July 11, 2025 • 13 mins
On April 19, 1995, a massive explosion rocked the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people and injuring hundreds more. It was the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history. In this gripping episode, we explore the chilling life and radical motivations of Timothy McVeigh, the man behind the Oklahoma City bombing. From his time as a decorated Gulf War veteran to his descent into anti-government extremism, we uncover the events that led McVeigh to orchestrate a bombing that shocked the nation. We also examine his ties to militias, his obsession with Waco and Ruby Ridge, and the manhunt that brought him to justice.
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#murder #truecrime #truecrimestory #TimothyMcVeigh #OklahomaBombing
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back to bloodstained backstories. We delve into the minds
of those who altered the course of history through unimaginable
acts of terror. Today, we peel back the layers of
one of America's most chilling chapters, the story of Timothy mcveay,
the man behind the devastating Oklahoma City bombing. What led
this former soldier down a path of destruction? How did
(00:22):
a deadly ideology transform into the deadliest active domestic terrorism
in the US history, and most haunting of all? Could
something like this happen again? Brace yourself because we want
because once we start unraveling the twisted tale of Timothy mcveay,
you'll realize the echoes of chaos are closer than we think.
(00:42):
Let the investigation begin.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Timothy McVay was born on April twenty third, nineteen fifty eight,
in Lockport, New York. He was the only son of
the three children in his family. His parents divorced when
he was ten years old, and he would live with
and be raised by his father, William, in Penalty, New York.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Timothy claimed to be bullied in school, and he was
claimed such names. He was called such names as a
noodle McVeagh and he imagined retaliating against his bullies one day.
People who knew him were remembered him as being very
shy and withdrawn. It was said that he only had
only one girlfriend as a teenager. Later, in an interview
with journalists, he told journalists that he did not have
(01:28):
any idea how to impress girls.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
In high school, he took an interest in computers and
would hack into the government computer system using a Commodore
sixty four with the handle the Wanderer, inspired by Dione
de Mucci's song. During his senior year of high school,
he was named the most promising computer programmer.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Timothy's grandfather bonded with him over firearms, would and he
would tell people that he hoped to own a gunshop
one day, case you bring firearms to school to impress
his friends. After graduating high school in nineteen eighty six,
by the skin of his teeth, he took an interest
in gun rights and the Second Amendment of the Constitution.
(02:12):
He would read magazines such as Soldier of Fortune. He
attended Bryant and Stratton College for a brief moment, but
he would end up dropping out. Timothy would go on
to get a job as an armored car guard and
would tell his coworkers about his gun obsession.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
In May nineteen eighty eight, Timothy enlisted in the US
Army and attended basic training and Advanced Individual Training in
the U. S Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia.
At a klu Klux Klan rally, he would purchase a
white power shirt that would cause him to be reprimanded
by the military. Cherry Nichols, who would later help Timothy
(02:53):
commit this terrible act, was his platoon guide. When Cherry
and Timothy were stationed at Fort Riley in Junction in City, Kansas,
they would meet Michael Fortier, who would later assist in
the tragic event as well.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Timothy was known to be a top scoring gunner of
the M two two to twenty five millimeters canon of
the Bradley fighting vehicles used in the first Infantry Division,
and would eventually earn the rank of sergeant. After he
was promoted a sergeant, he would quickly get a reputation
for assigning less than desirable work to black servicemen and
(03:30):
using derogatory language towards them.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
During Operation Desert Storm, Timothy would be deployed to Iraq.
