Barrett v. United States

OPINION

MOTLEY, District Judge.

This court is faced with assessing a sad episode in the conduct of the United States Government and a personal tragedy for an unsuspecting victim and his family. The case arises from the death of Harold Blauer, a mental patient who died in 1953 as a guinea pig in an experiment to test potential chemical warfare agents for the United States Army. Rather than admit its role in Blauer’s death, the Government covered up its involvement in the affair, thus this opinion is issued today rather than in the early 1950’s when the death occurred.

I. INTRODUCTION

This is a…