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Gerald Posner

Did McVeigh Have Another Accomplice?

BS Top - Posner Oklahoma City accomplice David Longstreath / AP Photo Just-released videotapes and exclusively obtained witness accounts raise new questions about whether Timothy McVeigh had a secret helper for history’s worst homegrown terror attack.

Last week, the FBI released previously secret videotapes of the moments immediately before the 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. The Bureau produced 26 of 244 security tapes in its possession. All those made public were recorded from private buildings near the bomb site, and while they all have some periodic blank spots, four of the best-positioned are missing sections in the minutes before the blast.

I found these blank periods, revealed courtesy of a Salt Lake City attorney’s Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, suspicious. In the spring of 1997, I traveled through Oklahoma and rural Kansas pursuing the question of whether others helped Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, the two convicted of the bombing. I conducted dozens of interviews, at a time when people’s recollections were still fresh. Prompted by the release of last week’s tapes, I revisited whether the FBI might be hiding something. I gained access to sealed grand jury testimony as well as FBI field reports, written by agents in the earliest stages of the investigation. Those never-before-released FBI files, with my interviews, and the blank portions of the surveillance tapes, raise new questions about whether at least one accomplice is still at large in the greatest American-on-American act of terrorism.

In the bombing’s immediate aftermath , the FBI conducted a massive manhunt for “John Doe 2,” based on the account of one of three employees at the place where McVeigh rented his Ryder truck.

The government’s case is simple: McVeigh, a 23-year-old Army veteran who was executed in 2001, was the plot’s mastermind. He arrived in Oklahoma on Friday, April 14.  On April 17, he paid cash to rent a Ryder truck, and the following day, he and his accomplice, Terry Nichols, built a two-ton fertilizer bomb along the shore of a lake in a 415-acre Kansas state park. The very next day, McVeigh, alone, drove the Ryder back to Oklahoma and parked it in the circular driveway of the Murrah building only minutes before the blast. That’s the very time when the blank portions on the surveillance tapes might have caught the truck pulling up and have recorded who was inside.

In the bombing’s immediate aftermath, the FBI conducted a massive manhunt for “John Doe 2,” based on the account of one of three employees at the place where McVeigh rented his Ryder truck. Then in February 1997, 22 months after the terror attack, federal prosecutors filed a brief contending that John Doe 2 was merely a case of mistaken identity.

A Daily Beast review of the government’s still-classified files on the bombing indicates that credible early eyewitnesses raised alternative scenarios: the possibility of a second Ryder truck; and an additional accomplice (other than Terry Nichols and Michael Fortier, who admit to having been with him some of that time), who may even have accompanied McVeigh that fateful morning when he parked the bomb-rigged truck at the Murrah building.

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October 4, 2009 | 10:26pm
Comments ()
reardongalt

I am really starting to like The Daily Beast.

There's only one other subject on Earth that I have stronger feeling about than the Oklahoma City Bombing case.

There was alot written about the Oklahoma City Bombing, but in my opinion two books pretty much tell the story.

One was: "Others Unknown: The Oklahoma City Bombing Case and Conspiracy " by Stephen Jones. A well respected lawyer, Stephen Jones tells the story from the perspective of an honest lawyer investigating his clients story.

The other one was, "The Third Terrorist: The Middle East Connection to the Oklahoma City Bombing". Ms Davis' story is way more compelling.

On Apr 19th, 1995 at 9:02 a bomb exploded in a Ryder Truck in front of The Alfred Pl Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, killing 168 and injuring 680 .

Within minutes of the blast, and APB was issued for two people. One fit McVeigh's profile and the othe one, John Doe II, was describes as Middle Eastern in appearance. The APB was issued accordingly, and even the late model pickup he was driving was identified in the APB.

Within minutes McVeigh was picked up because his car had no rear license plate on it.

Within the next hour the APB was called off.

Jayna Davis was a reporter working for a local TV station of ABC. In the minutes and hours after the blast, her boss told her to "find out who did this."

