Yesterday we learned the suspect in the Ricin letters sent to Senator Wicker, President Obama and a Mississippi Judge, Kevin Curtis, was released from custody due to lack of evidence of Ricin or related instructions to making the substance at Curtis’ home in Tupelo, Mississippi.

Curtis’ lawyer made the statement she thought her client was being framed and then continued to lay an allegation that James Everett Dutschke, also of Tupelo, was a likely candidate for the alleged framing. We reported yesterday on the Dutschke connection and the fact there seemed to be no love loss between Curtis and Dutschke.

The FBI visited Dutschke earlier this week at his home. Now they are searching his Martial Arts studio.  Djournal reports:

TUPELO – Investigators from the FBI and members of the National Guard are currently searching the martial arts studio of J. Everett Dutschke.

A mobile lab and a tent have been set up in the parking lot in front of Taekwondo Plus. Law enforcement has blocked off Rankin Extended just past Baskin Robbins.

Officials spent much of Tuesday afternoon and evening searching Dutschke’s home on the day Kevin Curtis was released from jail in connection with poison-laced letters sent to President Obama, Sen. Roger Wicker and Justice Court Judge Sadie Holland. Before charges were dropped against Curtis, his attorney had mentioned Dutschke as a possible suspect. No charges have been filed against Dutschke

The investigation is ongoing. Stop back for updates.

4/24/13 – 1:20 PM EST: Local media reporting the studio was closed earlier in the year.

Attorney Lori Nail Basham says Dutschke closed his school 2-3 months ago. Name of business is believed to have been Tae Kwondo Plus. #WTVA

— SUSAN PARKER (@SUSANWTVA) April 24, 2013

Website for Taekwondo Plus.

4/24/13 – 2:02 PM EST: Interview video with Dutschke found at WTVA.

4/24/13 – 11:14 PM CST: Police and Hazmat teams have left the scene where federal, state, and local officials searched the martial arts studio belonging  to J. Everett Dutschke.  According to WTVA

“Law enforcement searched a green Dodge van parked near the former martial arts studio owned by Dutschke.
Hazmat teams seemed to be interested in whatever may, or may not, have been inside of the vehicle and searched it for quite some time.”

The Dodge van was removed from the property and taken to an unknown location according to the WTVA reporters.

4/25/13 7:00 AM EST:  Hazmat teams searched the Studio all day and into the early evening. WTVA also reports they searched a green van parked nearby:

Law enforcement searched a green Dodge van parked near the former martial arts studio owned by Dutschke.

Hazmat teams seemed to be interested in whatever may, or may not, have been inside of the vehicle and searched it for quite some time.

Djournal’s report verifies interest in the van:

12:46 p.m. – A Bolo (“be on the look-out”) was sent out by Tupelo Police to be on the look out for a 1998 Green Dodge Caravan in relation to a FBI investigation. According to tax records J. Everett Dutschke has a Green Dodge Caravan registered to him in Lee County. Local and Federal officials had no comment on the Bolo.

***

12:22 p.m. – From The Associated Press – No investigators appeared to be at the Tupelo home Wednesday morning, and J. Everett Dutschke said he’d gone to a friend’s house to rest. Piles of items could be seen all over the floor through the window. The home was searched Tuesday by dozens of officials, some in hazmat suits, from early in the afternoon until about 11 p.m. CDT. Officials declined to comment on what they had found or on the next phase of the investigation.

At one point, two FBI agents and two members of the state’s chemical response team left Dutschke’s property and began combing through ditches, culverts and woods about a block away from his house in the neighborhood of single-family detached homes.

Some more details have emerged in the feud between Curtis and Dutschke, Djournal explains:

Curtis said he’s not sure exactly what led to the bad blood. It involves the men’s time working together, a broken promise to help with a book by Curtis and an acrimonious exchange of emails, according to Curtis.

The two worked together at Curtis’ brother’s insurance office years ago, Curtis said. He said Dutschke told him he owned a newspaper and showed interest in publishing his book called “Missing Pieces,” about what Curtis considers an underground market to sell body parts.

But Dutschke decided not to publish the material, Curtis alleged, and later began stalking Curtis on the Internet.

For his part, Dutschke said he didn’t even know Curtis that well.

“He almost had my sympathy until I found out that he was trying to blame somebody else,” Dutschke said Monday. “I’ve known he was disturbed for a long time. Last time we had any contact with each other was at some point in 2010 when I threatened to sue him for fraud for posting a Mensa certificate that is a lie. He is not a Mensa member. That certificate is a lie.”

