On october 2, 2001, a photo editor for american media inc. checked into a hospital in Boca Raton, Florida (which is not far from Fort Lauderdale and Delray Beach), complaining of flulike symptoms. After a series of tests, doctors diagnosed that he had inhaled spores of anthrax, a disease not seen in its natural form in the United States since 1976, and one of the most destructive biological warfare agents. The photo editor died on October 5, and, in the meantime, a second employee of American Media was hospitalized with symptoms of inhalation anthrax. An investigation revealed that the anthrax spores had reached the American Media offices through the mail, but the original letter and envelope had since been destroyed, and it was impossible to determine any further details about who had mailed it. Postal officials decided against closing down the postal system because they were concerned that such a move might generate panic.

Because of the unusual nature of the disease and the timing – just three weeks after the 9/11 attacks – terrorism was the initial hypothesis. One of the employees of a tabloid published by American Media recalled that the paper had recently published an article that had mocked Osama bin Laden. Another editor at American Media had a spouse who was a real estate agent who had rented apartments to several of the future hijackers.