Ms Davis spent 10 years of her life and collected 23 totally independent affidavits proving that the Oklahoma City Bombing was one in a series of Mideast terrorist attacks on America. Terry Nichols met Ramsey Yousef, Bin Laden's right hand man, in the Phillipines. That's where they learned to make the truck bomb.

Ramsey Yousef got arrested purely by luck just prior to the Oklahoma City Bombing. There was a fire in his apartment in the Phillipines, and the police found a laptop. The laptop led to the prevention of the "Bojinka Plot" which was a plan to blow up a number of planes on route to the US, all simultaneously.

While the Bojinka Plot was luckily defused, what they didn't know at the time was that there was a secondary target: A Federal Building in the Midwest US, namely: The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Ms Davis exposes the whole plot, and the tie in to 911. The fact that the FBI and the Clinton and Bush Justice Depts still haven't acted on her evidence is almost impossible to understand.

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2:10 am, Oct 5, 2009
reardongalt

John Doe II 's name was Hussain al Hussaini, an Iraqi.

The new tapes that were release due to the Freedom Of Information Act suit by Jesse Trentadue were the surveillance tapes in and around the bombing site. Go to bobmccarty.com and read the three part series from Jayna Davis on the affidavits associated with the surveillance tapes.

The people who lost loved ones in Oklahoma that day on Apr 19,1995 deserve to have the truth exposed.

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2:45 am, Oct 5, 2009
trueconserv

Did you read Jayna Davis's book?
that sure explains a lot.
Makes the FBI look terrible.

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10:26 pm, Oct 6, 2009
gunapie

Ruby Ridge and Palestine: why do we look away?

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9:26 am, Oct 5, 2009
loloo33

an army veteran??? wtf???

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10:39 am, Oct 5, 2009
Johnny-Boy

Interesting how we're NOT hearing anything about this on the Mainstream news, you know, where Americans get their information.
Nobody, and I mean NOBODY would be surprised to learn that our Government is hiding something with regard to this act of terrorism.
Recently, in Dallas, TX, a man was arrested for plotting to bomb a building in that city with Explosives. The explosives turned out to be inert and not dangerous, but the so called "explosives" were in fact provided to that suspect BY THE US GOVERNMENT.

Ruby Ridge and Waco, are but 2 of the countless examples of our Government running amok.

Our Government does hide facts from it's citizens, nobody disputes that, the PROBLEM, is that much of the information that remains concealed, shows their own involvement, misdeeds and outright criminal behavior being committed against it's own Citizens.

But hey, as long as they continue to keep us safe from terrorism, I guess it's okay, right..........Right?

-sigh

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11:51 am, Oct 5, 2009
Skate185

Whoa! Gerald!! For someone who loves to bust conspiracy theories, like JFK's assassination, you're sure promoting one with one tenth the flimsy evidence you put forth in "Case Closed"!

BUT...in the case, you're right. What is taking everyone so long in this? There was a clear middle-east connection to McVeigh, Nichols, Fournier, et.al.. Go look at the similarities of the artist's sketch of John Doe #2 and Jose Padilla. For even more details, Google attorney David Schippers and reporter Jayna Davis, who were both on to this (especially Davis) almost immediately after the bombing. They have mountains of evidence over-looked by authorities, especially the FBI, just like Posner said. McVeigh & Co. were not smart enough to pull this off by themselves.

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12:07 pm, Oct 5, 2009
clearthinker

What do you mean by "not smart enough to pull this off by themselves"? Why does it take brain power to look up "how to make a bomb" on the internet?

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4:22 pm, Oct 6, 2009
trueconserv

Read Davis's book to learn how these "expendables" were able to carry this bombing out.