Curtis acknowledges posting a fake Mensa certificate on Facebook, but says it was an online trap set up for Dutschke because he believed Dutschke was stalking him online. He knew Dutschke also claimed to be a member of the organization for people with high IQs. Dutschke had a Mensa email address during a legislative campaign he mounted in 2007.

Dutschke started a campaign to prove him a liar, Curtis said, and allegedly harassed him through emails and social networking.

Curtis said the two agreed to meet at one point to face off in person, but Dutschke didn’t show up.

“The last email I got from him, was, ‘Come back tomorrow at 7 and the results of you being splattered all over the pavement will be public for the world to see what a blank, blank, blank you are.’ And then at that point, I knew I was dealing with a coward,” Curtis said.

Sounds like a bad Lifetime movie of the week, but falls in line with the website comment we found that KC Live posted regarding Dutschke. Screen shots of the post are here and here. The comment was posted on a site called Bullshido.net. Curtis’s comment is the last one in the thread and posted under the user name KC Live. KC Live also mentions he planned to offer himself as a witness against Dutschke in court. The full text, emphasis added is ours:

James E. Dutschke worked for my older brother in the insurance business for a few years. In those years (2006-2009) he violated rules of conduct, visited my telemarketing office, spoke with various telemarketers (which no agent had EVER done before) & began stalking me on and offline. From a waitress at Applebee’s in Tupelo to a 17 year old former martial arts student in South Carolina (Alex H) this man slandered & trashed my name to countless people. I eventually called him on the phone & asked him to meet me outside the taekwondo plus building in Tupelo. he became nervous, began to stutter on the phone and hung up on me. I simply asked for a “meeting”. He took it as “threatening” turned around & emailed me cursing me calling me all kinds of childish names. I went to an attorney about this man & his years of trolling/stalking but was told I had to have “PROOF”. So, I set up a trap online. Only a person(s) who had an evil hidden agenda would take the bait and James Everett Dutschke took the bait within 24 hours. He immediately began to slander me and make up all kinds of lies (thinking I was a tall slender blue eyed blond attorney working in Alabama) He even went as far as to call ever attorney in the phone book with the name I used…I had MORE than enough PROOF to bust him so back to the attorney I went. My attorney called a meeting with Mr. Dutschke & guess what? I Never heard from this man again. It was a few months later that he sent me an email saying “Check out the “Robo Drum” with “Dusty”! LOL I almost fell out of my seat when I saw he was promoting himself as a “National touring blues act” ..making his own guitars…using an electric “Boss” beat box (what blues band would EVER do this)? and was on the charts, selling out CD’s in walmarts all over the world..OMG…the list goes on and on and on. While it is true Mr. Dutschke is highly intelligent (so was/is Charles Manson) he has chosen to use his skills and talents for evil purposes. (my opinion) I’m so thankful I live in a country where I can state my own opinion on forums like this one as I am only here to educate & inform. I will never break any of the rules and/or violate codes of conduct on this forum = RESPECT. I am open to communicate with anyone who may have info on this individual James E. Dutschke. It will be interesting to see how the trials unfold & I plan to offer myself as a rebuttal witness (after the fact) as I saved all his emails, recorded telephone call & my meeting with him at Barnhills in Tupelo where I confronted him challenging him to interview me and/or print a story I had for his so-called newspaper he claimed to be Owner/publisher.…so..let’s re-count…He sells insurance (worked for my brother) TRUE….He taught taekwondo in tupelo..TRUE…He published a free newspaper….(Not verified)….He ran for district 16 in the Republican Party in Tupelo…TRUE..LOST………..he is a blues musician who travels the world and has sold all his cd’s for $7.99……NOT VERIFIED…….and now…He is arrested on “2″ counts of CHILD MOLESTATION…((((TRUE)))) I wonder how “MENSA” High IQ board will handle having a person like this on their team??? Time will tell. I spoke to my wife & mother of my 4 children last night..she said he would ask her questions about me at work and the last time she saw him, he asked “What was it like being married to Kevin”? Why would a man relocated from Carolina, get a job with my brother, be placed in my ex wife’s unit (she was manager) and began asking personal questions & trolling everything I have online daily? (Yes..I have/had a TRACKER on all my websites which told me who and how many times a person visited my page (mama didn’t raise no fool) lol Glad to be a part of this forum & again..Not here to cause waves or stir the pot..just simply to inform, educated, become more educated myself & share with others of interest. God bless. This is KC & I approve this message. TCB

Read more at our previous post: Elvis Has Left The Building…

As of this update, no charges have been filed against Dutschke. Meanwhile, Kevin Curtis is a free man and yeah, he can sing like Randy Travis (H/T The Blaze):

More updates —

4/25/13 12:00 PM EST: Authorities are now searching a home(s) near Ozark Baptist Church on Highway 371 North of Mantachie according to WTVA. The specific location has not been disclosed as of yet. Check back for updates.

