What Happened to Timothy McVeigh? Is He Still Alive?
by Mathelene | Updated May 26, 2023
Who is Timothy McVeigh?
Timothy McVeigh was an American domestic terrorist who was responsible for the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995. Timothy James McVeigh was born on April 23, 1968, in Lockport, New York, United States. He grew up in a working-class family and was raised primarily by his father after his parents divorced when he was a teenager. McVeigh had a passion for guns and enjoyed reading about firearms and military history.
In 1988, McVeigh enlisted in the United States Army and served as an infantryman. He completed his basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia, and was eventually assigned to the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas. During his military service, McVeigh received several awards and medals for his service, including a Bronze Star.
McVeigh committed one of the bloodiest acts of domestic terrorism in American history on April 19, 1995. In front of Oklahoma City's Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, he set off a truck bomb. 168 people were killed in the explosion, including 19 children, and over 500 more were injured. The attack was motivated by McVeigh's fervent anti-federalist and anti-government sentiments.
McVeigh was apprehended shortly after the bombing when he was pulled over by a state trooper for driving without a license plate. Authorities quickly linked him to the bombing, and he was arrested. McVeigh was tried and found guilty of federal murder charges. He was sentenced to death and executed by lethal injection on June 11, 2001, at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana.
The Oklahoma City bombing shocked the nation and highlighted the threat of domestic terrorism. The attack led to increased security measures at federal buildings and a broader national conversation about extremism and anti-government sentiment. McVeigh's actions remain a painful reminder of the devastating consequences of domestic terrorism.
What Happened to Timothy McVeigh?
After the Oklahoma City bombing, the FBI traced the vehicle identification number (VIN) of a rear axle found in the wreckage, which led them to identify the rental truck used in the attack as a Ryder truck rented from Junction City, Kansas. With the help of an FBI artist, a sketch of the renter, who had used the alias "Robert Kling," was created and shown in the area. Lea McGown, manager of the local Dreamland Motel, identified the sketch as Timothy McVeigh.
A few days after the bombing, while driving on Interstate 35 in Noble County near Perry, Oklahoma, McVeigh was stopped by State Trooper Charles J. Hanger. The trooper noticed that McVeigh's yellow 1977 Mercury Marquis had no license plate. McVeigh, who had a bulge under his jacket, admitted to having a gun, leading to his arrest for driving without plates and possessing an illegal firearm.
McVeigh was sporting a shirt with an image of Abraham Lincoln and the John Wilkes Booth-related inscription "sic semper tyrannis" ('Thus always to tyrants'). The shirt also included a tree with three blood drops on it and a phrase from Thomas Jefferson about how both patriots and tyrants' blood is used to rehydrate the Tree of Liberty. McVeigh was discovered as the target of the extensive search three days later.
On August 10, 1995, McVeigh was charged with 11 federal offenses, including conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, actual use of such a weapon, use of explosives in the commission of a crime against humanity, and eight counts of first-degree murder for the murders of law enforcement officers. Later, the case was moved to the Denver District Court, where District Judge Richard Paul Matsch is in charge.
During the trial, McVeigh's defense initially considered using a necessity defense, arguing that his actions were a justifiable response to what he perceived as government crimes in the Waco siege. However, this defense was not pursued. McVeigh's lawyers did show the jury the controversial video "Waco, the Big Lie" as part of their defense strategy.
On June 2, 1997, McVeigh was found guilty on all 11 counts of the federal indictment. The charges for murder were limited to the eight federal agents who were on duty during the bombing. The jury recommended the death penalty for McVeigh on June 13, and he was sentenced to death. The State of Oklahoma did not file murder charges against McVeigh for the other 160 deaths, as he had already received a death sentence for the federal charges.
Before the formal pronouncement of his sentence, McVeigh addressed the court for the first time, quoting Justice Louis Brandeis to convey his message. He said, "If the Court please, I wish to use the words of Justice Brandeis dissenting in Olmstead to speak for me. He wrote, 'Our Government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example.' That's all I have."
Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols
Terry Lynn Nichols, born on April 1, 1955, in Lapeer County, Michigan, was an American militant who played a significant role in the Oklahoma City bombing that occurred on April 19, 1995. Alongside Timothy McVeigh, he was found guilty of this act of terrorism, which resulted in the deaths of 168 people and stood as the deadliest act of terrorism on U.S. soil until the September 11 attacks in 2001.
