«Breaking News» Vermont woman, 71, who admitted ricin possession sentenced to probation

A woman charged with manufacturing the deadly toxin ricin in her Vermont retirement community and testing it on residents was sentenced Thursday.

Betty Miller, 71, also sentenced to time served and five years of probation and must undergo mental health treatment and must pay a $10,000 fine.

Miller, who has an extensive mental health history, is expected to be released Monday when her lawyer said she will undergo at least nine weeks of intensive outpatient mental health therapy at a Bangor, Maine, hospital, where she had been treated before, followed by aftercare.

Miller was arrested last November after telling investigators she made ricin at her home at the Wake Robin community in Shelburne from castor bean plants because she wanted to injure herself.

Betty Miller, 71, was charged Thursday to five years probation and a $10,000 fine as well as time served for poisoning residents in her community home in November

Betty Miller admitted to testing self-made ricin on residents of the Wake Robin senior living facility in Shelburne, Vermont

A federal complaint said she tested the ricin's effectiveness by putting it in residents' food or drinks. No one became seriously ill. 

She pleaded guilty in May to possessing the deadly toxin.

U.S. District Court Judge Christina Reiss on Thursday rejected a plea agreement that called for three years of supervised release, and instead imposed five years of probation to extend her supervision and a fine, saying it was the best way to protect the public and send a message to Miller that there were many, many costs associated with the offense, including to law enforcement.

Miller told the court Thursday that she learned a lot about herself in prison, including 'to be kind and compassionate' and that 'friendships are valuable.' 

Judge Reiss said she was pleased to hear that considering the 'callousness' with which she said Miller had taken other people's lives into her own hands by exposing them to ricin.

If inhaled, ricin causes difficulty breathing and other symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea and hallucinating

'That was a very uncaring and dangerous thing to do,' she said. Ricin is so serious 'that it's considered a weapon of mass destruction,' Reiss said.

Miller, who has an extensive mental health history, is alleged to have made the ricin from castor beans, pictured, stock photo

She also said Miller was smart and knew what she was doing, even having to spend a week in the hospital for breathing the deadly agent.

The judge and Miller's lawyer also noted Miller's conduct after the offense, telling a psychologist and later investigators what she had done, and her willingness and desire to get help.

'She's made it very clear that she wishes to resume' serious and lengthy interventions at a facility she was previously at in Maine, Miller's lawyer Paul Volk said. 

She also paid about $90,000 to in restitution to the Wake Robbin retirement community, he said.

As part of her conditions of release, she must undergo mental health treatment or return to prison, Reiss said, as well as drug testing and must not have any contact with the victims.

WHAT IS RICIN? 

Ricin is made from the waste material left over from processing castor beans. 

In addition, it comes in the form of a mist, a powder, or a pellet. It can also be dissolved in weak acid or water. 

If castor beans are chewed and swallowed, the Ricin that is released can cause serious injury. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control, effects from ricin exposure usually show up within a day. 

The major symptoms of ricin poisoning depend on the route of exposure and the dose received, though many organs may be affected in severe cases. 

There is no antidote to treat ricin poisoning. 

Ricin poisoning is not contagious and Ricin-associated illness cannot be spread from person to person through casual contact. 

However, if you come into contact with someone who has ricin on their body or clothes, you could become exposed to it. 

An adult can be killed after ingesting a dose of purified Ricin powder the size of a few grains of table salt. 

Source: The Centers for Disease Control  

Link hienalouca.com

https://hienalouca.com/2018/09/06/vermont-woman-71-who-admitted-ricin-possession-sentenced-to-probation/
Main photo article A woman charged with manufacturing the deadly toxin ricin in her Vermont retirement community and testing it on residents was sentenced Thursday.
Betty Miller, 71, also sentenced to time served and five years of probation and must undergo mental health treatment and must pay a $10,000...

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Dianne Reeves US News HienaLouca





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