4/25/13 12:07 PM EST: Home identified as belonging to a Kirk Kitchens. Authorities waiting on search warrant.

Authorities have not said how Kitchens is connected to the investigation, but Sheriff Dickinson believes the man is a former karate student of James Everett Dutschke. – WTVA

4/25/13 12:13 PM EST:

New info. Home to be searched belongs to Melvin Kitchens. Used as hunting camp only. Grandson took Karate under Dutschke. #WTVA

— SUSAN PARKER (@SUSANWTVA) April 25, 2013

Melvin Kitchens says they had no idea the house was to be searched. He says they won’t find anything. #WTVA

— SUSAN PARKER (@SUSANWTVA) April 25, 2013

Reporting NO FBI presence yet:

No FBI presence at the moment. Law enforcement are about a mile away staged at Ozark Baptist Church. Sheriff says waiting on search warrant

— SUSAN PARKER (@SUSANWTVA) April 25, 2013

4/25/13 1:38 PM EST:

Melvin Kitchens says his son Kirk is a plumber in Tupelo area. #WTVA

— SUSAN PARKER (@SUSANWTVA) April 25, 2013

Kirk Kitchens is listed as the owner of Lee Acres Plumbing. A different company profile shows the business contact as Ms. Melvin Kitchens.

4/25/13 1:56 PM EST: Possible Facebook Page for Kirk Kitchens here.  Possible Twitter here – not much activity. Apparently is a serious deer hunter. Looks like this might be his YouTube channel.

4/25/13 2:02 -2:34 PM EST: Dutschke is MIA.

Dutschke’s whereabouts unknown at this point. Sheriff not saying he’s on the run. Dutschke is a person of interest he says.

— SUSAN PARKER (@SUSANWTVA) April 25, 2013

Sheriff Dickinson says Dutschke’s whereabouts unknown to him. He says FBI keeping tabs on him but lost touch last night.

— SUSAN PARKER (@SUSANWTVA) April 25, 2013

Sheriff says there was a search last night in Itawamba County. Included air search.No word yet on Dutschke’s whereabouts.

— SUSAN PARKER (@SUSANWTVA) April 25, 2013

4/25/13 2:40 PM EST: Dutschke is ‘person of interest’ and friends with Kirk Kitchens according to WTVA:

Dutschke has become a person of interest following the dismissal of charges filed in federal court against Paul Kevin Curtis, 45, of Corinth earlier this week.

Dickinson says a vehicle driven by Kevin Kitchens was stopped on Highway 371 near River Road north of Mantachie around 9 p.m. Wednesday night.

He says Kitchens and Dutschke are friends, but did not confirm if Dutschke was in the car during the traffic stop.

Dickinson says they have reason to believe the men were at the home in the Ozark community at some point.

FBI were keeping tabs on Dutschke, but lost track of him. No indication on whether or not they know where Kitchens is.

4/25/13 6:58 PM EST:

Dutschke is now home. He just arrived here on South Canal Street. He did not respond to request for comment. #WTVAtwitter.com/SUSANWTVA/stat…

— SUSAN PARKER (@SUSANWTVA) April 25, 2013

Strange things went on last night at the second search location owned by Kitchens, via WTVA:

ITAWAMBA CO., Miss. (WTVA) — The attorney for J. Everett Dutschke says the FBI is aware of the whereabouts of her client.

The revelation comes after local and federal authorities descended on the Ozark community in Itawamba County looking for Dutschke Wednesday night.

Authorities say Dutschke and a friend, Kirk Kitchens, at one point drove from the location of his former martial arts studio in Tupelo to a hunting cabin on Twenty Mile Bottom Road.

Kitchens tells WTVA.com he drove Dutschke to the cabin because they were being followed by the media and didn’t want to lead them to Kitchen’s home.

He says the Itawamba County property, owned by his father Melvin Kitchens of Pontotoc, had numerous cars parked out front and an aircraft was flying in the area.

Kitchens says they went into the home, turned on all the lights and the television to give the appearance they were inside, then the two slipped away into the darkness of the night.

He says Dutschke met someone on a nearby roadway and left for a location never disclosed to Kitchen’s.

He says Dutschke was his son’s taekwondo instructor for seven years.