At the time of the bombing, Nichols was located hundreds of miles away in Herington, Kansas. Two days after the incident, he voluntarily went to the Herington Police headquarters for questioning, believing he was a material witness based on news reports. After seven hours of questioning, a warrant was issued for his arrest, and he was taken into custody in connection with the bombing.
Formal charges were brought against Nichols on May 10, 1995, with both him and McVeigh being indicted by a federal grand jury three months later. They were accused with using a weapon of mass destruction, conspiring to use one, using one, destroying property with explosives, and eight counts of first-degree murder for the government employees who died in the Murrah Building.
Nichols' trial took place three months after McVeigh's conviction and death sentence. While some evidence and witnesses were shared between the two trials, Nichols' case lacked certain key elements that contributed to McVeigh's conviction, such as a strong anti-government motive and substantial physical evidence.
The prosecution argued that Nichols, using the alias "Mike Havens," purchased large quantities of ammonium nitrate fertilizer—the primary ingredient in the Oklahoma City bomb—from a farm co-op in McPherson, Kansas, on September 30, 1994. The prosecution presented evidence linking Nichols to various stages of the plot, including renting storage lockers and stealing explosives, blasting caps, and detonating cords from a quarry in Marion, Kansas, on October 1, 1994.
Fingerprint evidence found on a receipt in Nichols' wallet confirmed his presence with McVeigh on April 13, 1995. Additional circumstantial evidence implicated Nichols in the robbery of a gun collector in Arkansas, which the prosecution claimed was intended to fund the bombing conspiracy.
The prosecution also suggested that Nichols drove McVeigh from Junction City, Oklahoma, to Oklahoma City on April 16, 1995, to drop off the getaway car. Nichols' wife, Marife Nichols, was unable to provide an alibi for him on April 18, while his former wife, Lana Padilla, testified that Nichols had left a letter for McVeigh with her, urging him to "Go for it!"
In late 1997, a federal jury found Nichols guilty of one count of conspiracy and eight counts of involuntary manslaughter. Due to a deadlocked jury, he was spared the death sentence and was instead sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in mid-1998.
Is Timothy McVeigh Still Alive?
Timothy McVeigh, a white male, was executed on June 11, 2001. He had been convicted and sentenced to death in June 1997 for his involvement in the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995, which resulted in the deaths of 168 people. McVeigh chose to waive his collateral appeals, and the Government scheduled his execution for May 16, 2001.
Attorney General John Ashcroft, however, gave Timothy McVeigh a 30-day reprieve from death just a few weeks before the scheduled execution. After it became clear that the FBI had withheld nearly 3,000 pages of information from McVeigh's defense team, thus jeopardising his right to a fair trial, this judgement was made. McVeigh's co-defendant, Terry Nichols, faced separate trials.
In December 1997, he was convicted by a federal jury and sentenced to life in prison without parole. After the Oklahoma City explosion, Nichols was eventually tried in state court in Oklahoma for the killings of the 161 non-federal workers who perished. In May 2004, he was convicted in the state trial, but the jury deadlocked on whether to impose the death penalty.
As a result, Nichols was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. These events shed light on the legal proceedings surrounding the Oklahoma City bombing, with McVeigh ultimately being executed for his role in the act of domestic terrorism, while Nichols received multiple life sentences for his involvement.
Timothy McVeigh's last words
On the day before his execution, Timothy McVeigh was transferred from the U.S. Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana to the execution chamber. In the early morning hours of June 10, 2001, he made a lighthearted remark to the guards when the shower initially ran cold, joking that it was "cruel and unusual punishment." To the surprise of his attorney Nathan Chambers, McVeigh was given Catholic last rites, despite previously identifying as agnostic.
For his final meal, McVeigh requested and consumed two pints of mint chocolate chip ice cream. In the evening, he watched television until 9 p.m. and then turned it off to sleep. However, he had a restless night, tossing and turning. At 3:00 a.m. on the day of his execution, he resumed watching television. His attorneys visited him at 4:30 a.m. and departed after 20 minutes. The scheduled time for his execution was 7:00 a.m.
What Happened to Timothy McVeigh - FAQs
Timothy McVeigh was an American domestic terrorist responsible for the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995.
After the Oklahoma City bombing, McVeigh was apprehended when he was pulled over by a state trooper for driving without a license plate.
No, Timothy McVeigh was executed on June 11, 2001.