The widow of one of the five people killed in the anthrax attacks of 2001 reached a settlement with the U.S. government worth $2.5 million, the Associated Press reports.

Citing court documents, AP reports that the widow of Robert Stevens who was photo editor of America Media Inc., and her three grown children are recipients of the settlement.

Stevens sued the U.S. government for $50 million in 2003 claiming that it was negligent and that the laboratory in Maryland which was identified as the source of the attacks should have had tighter security.

Soon after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, letters laced with anthrax began appearing in the U.S. mail. Five Americans were killed and 17 were sickened in what became the worst biological attacks in U.S. history, according to the FBI.

Anthrax-laced letters were mailed to NBC in New York, to the New York Post editor and to Senators’ offices in Washington D.C. and New Jersey, among others.

Stevens died on October 5, 2001 after been exposed to anthrax.

The FBI concluded that the attacks were perpetrated by government scientist Dr. Bruce Ivins who took his own life before charges against him could be filed.