investigators, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, March 5).

Roger Bergendorff reportedly began suffering respiratory troubles Feb. 14 while living at the Extended Stay America hotel near the Las Vegas strip.  He was hospitalized and had reportedly lost consciousness by the time that several vials of the deadly toxin were found in his room later that month.

Authorities also found castor beans, which are used to produce ricin, and four “anarchists cookbooks” containing recipes for the toxin, AP reported.  No ricin traces have been found in the room or other locations.

While investigators have said they do not believe Bergendorff had any terrorist connections, they do hope to learn more about the ricin found in his room.  An FBI spokesman would only say that questioning was under way Friday.

The 57-year-old graphic artist woke up Wednesday, according to his younger brother, Erich Bergendorff of Escondido, Calif.

“It was my impression that they were able to communicate with him and he had talked enough to ask a few things,” Erich Bergendorff said (Associated Press I/USA Today, March 15).

Bergendorff believes his sickness was caused by ricin exposure, his brother told AP.  The toxin breaks down quickly in the body, making infection difficult to diagnose.

“He did mention that he would have never done anything to anybody,” Erich Bergendorff said.  “He himself is under the impression he was contaminated by it — he did mention the ricin and seemed to say something like, ‘Gee, it sure worked on me.’”

Erich Bergendorff said his brother was not able to speak clearly yet and had not provided a definite indication on whether he had produced the toxin.

“He did talk [in a telephone conversation yesterday] as through he just had it there, he was almost kind of casual about it,” Erich Bergendorff said.  “It’s almost as though in his own mind it wasn’t that big of a deal” (Allison Hoffman, Associated Press II/Star Tribune, March 17).

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