He received several service medals when he returned, such as
the Bronze Star Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Southwest Asia
Service Medal, Army Ribbon, and the Kuwaiti Liberation Medal. He
had aspirations of joining the US Army Special Forces when
(03:57):
he returned home from the Gulf War, but after the
second day of the assessment and selection costs, he told
recruits he had an injured ankle. In nineteen ninety one,
he was honorably discharged from the Army.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
In nineteen ninety three, Timothy drove to Waco, Texas to
show's support during the Waco Siege and distributed pro gun
rights literature and bumpersticker, saying when guns are outlawed, I
will become an outlaw. After the Waco Siege, he would
work at a gun show and he would give out
cards with the name of an address of Leu Horani,
(04:32):
an FBI sniper, in hopes that somebody in the Patriot
movement assassinate the sharp shuitors. Bond's actions were highly controversial
because he shot and killed Randy Weaver's wife as she
held an infant child. Timothy wrote many pieces of hate
mail to long with messages of what goes around comes around.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
In April nineteen ninety three, Timothy went to visit his
former serviceman and roommate Terry Nichols in Michigan. While watching
Chief recoverage of the Waco siege, Kerry and his brother
began to teach Timothy how to make explosives by combining
household chemicals and plastic jugs. When the Waco compound was destroyed,
(05:13):
Timothy became set on taking action.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
He would become even more radical with his anti government
rhetoric and began to sell Bureau of Alcohol tobacco and firearms,
explosive hats with bullet holes in them, and flare guns
that he said could take down atf helicopters. He made
videos about the Waco incident and the government actions, and
(05:38):
gave out pamphlets titled US Government initiates opened warfare against
American people and Waco shootout evokes memories of Warsaw forty three.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
In nineteen ninety four, the government imposed new restrictions against firearms,
which Timothy believed was a threat to his livelihood. Shortly
after Timothy and Terry started making purchases of ammunition or
Shortly after Timothy and Terry started making large purchases of
(06:11):
ammonium nitrate due to rumors that the government would ban
it soon.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Timothy would share his plan to blow up the Federal
building with Michael, and he refused to participate in it.
He also wrote two letters to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
and Firearms. The first letter was titled Constitutional Defenders and
the second was titled atf read. In the letter, he
denounced the government officials as fascist, tyrants and stormtroopers, and
(06:37):
he warned, quote ATF you tyrannical monts motherfuckers will swing
in the wind one day for your treasonous actions against
the Constitution of the United States. Remember the Numenberg War trials.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
On April nineteenth, nineteen ninety five, Timothy parked a rider
truck in front of the Alfred P. Miri I, a
federal building in downtown Oklahoma. Inside the truck was a
bomb he made out of agricultural fertilizer, diesel few, and
other chemicals. He got out of the truck and let
two timed fuses and got into his getaway car.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
At nine oh two am, the bomb exploded. A third
of the building was reduced to rubble and more than
three hundred nearby buildings were damaged or destroyed. One hundred
and sixty eight people were dead, and of those, nineteen
were children from the second floor daycare center. Six hundred
and eighty four more people were left injured. Timothy would
(07:37):
later say that he did not know there was a
daycre on the second floor, and if he did, he
might have chosen a different target. However, Michael said that
he and Timothy did know about it and that he
did not care. In two thousand, during an interview with
Ed Bradley for sixty minutes, Ed asked him for his
reaction to the death of the children, and he said, quote,
(08:00):
I thought it was terrible that there were children in
the building.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Two years prior, there was a bombing at the World
Trade Center in New York. Many assumed this attack was
the work of Middle Eastern terrorists. The FBI quickly began
supporting the rescue efforts and started their investigation.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
On April twentieth, the rear axle the rider truck was located,
which had a vehicle identification number on it. The number
was traced to the body shop in Johnston City, Kansas.
Employees of the shop quickly helped the FBI create a
composite drawing of the man who rented the van. The
drawing was shown around town, and a local hotel employee
identified the person as Timothy McVeigh.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
On April twenty first, when investigators called the bureau's Criminal
Justice Information Services Division in West Virginia, a surprising discovery
was made. Timothy was already in jail. He was pulled
over eighty miles north of Oklahoma City by an Oklahoma
mistake trooper Charles Day hanger on On in State thirty five,
(09:06):
ninety minutes after the bombing took place. By having a
missing license plate. He also had a concealed weapon.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
FBI agents trace. FBI agents found traces of chemicals using
the bombing on Timothy's clothes and a business card which
had gnt at five dollars a stick we need more
written on it. They quickly learned about Timothy's extremist ideologies
and his anger over the events at Waco two years earlier.
