The Federal Bureau of Investigation hopes to close out the anthrax killer case by Thursday after the suicide of Bruce Ivins, a newly identified suspect, bringing an end to the nearly seven-year investigation, sources tell ABC 7/NewsChannel 8. 

Investigators plan to release the evidence in the case after meeting with the 17 anthrax survivors and the family members of the five people killed in the attacks on Wednesday.

The FBI (web) has invited family members to come to Washington. Patrick Hogan, son-in-law of anthrax victim Robert Stevens, told the Associated Press that Stevens' widow Maureen is planning to attend. "We've been suffering for seven years," Hogan said in a phone interview from his home in Palm Springs, Fla. "I'm just glad they finally found somebody."

New evidence against Ivins, a former Army scientist at Fort Detrick, surfaced Tuesday, including reports that he borrowed a device capable of turning liquid anthrax -- the type mostly commonly studied in the lab -- into the powdered form, such as the version that was mailed.

The New York Times reported Tuesday that Ivins had a long history of alcohol abuse. The newspaper also said Ivins' Post Office Box -- rented under an assumed name -- was used to receive pornographic magazines. The FBI also says it linked the mailed anthrax spores to a flask belonging to Ivins.

Ivins killed himself last week, apparently distraught about the fact a grand jury was being impaneled to indict him on capital murder charges. The grand jury was expected to hear evidence over the next several weeks.

But many remain skeptical of the government's case, including Ivins' former supervisor at Fort Detrick, Jeff Adamovicz.

"All of us want to see this, the facts in this case brought to bear but we want to see the evidence. We want to see the reasons to believe that Bruce could be possibly guilty of these crimes, and we want to be able to have that presented and not have this case closed."

Two possible motives have leaked to the press. One theory is that Ivins may have released the toxin to test cures he was developing. Or, the reports allege, he may have wanted to stimulate demand for an anthrax vaccine he had recently patented.

Other evidence includes comments from a social worker who met with Ivins during group therapy sessions for about six months in 2008. Jean Duley sought and received a restraining order against Ivins on July 24, 2008, claiming he had homicidal fantasies about killing co-workers. In audio tapes of the court proceedings, obtained by The New York Times, Duley claimed that in a July 9, 2008 session:

"He was extremely agitated, out of control..." She said he had bought a gun and a bulletproof vest and had "a very detailed plan to kill his co-workers because he was about to be indicted on capital murder charges. He was going to go out in a blaze of glory."

Duley later sought to have Ivins involuntarily committed to a high-security mental health facility.

FBI agents had been trailing Ivins and had seized his personal computers. Last week, the FBI seized two computers from the Frederick Public Library that Ivins allegedly used after his were taken.

The Associated Press also reported on Monday that the former Army scientist had a long obsessions with a New Jersey sorrority, Kappa Kappa Gamma, that was located fewer than 100 yards from the postal boxes where the anthrax-laced letters were mailed to media organizations and lawmakers in September and October of 2001.

U.S. officials told the AP e-mails or other documents detail Ivins' long-standing fixation on the sorority. His former therapist has said Ivins plotted revenge against those who have slighted him, particularly women. There is nothing to indicate, however, he was focused on any one sorority member or other Princeton student, the officials said.

One hole in the investigators' case has been their inability to place Ivins in Princeton when the letters were mailed. Had Ivins not killed himself last week, authorities would have argued he could have made the seven-hour round trip journey to Princeton after work, the AP reported Monday.

It's also unclear if the FBI has been able to match Ivins' handwriting to the distinctive block lettering on the Anthrax-tainted letters sent to media outlets and lawmakers.

Many people remain skeptical of the evidence, especially considering the initial focus the FBI and Justice Department had placed on biowarfare researcher Steven Hatfill, who was described as a person of interest by then-Attorney General John Ashcroft in 2002.

"It seems like they from one guy to next to next," said Frederick resident William Dennie. "[I] hope they know what they're doing; [they're] going to make a wreck of someone's life if they're wrong."

Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, one of the recipients of the anthrax letters, also remains skeptical of the FBI's new emphasis on Ivins.

"Given their checkered past and the difficulty that they had in getting to this point, the bungling of the Hatfill part of the investigation, leads me to be very skeptical," Daschle told CNN. 

Some of the scientist's friends and former co-workers have reacted with skepticism as details about the investigation surfaced. They questioned whether Ivins had the motive to unleash such an attack. There are also questions about whether he would be technically capable of creating the highly refined, powdered form of the deadly toxin without co-workers noticing.

Some reporters have also raised questions about Jean Duley, the social worker who was granted a restraining order against Ivins.

According to court records, Duley has two recent arrests for driving under the influence. In 2006, she pleaded guilty to reckless driving and the DUI charge was dropped. In 2007 she pleaded guilty to a DUI charge. In 1992, she was charged with battery against her then-husband, William Duley. Prosecutors dropped the charges, and the case was not adjudicated. She was also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia with intent in use in 1993. The charges were later dropped.