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10:39 pm, Oct 6, 2009
winston1

John Doe is an Iraq man, the tattoo on his arm are numbers associated with Iraq's army. A women journalist years ago broke this story saying McVeigh and Nichols did not have any idea how to make a bomb, and teamed up with these men who were seen that day wearing dark jogging outfits. John Doe was in the pickup with McVeigh just before the bombing, people in that area reported seeing the men between 6 to 12 men all dressed alike.

When this journalist reported her information to the F.B.I they wanted to take this report from her, they did not want this out she got a lawyer and was able to keep the report. The newspaper she worked for fired her. Many people came forward to say there was a big cover-up.

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12:20 pm, Oct 5, 2009
trueconserv

I know, millions of Americans need to read Jayna Davis's book to understand what truly happend.
It's an injustice.

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10:38 pm, Oct 6, 2009
crazymic

In this case, if you read more about it, what's happening is that the government is hiding the identity if the passenger for a reason: He was trained by the FBI. All of them were, but he's the person who can lead the trail back to them. It was a sting operation gone bad; the FBI was training neo-Nazi's/Aryan Nation types to rob banks (for funding) and build bombs with the sole intent of blowing up federal buildings (this sounds crazy but it's really true, the BBC has a 1 hr special on it that no U.S. station will air but you can watch online). The sting attracted a lot of people, but near the end they were tipped off and all disappeared, until this happened. The FBI is almost 100% responsible for the success of the bombing, and a number of the people they trained are still out there. Read up on Kenneth and Jesse Trentadue as well. Kenneth was mistaken for Jose Padilla and beat to death by FBI agents in his cell. This whole thing stinks and the man in charge of the cover up for the Justice Dept was Reno's Deputy AG, none other than our current AG Eric Holder.

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12:48 pm, Oct 5, 2009
nathanwands

Operation Northwoods, it almost happened once, did it actually happen this time.....?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Northwoods

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12:56 pm, Oct 5, 2009
reardongalt

I don't think so. In some ways this is worse. They know what happened. Read Jayna Davis' book. It's very convincing.

The fact that the tapes are blank just prior to 9:02am is ludicrous. It's just one more fact that supports the theory presented by the witnesses who gave Ms Davis the affidavits. One of the cameras would have shown the truck after it parked, and who got out.

These facts would be very embarrassing for the Clinton/Reno justice dept.

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4:57 pm, Oct 5, 2009
crazymic

winston1 you are wrong. Sorry, but it has no ties to Iraq, this was all about the White Power/Libertarian/Neo Nazi movement. Look up Elohim City OK.

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1:19 pm, Oct 5, 2009
reardongalt

crazy, you're right, that is one of the theories. I'm familiar with the Andreas Strassmeir connection. But Jayna Davis evidence is much more complete in the sense of "what actually happened". She approached like a gumshoe would, from the scene outward. There are many cross-currents.

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7:23 pm, Oct 5, 2009
mvtp47

Frightening to say the least Mr. Posner. It's strange that no body talks about this much anymore. Keep us informed, I know I'm interested.

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1:43 pm, Oct 5, 2009
winston1

Home
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View 1995 KFOR-TV Broadcast
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Copyright: Nelson Current, Inc. 2004


By David P. Schippers
Fmr. Chief Investigative Counsel for the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton

On the morning of April 19, 1995, my tranquility and feelings of security were demolished in one horrific explosion. I, together with millions of other Americans, watched in torment, as what had once been the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, collapsed into a mass of smoking ruins. I listened intently to the reports of an obvious terrorist bombing in the United States. My eyes filled with tears as the images of dead children and bloody victims appeared on the television screen.



Along with many other citizens, my suspicions initially focused on a possible Middle Eastern connection. The bombing and murder of innocents was a classic operation of Arab terrorists, and the method conformed to the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center in New York and the attack on the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia. Those suspicions were later buttressed when it was learned that the FBI was looking for several Middle Eastern men - in particular, an individual known as "John Doe 2." A sketch of that individual was distributed throughout the media and an all-points bulletin went out calling for his apprehension. Then, within a week, the entire objective of the investigation changed dramatically and without explanation.


