Thomas Morris was 55 when he fell ill after handling a letter at the Brentwood Post Office in Washington, D.C. in autumn 2001. Initially thought to have the flu, his symptoms rapidly worsened; after being taken to the hospital he was diagnosed with anthrax exposure and died in October 2001. He had worked for nearly three decades with the postal service and was married to Mary, with whom he had shared about ten years of marriage and quiet routines like late-night breakfasts after his shifts.

Morris was one of two postal workers at Brentwood who died in the 2001 anthrax attacks. The investigation into the letters became lengthy and contentious, and the FBI later identified a primary suspect. The attack left Mary mourning the sudden loss and the silence in their home.

Did anyone who knew Thomas or his work at the Brentwood facility notice anything unusual about mail handling or building conditions in late 2001?