Why Timothy McVeigh vs. The USA?

Why Timothy McVeigh vs. The USA?

I turned 18 the week Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols planted McVeigh’s getaway car near the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building and commenced to building a weapon of mass destruction out of a Ryder Truck like the one pictured above. I’ve never forgotten that Wednesday morning. Maybe it’s the indelible image of that smoky brown bite mark, or the realization that the war scene from downtown Oklahoma City was on the news, not in a movie. Why study this trial? I couldn’t see the blast from Dallas, but even at 18 I felt it. America changed.

Read More

Episode 1: The Hands of Time Fall to Rest at 9:02 AM

Episode 1: The Hands of Time Fall to Rest at 9:02 AM

Listen: We begin the way the Government began their case: with the stories of the survivors. Mike Shannon’s story appears next on the show, though he didn’t actually testify until much later in the trial. The same with the detailed analysis of the type of weapon used. From there, we follow an axle from the crime scene to Elliott’s Body Shop. The Script for the show, including some pictures introduced at the trial follow.1Like all trial lawyers, I steal good phrases from other trial lawyers. The title of this episode comes from McVeigh Prosecutor Larry Mackey who declared in closing arguments, “The hands of time fell to rest that morning at 9:02 A.M.” All quoted statements in the script came directly from the testimony of the witness. Read More

Episode 2: Who is the Man in the Marquis?

Episode 2: Who is the Man in the Marquis?

Listen: After Investigators tie the name Robert D. Kling from a rental agreement for a Ryder Truck, the nationwide manhunt descends upon the Noble County, Oklahoma Jail, and a man arrested in a Mercury Marquis for failing to display a proper license plate. The world learned his name for the first time: Timothy James McVeigh. Who was he? Where did he come from? What does he stand for? Continue reading to find out, including a few pictures introduced at the trial. Read More

Episode 4: Linchpins in Herington

Episode 4: Linchpins in Herington

Listen: Jurors hear about some very peculiar fertilizer sales, a burglary at a rock quarry, and about a treasure trove of evidence investigators found in Herrington. They also hear a letter McVeigh allegedly wrote in which he signed off by saying, “send no more letters after April 1st.” The Script to the show and some of the trial pictures follow. Read More

Episode 6: In Defense of Timothy McVeigh and the Jury Reaches a Verdict

Episode 6: In Defense of Timothy McVeigh and the Jury Reaches a Verdict

Listen: The Defense uncovers a mystery for jurors about the case that remains unsolved to this day. They attack the integrity of the FBI Lab, and show jurors how one major finding on the only piece of physical evidence from the Ryder Truck with chemical residue can’t be verified. Find out why on this, the final episode of our case study on Timothy McVeigh’s trial. The Script to the Show and some of the trial pictures follow. Read More