Shortly after the disaster, Timothy McVeigh was arrested by the FBI and charged with the crime. With that arrest and the subsequent apprehension of Terry Nichols, it seemed that all further leads dissipated. The investigation came to an abrupt end. They had their perpetrators, so there was no need to look further. The manhunt for John Doe 2 was abandoned, and the public was led to believe that the initial lead had failed to pan out. No longer was there any official suggestion that there may have been some Middle Eastern involvement. On the contrary, the Clinton administration adopted the party line that the bombing was planned and executed by two white male types. The President himself predictably attacked "two right-wing fanatics" and indicted conservative talk show hosts for their incendiary language calculated to incite the Timothy McVeighs of the nation to launch such attacks.


Once McVeigh and Nichols were in custody, the whole tenor of the bombing investigation did an about face. The government and the media dropped all references to possible state sponsorship and labeled anyone who thought otherwise, as a "way-out conspiracy cuckoo." All efforts were redirected to insure, at any cost, the conviction of the two men in custody. The glaring questions that remained unanswered were shoved under the table and ignored. We who were forced to rely upon the reports emanating from the compliant media were convinced that the crime had been solved completely and all the loose ends had been dealt with successfully. I, for one, had been completely misled, but I didn? t learn of it until almost six years later.


Everyone swallowed whole the false story put out by the government. That is, almost everyone. A young and beautiful investigative reporter at KFOR, an Oklahoma City television station was not satisfied with the official account. Jayna Davis was on the scene within minutes of the bombing. She saw the devastation and lived the human suffering. She possessed those rare qualities in a television reporter: honor, integrity, and a willingness to work hard for the full story. Rather than waste her time attending insipid news conferences, Jayna elected to conduct her own independent investigation. And what an investigation it was! Despite adversity, road blocks, and being told outright lies, Jayna persevered and did, in fact, get to the truth of the Oklahoma City Bombing. The startling result of that investigation is reported fully in this book.


Over the next five years, Jayna made every attempt to share the results of her efforts with law enforcement. But to no avail. Nobody wanted to be bothered with the truth because it might cause doubt about the official story. Disillusionment and frustration descended like a pall upon Jayna Davis and her husband, Drew, They began to lose their respect and reliance on the Rule of Law. Then they had an idea.

In early October, 2000, I received a letter from Jayna Davis. In it she recounted, in general, the results of her six-year investigation, together with an account of the attacks and stonewalling she had encountered. She told of the careless indifference of the FBI and the supine acceptance of the party line by others to whom she had brought her evidence.


I frankly admit that because I did not know Jayna Davis, I was slightly dubious. Actually, my first reaction was that she was just another conspiracy nut coming out the woodwork. I noted, however, that the letter was extremely well written, articulate, and concise. More important, the letter identified just enough details to suggest that the author possessed much more information than she had revealed.

My interest was stimulated, so I placed a phone call to Ms. Davis. She sounded not only rational but extremely intelligent. During the ensuing conversation, she revealed additional facts and assured me that very allegation made was fully confirmed by filmed interviews, affidavits, and unimpeachable documents. When I asked Ms. Davis to send some of the confirming material to me, she responded that she would prefer to bring it to me personally.

On the morning of March 15, 2001, that vivacious lady entered my office in Chicago, accompanied by her husband, Drew. They were carrying three large loose-leaf binders stuffed with documents, which they placed in front of me. As I paged through the reports and affidavits, Jayna and Drew quietly narrated the events surrounding the bombing. After no more than fifteen minutes, I realized that I was sitting in the presence of a true patriot and a courageous young woman, who had accomplished an astounding feat of investigation.

Since then, Jayna Davis has tried over and over to bring her evidence and conclusions to the attention of those responsible for the safety and security of the nation. Time and time again, she has been rebuffed, ridiculed, and ignored. Finally, she has decided to place her findings before the country in the form of a book. She will be ignored no more!

