In 2017, a man showed up at the emergency room and confessed that he'd accidentally poisoned himself with homemade ricin. He was federally charged with possessing a biological agent, but his case was dismissed on almost unbelievable technicality. But he's not the only man who thinks he can create the perfect weapon from nothing but a handful of beans.

Original Air Date: 7.31.25

Sources:

https://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional/ajc-watchdog-north-man-arrested-for-ricin-radicalized-online/wdxws9G7zMmaUDmm22njYK/

https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/the-perfect-poison-ricin-used-in-3-recent-cases/

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/17023504/united-states-v-jordan/

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/6378803/united-states-v-siers-hill/

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/6293428/united-states-v-gibbs/

Melissa Abbes, Marc Montana, Christophe Curti, Patrice Vanelle. Ricin poisoning: A review on contamination source, diagnosis, treatment, prevention and reporting of ricin poisoning. Toxicon, Volume 195, 2021

Tucker, Jonathan B. “Dilemmas of a Dual-Use Technology: Toxins in Medicine and Warfare.” Politics and the Life Sciences, vol. 13, no. 1, 1994, pp. 51–62

Bergen, Peter, et al. “Key Trends in Terrorism.” Terrorism in America 18 Years After 9/11, New America, 2019, pp. 45–50

Leo J. Schep, Wayne A. Temple, Grant A. Butt, Michael D. Beasley. Ricin as a weapon of mass terror — Separating fact from fiction. Environment International, Volume 35, Issue 8, 2009

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/15/us/ricin-terrorism-plot-sentencing.html

https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/cfr

https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/uscode

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/744

https://thebulletin.org/2013/06/barely-lethal/

https://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=6020875&page=1

https://slate.com/technology/2012/01/white-powder-hoaxes-a-trend-in-fake-terrorism.html

https://www.justice.gov/archive/tax/usaopress/2002/txdv02091.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-devon-49434687

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/sep/22/woman-poison-plot-mother-breaking-bad-court

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/breaking-bad-inspired-georgetown-student-charged-ricin

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-34288380

USAMRIID’s MEDICAL MANAGEMENT OF BIOLOGICAL CASUALTIES HANDBOOK, Ninth Edition
https://usamriid.health.mil/assets/docs/training/USAMRIIDs_Blue_Book_9th_edition_PDF_format.pdf

In 2017, a man showed up at the emergency room and confessed that he'd accidentally poisoned himself with homemade ricin. He was federally charged with possessing a biological agent, but his case was dismissed on almost unbelievable technicality. But he's not the only man who thinks he can create the perfect weapon from nothing but a handful of beans.
Original Air Date: 7.31.25 Sources: <a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional/ajc-watchdog-north-man-arrested-for-ricin-radicalized-online/wdxws9G7zMmaUDmm22njYK/">https://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional/ajc-watchdog-north-man-arrested-for-ricin-radicalized-online/wdxws9G7zMmaUDmm22njYK/</a> <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/the-perfect-poison-ricin-used-in-3-recent-cases/">https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/the-perfect-poison-ricin-used-in-3-recent-cases/</a> <a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/17023504/united-states-v-jordan/">https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/17023504/united-states-v-jordan/</a> <a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/6378803/united-states-v-siers-hill/">https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/6378803/united-states-v-siers-hill/</a> <a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/6293428/united-states-v-gibbs/">https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/6293428/united-states-v-gibbs/</a> Melissa Abbes, Marc Montana, Christophe Curti, Patrice Vanelle. Ricin poisoning: A review on contamination source, diagnosis, treatment, prevention and reporting of ricin poisoning. Toxicon, Volume 195, 2021 Tucker, Jonathan B. &ldquo;Dilemmas of a Dual-Use Technology: Toxins in Medicine and Warfare.&rdquo; Politics and the Life Sciences, vol. 13, no. 1, 1994, pp. 51&ndash;62 Bergen, Peter, et al. &ldquo;Key Trends in Terrorism.&rdquo; Terrorism in America 18 Years After 9/11, New America, 2019, pp. 45&ndash;50 Leo J. Schep, Wayne A. Temple, Grant A. Butt, Michael D. Beasley. Ricin as a weapon of mass terror &mdash; Separating fact from fiction. Environment International, Volume 35, Issue 8, 2009 <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/15/us/ricin-terrorism-plot-sentencing.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/15/us/ricin-terrorism-plot-sentencing.html</a> <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/cfr">https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/cfr</a> <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/uscode">https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/uscode</a> <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/744">https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/744</a> <a href="https://thebulletin.org/2013/06/barely-lethal/">https://thebulletin.org/2013/06/barely-lethal/</a> <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=6020875&amp;page=1">https://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=6020875&amp;page=1</a> <a href="https://slate.com/technology/2012/01/white-powder-hoaxes-a-trend-in-fake-terrorism.html">https://slate.com/technology/2012/01/white-powder-hoaxes-a-trend-in-fake-terrorism.html</a> <a href="https://www.justice.gov/archive/tax/usaopress/2002/txdv02091.html">https://www.justice.gov/archive/tax/usaopress/2002/txdv02091.html</a> <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-devon-49434687">https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-devon-49434687</a> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/sep/22/woman-poison-plot-mother-breaking-bad-court">https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/sep/22/woman-poison-plot-mother-breaking-bad-court</a> <a href="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/breaking-bad-inspired-georgetown-student-charged-ricin">https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/breaking-bad-inspired-georgetown-student-charged-ricin</a> <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-34288380">https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-34288380</a> USAMRIID&rsquo;s MEDICAL MANAGEMENT OF BIOLOGICAL CASUALTIES HANDBOOK, Ninth Edition <a href="https://usamriid.health.mil/assets/docs/training/USAMRIIDs_Blue_Book_9th_edition_PDF_format.pdf">https://usamriid.health.mil/assets/docs/training/USAMRIIDs_Blue_Book_9th_edition_PDF_format.pdf</a>

Weird Little Guys is a weekly show about the worst people you’ve never heard of, taking you beyond the headlines to get to know the race warriors and aspiring terrorists trying to unravel the fabric of our society. Weaving together the origin stories of modern American white supremacist groups and the crimes that land their members in court, independent journalist Molly Conger exposes the monsters for what they really are - some weird guy. Whether they’re conspiring to build bombs or serving swastika shaped cookies at a dinner party, the weird little guys trying to destroy America are a little less scary with their masks off. 

Weird Little Guys is a weekly show about the worst people you’ve never heard of, taking you beyond the headlines to get to know the race warriors and aspiring terrorists trying to unravel the fabric of our society. Weaving together the origin stories of modern American white supremacist groups and the crimes that land their members in court, independent journalist Molly Conger exposes the monsters for what they really are - some weird guy. Whether they’re conspiring to build bombs or serving swastika shaped cookies at a dinner party, the weird little guys trying to destroy America are a little less scary with their masks off.

Investigative journalist Molly Conger takes you beyond the headlines to examine some of the worst people on the planet, most of whom you’ve never heard of. These are the weird little guys trying to ruin life as we know it.

Weird Little Guys

CZM Rewind: Magic Beans

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/d244991d-5bf1-4857-b8fa-b39f01514c01/transcript