(09:35):
They also discovered that Timothy did not act alone. He
had two accomplices, Terry Nichols, who helped him build the bomb,
and Michael Fortier, who was aware of the bombing.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Throughout the investigation, the FBI had interviewed more than twenty
eight thousand people, followed up on forty three thousand leads,
and collected three and a half tons of evidence.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
On August tenth, nineteen ninety five, Timothy was indicted on
eleven federal accounts, including conspiracy to use a weapon of
mass destruction, destruction with the use of explosive, and a
counts of first degree murder for the deaths of law
enforcement officers. They could not bring charges for the remaining
one hundred and sixty eight deaths because they did not
(10:21):
fall under the federal jurisdiction. They were the destriction of
the state of Oklahoma.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Terry Nichols was sentenced to life for his participation in
the bombing. Michael Fortier agreed to testify against Timothy and
Terry in exchange for a reduced sentence, and he was
sentenced to twelve years in prison and find seventy five
thousand dollars failing to warn authorities of the bombing.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
On February twentieth, nineteen ninety six, the court granted a
change of venue and transferred the case to the District
Court in Denver to be presided over by District Judge
Richard Paul MASHs On.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
June second, nineteen ninety seven, he was found guilty of
all counts and sentenced to death. Since he was sentenced
to death, the Oklahoma court did not feel the need
to file any additional charges against Timothy. At USP Florence, Admax,
Timothy and Nichols were housed in what was called Bombers
(11:22):
Row because other bombers such as Ted Kaczynski, Lewis Believe,
and Remiz Joseph were all housed there too. In nineteen
ninety he was transferred to USB Tera Hutt and Terah Hutt, Indiana.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
On November twenty first, nineteen ninety seven, President Bill Clinton
signed S nine twenty three special legislation induced introduced by
Senator Arlen Spector to barr veterans convicted of capital crimes
from being buried at military cemeteries. The site of the
tragic bombing would be transformed into a memorial called the
(11:58):
Outdoor Symbolic Memorial.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
Timothy's execution date was originally sent for May sixteen, two
thousand and one. However, six days before his execution, the
FBI gave thousands of documents to his attorneys. They previously withheld.
As a result, the US Army General John Ashcrock issued
a one month's day of execution on June eleventh, two
(12:22):
thousand and one, at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terror, Indiana.
He was executed by lethal injection. He requested the execution
being nationally televised, and the request was denied. His body
was cremated at Mannock's Ryan Funeral Home, and his lawyers
was given the Ashes, who said the final destination of
Timothy's remains would remain privileged forever. He was the first
(12:47):
federal prisoner executed since nineteen sixty three.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
On January twenty, two thousand and six, Terry Fortyer was
released for good behavior and placed into a witness protection program,
where he was given a new IDENTI thanks for tuning
in to Bloodstained Backstories. Don't forget to follow us on
social media to stay updated, share your thoughts and connect
with fellow true crime enthusias. You can catch us anywhere
(13:12):
you listen to your favorite podcast Spotify, Apple Podcasts or
your go to platform. Make sure that subscribe buttons so
you never miss an episode, and join us next week
as we uncover another chilling case. Until then, stay safe
and stay curious
Welcome back to bloodstained backstories. We delve into the minds
of those who altered the course of history through unimaginable
acts of terror. Today, we peel back the layers of
one of America's most chilling chapters, the story of Timothy mcveay,
the man behind the devastating Oklahoma City bombing. What led
this former soldier down a path of destruction? How did
(00:22):
a deadly ideology transform into the deadliest active domestic terrorism
in the US history, and most haunting of all? Could
something like this happen again? Brace yourself because we want
because once we start unraveling the twisted tale of Timothy mcveay,
you'll realize the echoes of chaos are closer than we think.
(00:42):
Let the investigation begin.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Timothy McVay was born on April twenty third, nineteen fifty eight,
in Lockport, New York. He was the only son of
the three children in his family. His parents divorced when
he was ten years old, and he would live with
and be raised by his father, William, in Penalty, New York.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Timothy claimed to be bullied in school, and he was
claimed such names. He was called such names as a
noodle McVeagh and he imagined retaliating against his bullies one day.
People who knew him were remembered him as being very
shy and withdrawn. It was said that he only had
only one girlfriend as a teenager. Later, in an interview
with journalists, he told journalists that he did not have
(01:28):
any idea how to impress girls.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
In high school, he took an interest in computers and
would hack into the government computer system using a Commodore
sixty four with the handle the Wanderer, inspired by Dione
de Mucci's song. During his senior year of high school,
he was named the most promising computer programmer.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Timothy's grandfather bonded with him over firearms, would and he
would tell people that he hoped to own a gunshop
one day, case you bring firearms to school to impress
his friends. After graduating high school in nineteen eighty six,
by the skin of his teeth, he took an interest
in gun rights and the Second Amendment of the Constitution.
