• Salt Lake City: Scattered Clouds 63°
partlycloudy
Deseret News
Home
  • Login/Register
    • Mobile
    • Mobile Site
    • Text Version
    • Mobile Apps
Powered by YAHOO! SEARCH
  • News
  • Sports
  • Moneywise
  • Opinion
  • Faith
  • Family
  • Obituaries
    • Classifieds
    • Cars
    • Jobs
    • Deals
powered by ksl.com
  • Utah
  • World & Nation
  • Politics
  • Business
  • More News
    • Education
    • Salt Lake County
    • Utah County
    • Davis County
    • Police/Courts
    • Legislature
    • Weather
    • Immigration
    • News Wire
Advertise with usReport this ad

'Suspicious' mail sent to LDS seminary in Syracuse

Students evacuate, but no powder is found in envelope

  • Print
  • Font [+] [-]
  • 20 Comments »

By Ben Winslow, Deseret News

Published: Wednesday, Nov. 19 2008 12:18 a.m. MST

  • View 6 photos »

Emergency crews carry a suspicious envelope from the Syracuse Junior High LDS Seminary building Tuesday. Fifty-seven students were evacuated from the building, but no traces of powder were found.

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Summary

A padded manila envelope addressed to the LDS Church triggered evacuations and a massive hazardous materials response at an LDS seminary building here.

More Coverage
  • FBI to run more tests on mystery substance mailed to LDS Church

SYRACUSE — A padded manila envelope addressed to the LDS Church triggered evacuations and a massive hazardous materials response at an LDS seminary building here.

Clad in green hazmat suits, firefighters walked into the seminary building outside Syracuse Junior High Tuesday afternoon after an instructor called police saying the envelope looked "suspicious." Lab tests conducted on the envelope mailed to the building from out of state found nothing.

"There were no powders," said U.S. Postal Inspector Robert Maes. "So really all we're looking at is an envelope that was suspicious."

Syracuse police said the only thing inside was a letter that talked about about returning some videos. The letter's label was printed on a computer, but appeared to have been cut out by scissors and taped onto the outside. The return address was a Syracuse post office box that didn't exist.

"There were no threats," Syracuse Police Lt. Tracy Jensen said.

The discovery of the envelope at 9 a.m. Tuesday prompted officials to evacuate the 57 students inside the seminary building of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Davis School District spokesman Chris Williams said a lot of phone calls and rumors were flying around the school, prompting a couple of parents to come and remove their children for the day.

Anna Robbins, who works at a nearby business, watched the drama unfold from a parking lot next to the seminary.

"I think this is just a bit overboard. It's just overkill. Is it because it is a seminary building and the LDS Church is taking everything so seriously now?" she said.

Police and firefighters set up a decontamination tent, but both Syracuse Junior High and Syracuse Elementary were not evacuated. Kids from the elementary school stopped to watch some of the excitement during recess.

Police said they responded in part because of a series of incidents involving envelopes containing suspicious white powder mailed to LDS temples in Salt Lake City and Los Angeles, as well as a Catholic-affiliated printing press belonging to the Knights of Columbus in Connecticut. Those incidents remain under investigation by the FBI.

Contributing: Ethan Thomas; E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com

Related Stories
  • FBI to run more tests on mystery substance mailed to LDS Church

Featured Comments

See all 20 comments »
Inigo Montoya

Sounds like some punk kids messing around. Still this is nothing to take lightly.

  • 10:43 a.m. Nov. 18, 2008
  • Top comment
silly

hhahahahahahahahahahaha!

  • 11:17 a.m. Nov. 18, 2008
  • Top comment
Read updates....

No white powder found at Syracuse seminary
November 18th as reported by KSL!

