Who is Paul Kevin Curtis? Elvis impersonator accused of sending ricin letters
Paul At first, Kevin Curtis was detained in relation to letters that contained ricin that were sent to US authorities and Barack Obama.
What we do know, however, is that James Everett Dutschke allegedly set him up due to a dispute about conspiracy newsletters and Mensa membership.
Who is Paul Kevin Curtis?
Former janitor and Elvis impersonator Paul Kevin Curtis hails from Tupelo, Mississippi.
He was falsely accused in April 2013 of sending ricin-laced letters to Judge Sadie Holland, Senator Roger Wicker, and then-President Barack Obama.
Paul has made a fortune by mimicking a number of well-known vocalists, including The King.
Ricin letters incident
Curtis’s arrest on April 17, 2013, on suspicion of mailing the toxic letters—which were intercepted at the US Capitol’s off-site mail facility in Washington, D.C.—marked the beginning of the case against him.
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Federal agents searched his Corinth home, but they discovered no proof that Curtis was capable of producing the lethal toxin or any trace of ricin manufacture.
Consequently, on April 23, 2013, Curtis was released from jail when the charges against him were dismissed.
Conspiracy theories and small-town feuds
The strange story of small-town rivalries and conspiracy ideas was exposed by Curtis’ arrest and later exoneration.
The 45-year-old imposter had been working on an unpublished book that claimed a local hospital was involved in a plot involving body parts sold on the illicit market.
Curtis’ life revolved around this conspiracy theory, which set off a chain of circumstances that finally led to his erroneous arrest.
Additionally, he was at odds with James Everett Dutschke, the real culprit.
James Everett Dutschke
A martial arts instructor from Tupelo, Mississippi named Dutschke was the real culprit behind the ricin letters.
Paul Kevin Curtis’ feud with James Everett Dutschke
When Dutschke started working at an insurance agency for Curtis’ brother Jack in 2005, they became friends. It started out amicable but eventually soured for a number of reasons:
- Newsletter dispute: Dutschke refused to publish Curtis’ allegations about body-part trafficking in a newsletter he produced.
- Physical confrontation: The two had a physical altercation at a Tupelo restaurant.
- Online stalking accusations: Curtis became convinced that Dutschke was stalking him online.
- Mensa membership controversy: Curtis claimed on Facebook to be a Mensa member, which angered Dutschke, an actual Mensa member. Dutschke threatened to sue Curtis for fraud over this false claim.
- Mutual accusations: Their feud centered around “who is the biggest liar and is putting false information on their website,” according to Curtis’ lawyer.
By delivering the ricin-laced letters to Obama and the other authorities, Dutschke allegedly implicated Curtis, which resulted in Curtis’ first arrest. This long-standing antagonism finally reached a breaking point.
When Dutschke and Curtis first met in 2005 while they were employed at an insurance agency, they developed a long-running rivalry.
Over time, their connection soured, leading to a physical altercation in a restaurant and claims of online stalking.
Arrest and sentencing
On April 27, 2013, a few days following Curtis’ release, Dutschke was taken into custody.
He first entered a guilty plea to the ricin letters allegations, but he later tried to back out, saying he was simply guilty of utilizing castor beans to manufacture a harmless fertilizer.
Dutschke was ultimately given a sentence of 25 years in federal prison.
The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga
The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga is a three-part true crime documentary that examines the case of the ricin letters.
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“In this bizarre true-crime tale, an Elvis impersonator’s conspiracy theory sets off a feud that spirals into an attempted presidential assassination,” according to Netflix’s description of the program.
On December 11, 2024, The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga will be available on Netflix.
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