(02:12):
He would read magazines such as Soldier of Fortune. He
attended Bryant and Stratton College for a brief moment, but
he would end up dropping out. Timothy would go on
to get a job as an armored car guard and
would tell his coworkers about his gun obsession.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
In May nineteen eighty eight, Timothy enlisted in the US
Army and attended basic training and Advanced Individual Training in
the U. S Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia.
At a klu Klux Klan rally, he would purchase a
white power shirt that would cause him to be reprimanded
by the military. Cherry Nichols, who would later help Timothy
(02:53):
commit this terrible act, was his platoon guide. When Cherry
and Timothy were stationed at Fort Riley in Junction in City, Kansas,
they would meet Michael Fortier, who would later assist in
the tragic event as well.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Timothy was known to be a top scoring gunner of
the M two two to twenty five millimeters canon of
the Bradley fighting vehicles used in the first Infantry Division,
and would eventually earn the rank of sergeant. After he
was promoted a sergeant, he would quickly get a reputation
for assigning less than desirable work to black servicemen and
(03:30):
using derogatory language towards them.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
During Operation Desert Storm, Timothy would be deployed to Iraq.
He received several service medals when he returned, such as
the Bronze Star Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Southwest Asia
Service Medal, Army Ribbon, and the Kuwaiti Liberation Medal. He
had aspirations of joining the US Army Special Forces when
(03:57):
he returned home from the Gulf War, but after the
second day of the assessment and selection costs, he told
recruits he had an injured ankle. In nineteen ninety one,
he was honorably discharged from the Army.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
In nineteen ninety three, Timothy drove to Waco, Texas to
show's support during the Waco Siege and distributed pro gun
rights literature and bumpersticker, saying when guns are outlawed, I
will become an outlaw. After the Waco Siege, he would
work at a gun show and he would give out
cards with the name of an address of Leu Horani,
(04:32):
an FBI sniper, in hopes that somebody in the Patriot
movement assassinate the sharp shuitors. Bond's actions were highly controversial
because he shot and killed Randy Weaver's wife as she
held an infant child. Timothy wrote many pieces of hate
mail to long with messages of what goes around comes around.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
In April nineteen ninety three, Timothy went to visit his
former serviceman and roommate Terry Nichols in Michigan. While watching
Chief recoverage of the Waco siege, Kerry and his brother
began to teach Timothy how to make explosives by combining
household chemicals and plastic jugs. When the Waco compound was destroyed,
(05:13):
Timothy became set on taking action.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
He would become even more radical with his anti government
rhetoric and began to sell Bureau of Alcohol tobacco and firearms,
explosive hats with bullet holes in them, and flare guns
that he said could take down atf helicopters. He made
videos about the Waco incident and the government actions, and
(05:38):
gave out pamphlets titled US Government initiates opened warfare against
American people and Waco shootout evokes memories of Warsaw forty three.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
In nineteen ninety four, the government imposed new restrictions against firearms,
which Timothy believed was a threat to his livelihood. Shortly
after Timothy and Terry started making purchases of ammunition or
Shortly after Timothy and Terry started making large purchases of
(06:11):
ammonium nitrate due to rumors that the government would ban
it soon.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Timothy would share his plan to blow up the Federal
building with Michael, and he refused to participate in it.
He also wrote two letters to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
and Firearms. The first letter was titled Constitutional Defenders and
the second was titled atf read. In the letter, he
denounced the government officials as fascist, tyrants and stormtroopers, and
(06:37):
he warned, quote ATF you tyrannical monts motherfuckers will swing
in the wind one day for your treasonous actions against
the Constitution of the United States. Remember the Numenberg War trials.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
On April nineteenth, nineteen ninety five, Timothy parked a rider
truck in front of the Alfred P. Miri I, a
federal building in downtown Oklahoma. Inside the truck was a
bomb he made out of agricultural fertilizer, diesel few, and
other chemicals. He got out of the truck and let
two timed fuses and got into his getaway car.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
At nine oh two am, the bomb exploded. A third
of the building was reduced to rubble and more than
three hundred nearby buildings were damaged or destroyed. One hundred
and sixty eight people were dead, and of those, nineteen
were children from the second floor daycare center. Six hundred
and eighty four more people were left injured. Timothy would
(07:37):
later say that he did not know there was a
daycre on the second floor, and if he did, he
might have chosen a different target. However, Michael said that
he and Timothy did know about it and that he
did not care. In two thousand, during an interview with
Ed Bradley for sixty minutes, Ed asked him for his
reaction to the death of the children, and he said, quote,
(08:00):
I thought it was terrible that there were children in
the building.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Two years prior, there was a bombing at the World
Trade Center in New York. Many assumed this attack was
the work of Middle Eastern terrorists. The FBI quickly began
supporting the rescue efforts and started their investigation.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
On April twentieth, the rear axle the rider truck was located,
which had a vehicle identification number on it. The number
was traced to the body shop in Johnston City, Kansas.