  • 11:27 a.m. Nov. 18, 2008
  • Top comment
Comments
Leave a comment »

DeseretNews.com encourages a civil dialogue among its readers. We welcome your thoughtful comments.
— About comments

About the Author
Ben Winslow

Ben Winslow

  • Connect:
Advertise with usReport this ad
What You May Have Missed
  • No kid is an island: homeschool co-ops give social opportunities to children who learn at home
  • Life of prayer: Attitudes and beliefs about prayer evolve in old age
  • Watch a video tribute to Sister Frances J. Monson
Sample morning edition email
Advertise with usReport this ad
Most Popular
Across Site
In Utah
  • Provo couple killed in RV accident near St....
  • Man charged with killing Ogden officer found...
  • Police were watching, listening to Josh and...
  • Davis County honor student arrested in deaths...
  • 'More questions than answers' as charges...
  • Susan Powell's father wants help searching...
  • Steven Powell can't go back to his home,...
  • Parents of Sandy Hook victim, Emilie Parker,...
  • Sister Frances J. Monson's legacy of love...
  • Provo couple killed in RV accident near St....
  • LDS Church responds to Boy Scouts of...
  • Man charged with killing Ogden officer found...
  • BYU, Utah and Utah State 2013 football...
  • Police were watching, listening to Josh and...
  • Mormon Parenting: Don’t call gay unions...
  • Sintra, Portugal, is a perfect combination of...
Get The Deseret News Everywhere

Subscribe

Mobile

Facebook

Twitter

RSS

Email

Most Commented
Across Site
In Utah
  • Chaffetz not willing to take... 70
  • Man charged with killing Ogden officer... 39
  • S.L. draws up airport plans 33
  • Couples registry gets preliminary nod... 29
  • 'We're here to serve all boys,' Utah... 23
  • Search for Susan Cox Powell is over,... 21
  • Gov. Gary Herbert tells Washington... 17
  • $2.6B needed for Utah to reach... 17
  • LDS Church responds to Boy Scouts of... 83
  • Chaffetz not willing to take... 70
  • Mormon Parenting: Don’t call gay... 65
  • Defending the Faith: A case for the... 63
  • Hard work, dedication pay off for... 56
  • High school baseball: 5A, 4A state... 56
  • BYU baseball: Cougars upset No. 13... 45
  • Boy Scouts open membership to all boys,... 44
Advertise with usReport this ad
Advertise with usReport this ad
  • Home
  • News
  • Sports
  • Moneywise
  • Opinion
  • Faith
  • Family
  • Obituaries
Home »
  • Blogs
  • Topics
  • Lists
  • Movies
  • Columnists
  • Watch It
News »
  • Utah news
  • World & Nation
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Education
  • Salt Lake County
  • Utah County
  • Davis County
  • Police/Courts
  • Legislature
  • Weather
  • Immigration
  • News Wire
Sports »
  • Utah Jazz
  • Sports Picks
  • BYU Cougars
  • Utah Utes
  • Utah State Aggies
  • Real Salt Lake
  • Salt Lake Bees
  • High school sports
  • Rock
  • Harmon
  • Watch It
  • Scores and Stats
  • On TV
  • NFL
  • MLB
  • Weber State Wildcats
  • Grizzlies
  • Utah Valley Wolverines
  • Southern Utah University
  • Sports Wire
Opinion »
  • Editorials
  • Op-Eds
  • Letters
  • Political Cartoons
Faith »
  • Featured Faiths
  • Mormon Times
  • LDS Church News
  • Mission Reunions
  • Faith Wire
Family »
  • Marriage & Parenting
  • Family Media
  • Movie Guide
  • Calendar
  • TV Listings
  • Family Life Wire
Special Sections »
  • Education Week
  • LDS General Conference
  • Mormons in America
  • Olympics
  • Outdoor Retailer
  • Rugby
  • Sports Picks
  • Sundance Film Festival
  • Utah Blaze
  • Utah Grizzlies
  • Print Subscription
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • FAQ
  • Feedback
  • Jobs
  • RSS
  • E-Edition
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Legal notices
  • Advertise with us
Advertise with usReport this ad