Arrest Made in Case of Threatening Letter, Suspicious Substance

Mar. 7, 2011

FLORENCE, Ala. – Mary Lee Hudson, 56, of Tuscumbia, was arrested by UNA Police this afternoon on charges of a Class C felony crime in the case of a threatening letter containing a suspicious substance received on the fifth floor of Stevens Hall last Thursday. The fifth floor of Stevens Hall houses administrative offices for the UNA College of Education, where Hudson had served on the staff from 2003 to 2010. She has been on staff at UNA since 1997.

The letter, addressed to a UNA faculty member, quickly prompted an evacuation of Stevens Hall last Thursday afternoon. The building’s ventilation system was also shut down, while the building was decontaminated by Colbert County HazMat before reopening Friday morning. Three staff members coming in contact with the letter were also held for decontamination Thursday. They were released later that afternoon.

UNA Police have worked on the case in cooperation with Colbert County HazMat, the Florence Police Department, the Florence Fire Department, the FBI, the county EMA, the Department of Homeland Security and the Alabama Department of Public Health.

Following the criminal investigation, the case was turned over to the Lauderdale County District Attorney and the United State Postal Inspector. Current charges are from the Lauderdale County District Attorney.