Employees of the shop quickly helped the FBI create a
composite drawing of the man who rented the van. The
drawing was shown around town, and a local hotel employee
identified the person as Timothy McVeigh.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
On April twenty first, when investigators called the bureau's Criminal
Justice Information Services Division in West Virginia, a surprising discovery
was made. Timothy was already in jail. He was pulled
over eighty miles north of Oklahoma City by an Oklahoma
mistake trooper Charles Day hanger on On in State thirty five,
(09:06):
ninety minutes after the bombing took place. By having a
missing license plate. He also had a concealed weapon.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
FBI agents trace. FBI agents found traces of chemicals using
the bombing on Timothy's clothes and a business card which
had gnt at five dollars a stick we need more
written on it. They quickly learned about Timothy's extremist ideologies
and his anger over the events at Waco two years earlier.
(09:35):
They also discovered that Timothy did not act alone. He
had two accomplices, Terry Nichols, who helped him build the bomb,
and Michael Fortier, who was aware of the bombing.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Throughout the investigation, the FBI had interviewed more than twenty
eight thousand people, followed up on forty three thousand leads,
and collected three and a half tons of evidence.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
On August tenth, nineteen ninety five, Timothy was indicted on
eleven federal accounts, including conspiracy to use a weapon of
mass destruction, destruction with the use of explosive, and a
counts of first degree murder for the deaths of law
enforcement officers. They could not bring charges for the remaining
one hundred and sixty eight deaths because they did not
(10:21):
fall under the federal jurisdiction. They were the destriction of
the state of Oklahoma.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Terry Nichols was sentenced to life for his participation in
the bombing. Michael Fortier agreed to testify against Timothy and
Terry in exchange for a reduced sentence, and he was
sentenced to twelve years in prison and find seventy five
thousand dollars failing to warn authorities of the bombing.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
On February twentieth, nineteen ninety six, the court granted a
change of venue and transferred the case to the District
Court in Denver to be presided over by District Judge
Richard Paul MASHs On.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
June second, nineteen ninety seven, he was found guilty of
all counts and sentenced to death. Since he was sentenced
to death, the Oklahoma court did not feel the need
to file any additional charges against Timothy. At USP Florence, Admax,
Timothy and Nichols were housed in what was called Bombers
(11:22):
Row because other bombers such as Ted Kaczynski, Lewis Believe,
and Remiz Joseph were all housed there too. In nineteen
ninety he was transferred to USB Tera Hutt and Terah Hutt, Indiana.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
On November twenty first, nineteen ninety seven, President Bill Clinton
signed S nine twenty three special legislation induced introduced by
Senator Arlen Spector to barr veterans convicted of capital crimes
from being buried at military cemeteries. The site of the
tragic bombing would be transformed into a memorial called the
(11:58):
Outdoor Symbolic Memorial.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
Timothy's execution date was originally sent for May sixteen, two
thousand and one. However, six days before his execution, the
FBI gave thousands of documents to his attorneys. They previously withheld.
As a result, the US Army General John Ashcrock issued
a one month's day of execution on June eleventh, two
(12:22):
thousand and one, at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terror, Indiana.
He was executed by lethal injection. He requested the execution
being nationally televised, and the request was denied. His body
was cremated at Mannock's Ryan Funeral Home, and his lawyers
was given the Ashes, who said the final destination of
Timothy's remains would remain privileged forever. He was the first
(12:47):
federal prisoner executed since nineteen sixty three.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
On January twenty, two thousand and six, Terry Fortyer was
released for good behavior and placed into a witness protection program,
where he was given a new IDENTI thanks for tuning
in to Bloodstained Backstories. Don't forget to follow us on
social media to stay updated, share your thoughts and connect
with fellow true crime enthusias. You can catch us anywhere
(13:12):
you listen to your favorite podcast Spotify, Apple Podcasts or
your go to platform. Make sure that subscribe buttons so
you never miss an episode, and join us next week
as we uncover another chilling case. Until then, stay safe
and stay curious
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