Hatfill denies visiting Princeton

Hatfill has denied any involvement in last fall's anthrax attacks.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former government scientist Steven Hatfill, named by law enforcement officials as a "person of interest" in last fall's deadly anthrax attacks, has never been to Princeton. New Jersey, where FBI agents have been circulating a photo that resembles him, Hatfill's spokesman said Wednesday.

"Steve has categorically denied that he's ever been in Princeton," said Pat Clawson, a friend and spokesman for Hatfill, on CNN's "Wolf Blitzer Reports."

"He says he can't remember any time that he was ever in the city and that he couldn't even tell you where Princeton was located at in New Jersey."

Two law enforcement sources and eyewitnesses told CNN Tuesday that FBI agents were showing a picture that "looks an awful lot" like Hatfill to people in downtown Princeton, asking them if they had seen him in the area. The sources would not confirm that the picture was of Hatfill but said it resembles him.

Last Thursday, a mail collection box in the downtown area preliminarily tested positive for anthrax. Further tests have confirmed that the box was indeed contaminated with the deadly bacteria, and investigators told CNN Wednesday that some of the anthrax-laced letters were likely mailed at the box.

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Law enforcement officials have said Hatfill is one of 20 or 30 "persons of interest" in the anthrax investigation. He has not been named a suspect.

The FBI conducted a search of his home two weeks ago for the second time in two months. (Full story)

In a statement Sunday, Hatfill said he had never worked with anthrax in his life and denied any involvement in the attacks.

"I am a loyal American and I love my country," Hatfill said. "I had nothing to do in any way, shape or form with the mailing of these anthrax letters. It is terribly wrong for anyone to contend or suggest that I have."

Hatfill said he had cooperated fully with investigators, who he acknowledged have the right to pursue every lead in their search for the killer.

"But that does not give them the right to smear me and gratuitously make a wasteland of my life in the process," Hatfill said. (Full story)

Last October's mailings of anthrax-laced letters to congressional offices and media outlets killed five people.

They were postmarked in Trenton and bore a fictional return address in Franklin Park, about 20 miles away. Princeton is located about halfway between Trenton and Franklin Park.

Clawson said Hatfill did attend a conference in Trenton last year, but it was in late November, well after the anthrax-laden letters were mailed.

In addition to the letters that actually contained anthrax, a hoax letter was sent to Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle's office from London around the same time.

Clawson said Hatfill did visit Britain last year, for training as a U.N. weapons inspector, but he said Hatfill is unsure if he was even there when the letter was mailed because the FBI has seized all of Hatfill's travel documents.

"He didn't mail anything to anyone while he was on that trip to the UK," Clawson said.

He also said Hatfill's handwriting and the handwriting on the letters "doesn't match by any stretch."