A few nights ago I was having dinner with a few friends who work in media when one of them, who’s been following the story of the Elvis and Prince-impersonating Ricin guy for work, mentioned that there was lots about the case that just didn’t make much sense.
“The whole thing is just weird,” he said. “The evidence against the guy is extremely flimsy. I think he was framed. They’re going to have to let him go.”
Fast forward to last night when all charges against Kevin Curtis were dropped and the FBI in turn raided the home of J. Everrett Dutschke — a Mississippian who runs a taekwondo studio in Tupelo while also fronting a cover band called Dusty and the Robodrum — who appears to have a long-running feud with Curtis. Oh, and he’s also an alleged child molester.
Their focus has shifted to Everett Dutschke — a failed political candidate, taekwondo teacher, and bluesman who’s currently facing child molestation charges. While the feds has been publicly silent about Dutschke and the search of his home, Curtis’ lawyers have been very loudly and publicly pointing the finger at Dutschke, claiming he framed Curtis because of a feud that began with music and martial arts.
Dutschke has not been charged in the case and has denied involvement in the mailing of the ricin-tainted letters to President Barack Obama and two other officials.
At a strange, celebratory press conference after the charges against Curtis were dismissed Tuesday, his attorney Christi McCoy, suggested he was freed because investigators have moved on to “another suspect.” Though she did not name this other suspect, McCoy said she believed investigators were still at Dutschke’s home. McCoy first connected Dutschke to the case earlier this week when she suggested he was interested in framing Curtis for the crime because of a longstanding argument between the two men.
Curtis provided further details about the feud at the press conference when reporters asked him about his relationship with Dutschke. He claimed he did not know Dutschke well, but had received angry messages from him and heard indications from others that Dutschke had a major grudge against him. Curtis implied Dutschke may have developed these negative feelings towards him when they studied taekwondo together or because of his career as an Elvis impersonator. According to Curtis, one of the messages he received from Dutschke was an email saying, “I’ve created a band called Robodrum and we’re going to throw you off the national circuit.”
This whole thing is beginning to sound like the plot of a Christopher Guest movie.