Maybe coincidence, might be "copy cat" ... I don't think any were connected. It's just wackos doing what they do.
The anthrax guy is dead. No worries from him any more. A friend of mine at CDC analyzed all the samples and did the DNA fingerprints to match it to our OWN bio-weapons strain. So it was an inside job.
Yes he died several years ago (2006-7 ?? ) but it wasn't highly publicized. I'll ask my friend again the guys name... but he said the FBI was 99%+ sure it was him. NOT many have the security clearance to get to handle weapons grade anthrax spores.. the list is pretty damm short. Don't know why the fool thought he could get away with it.... in the end, he didn't.