This is a book that needed to be written; the American people deserve it. Jayna Davis writes with the clarity and precision of a seasoned investigative journalist. The facts are riveting and her narration of the nine-year quest for justice and truth flows as would a novel. If ever there was a page-turner, this is it.

I predict that The Third Terrorist will drop like a missile on the federal bureaucracy. No doubt the response will be both immediate and vicious, as is the case whenever a citizen demonstrates the temerity to question the actions or the powers of officialdom. Ms. Davis will certainly suffer personal vilification and false accusations as she has in the past. Her motives and her veracity will be attacked by those who do it so well. I know that Jayna fully expects all that and has the intrepidity to endure it. Let it be known, though, that every attempt to denigrate Ms. Davis and her conclusions is doomed to failure. Why? For the simple reason that there is contained in this book not one fact, not one allegation, not one accusation, not one conclusion that is not supported and corroborated by evidence sufficient to constitute proof in a court of law.

If you are a citizen who is seriously concerned over your own security and that of the United States, it is critical that you read this book cover to cover. I can say with certainty that you will be astounded by the investigative ability of Jayna Davis; dismayed by the ineptitude, if not outright incompetence of those charged with investigating the Oklahoma City disaster; and, above all, enraged by the inexplicable policy adopted by our government to cover up a state sponsored Middle Eastern terrorist act in the American heartland six years before 9-11.

It is my honest opinion that if the Department of Justice and the federal investigative agencies had not ignored Jayna Davis and instead accepted the mass of creditable evidence compiled by her, indicating direct Middle Eastern involvement in the bombing, the course of future events may have been altered. Had those investigators taken their duty seriously and followed up on the investigation of that information, it is entirely likely that the Twin Towers would still be standing.

I count it as a singular honor to have been asked to contribute this foreword to what may well turn out to be perhaps the most vital expose of the young twenty-first century. My respect and admiration for Jayna Davis and what she has accomplished is unbounded. She is, without question, the finest and most thorough investigator that I have ever known, and I have known literally thousands. Her professional abilities and technical competence though, pale in the light of her heroic courage. She endured the wrath of the FBI, the disdain of the Department of Justice, and the snickers of her fellow journalists. Yet she did not waver, but continued to pursue the truth. The culmination of that pursuit is this book.

It has been said prophetically that someday the American people will realize what Jayna Davis has been through for her country. Then will she be honored and then will her unselfish labors be finally recognized. Let that day come sooner rather than later. Una donna non conoscei mai simile a questa.
©2005 JaynaDavis.com | Contact Jayna |

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2:32 pm, Oct 5, 2009
Greatcaesarsghost

How many other truck bombing attacks have occurred in the United States. I can't recall any before or since the bombing of the Murrah Building. I can recall this form of attack in many places outside the U.S. The Marine Barracks, the Kenyan and Tanzanian embassies, the USS Cole, Madrid and the Moscow bombing are some of the numerous similar examples, which all can be connected to Islamic radicalism in the middle east. The likelihood there is a connection between Oklahoma and the middle east is more than 50%. Terror bombers tend to have signatures that reveal themselves in the explosive package. It would be interesting to learn what the experts say about the heritage of the Oklahoma bomb technology. That being said, evidence sufficient to prove who else was involved and what aid they supplied is not likely to be made public by the government for a variety of reasons that can be deduced with a little thought.

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4:36 pm, Oct 5, 2009
dailyplanet

As they say: "consider the source." David P. Schipper's "bona-fides" don't generate respect, and his alliances show adherence to an ideology somewhere to the right-of-right.

Involvement with the Clinton "sex-impeachment" trial should be considered as an embarrassment, not highlighted as part of a resume. His publisher is Regnery...need more be said?

All that aside, Mr. Posner brings up important issues in the Oklahoma bombing case, which I think most Americans consider a closed investigation. It obviously isn't.

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5:00 pm, Oct 5, 2009
sandwiches

when did the daily beast turn into a wacky conspiracy discussion board?

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5:03 pm, Oct 5, 2009
Nuld001

Another wide eye opener from great investigator Gerald Posner. The levels of obtuseness revealed in this article are simply amazing.

Why has the FBI dismissed all these other witnesses in regards to the third man and second Ryder truck? Should we be surprised by this? Another example of a cover-up? Is this either sloppy work or is the FBI still investigating this and either hasn't come up with anything concrete? Or are they setting a trap or waiting for the big intelligence break. Or do they truly not want further investigation because it blows the status quo theory out of the water?

How neatly convenient to have the synchronous video cameras blips.

What was the result of the FBI search on the other truck rentals? "Inconclusive"?

I've never personally believed that McVeigh and Nichols could have acted alone. They never appeared that bright to pull it off. Logistically, it seems improbable they had the capability to plan and set up this operation on their own. With McVeigh executed, getting Nichols to talk would be the most direct way of getting additional information. What has happened to this? Nothing? Why?

The conspiracists will have their typical field day, but this story remains open - too many questions have been left unanswered that need answering.

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5:34 pm, Oct 5, 2009
BullMoose

Just a wild quess, but in my opinion, if there is one, i feel Tom DeLay could be considered.

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3:06 pm, Oct 6, 2009
Jinglebob

I truly belive that McVeight had a lot of help in Ok. City, I also believe in UFO's and I also believe the US Government had nothing to do with 9.11 and Glenn Beck is my hero.

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4:57 pm, Oct 6, 2009
trueconserv

You sound very uneducated and silly. Try doing some reading if you can.
Jayna Davis's book will hopefully enlighten you.

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10:35 pm, Oct 6, 2009
badger

Gerald....You're a bit late on this. Jayna had the story from the git go. Your comments though are deeply appreciated because the Aerican public needs to be awakened to the danger in their midst...their own governement.

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9:01 pm, Oct 6, 2009
trueconserv

I agree with you on this. What I don't understand is the FBI's sloppy work on this. Any thoughts?
They never discussed Nichols' wife's family. So many witnesses and dereliction by our government.

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10:34 pm, Oct 6, 2009
trueconserv

Oh, my!!
Jayna Davis must be saying to herself, "why don't people read my book?"
Her book tells about all the evidence about John Doe 2.
She interviewed the witnesses who testified that they saw many people help McVeigh weeks before the bombing.
Terry Nichols didn't just have money laying around to fly several times to the Phillipines and meet with a bombmaker. People know people.
One of the few survivors who got her leg blown off said she even saw someone who wasn't McVeigh or Nichols.
This is terrible FBI work.
Heads should finally roll with this.
The big cover-up with no reason.

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10:32 pm, Oct 6, 2009
pearllou

I lived in Kingman AZ at the time of the bombing. When I saw the sketches on TV I remember thinking how generic white guy the first one looked to me, like "anybody". Later when McVeigh was identified I realized he looked familiar to me from the hardware store in Kingman, where he worked for a time, and the Crazy Fred truck stop and convenience store near to where I (and he) lived several miles outside Kingman. I was woken up by his test bomb in the desert and called 911, sure that the propane tank for one of my neighbors (a relative term) had blown up. Later I called the Mohave County sheriff's office back and they said it was nothing to worry about, just some guys blowing up a car for "fun". My husband had a class at the community college with Fortier and we saw him occasionally on Friday nights at the video store. He seemed terminally shy, blushed when he said hello, although his wife seemed normal. I have never believed that he could have been a major part of anything or that McVeigh, the boy from the hardware store with the car full of what I thought were Mexicans from the truck wash at the convenience store was in charge. When the FBI didn't find any other Kingman connection I didn't believe it and no longer felt comfortable living there. Mr. Posner, if you read this, I would really like to suggest looking into any information on McVeigh in Kingman.

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1:15 am, Oct 7, 2009
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Did McVeigh Have Another Accomplice?

by Gerald Posner

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