Oklahoma City bombing conspirator Terry Nichols writes he 'grieves daily'
Inmate Terry Nichols writes letters from Colorado prison to Jannie Coverdale, an Oklahoma City woman who lost two grandsons in 1995 attack.
In letters to a victim, Oklahoma City bombing conspirator Terry Nichols wrote he believed bomber Tim McVeigh planned to blow up “some type of monument, bridge or similar structure” at night, not an occupied building.
Oklahoma City bombing conspirator Terry Nichols writes he 'grieves daily'
Nichols, 56, also wrote his heart breaks and he grieves “daily knowing that I had a part in such a devastating tragedy.”
Nichols denied for years he was involved in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. However, in 2005, he admitted his role in making the bomb — at first to the FBI and to his relatives. He told the FBI, also, that he thought McVeigh's target was going to be a monument.
McVeigh detonated the truck bomb outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building at 9:02 a.m. April 19, 1995. The explosion resulted in 168 deaths and hundreds of injuries. McVeigh, 33, was executed in 2001.
Nichols writes regularly from his Colorado prison cell to Jannie Coverdale, an Oklahoma City woman. Her two grandsons were among the 19 children killed. She shared with The Oklahoman Nichols' letters to her over the last two years.
Nichols is serving life terms in the federal prison in Florence, Colo., for his role in the attack. He cannot be paroled or released.
Excerpts from letters
In an August 2010 letter, Nichols wrote: “No, Tim did not tell me that it was going to be the Murrah Bldg that he planned to bomb but he did say he was going to make ‘his statement' at night. And from what he said (indirectly) that it was not going to be an occupied structure leading me to believe it was going to be some type of monument, bridge or similar structure and thus no loss of lives.”
In an April 2010 letter, Nichols wrote: “It was just so wrong as to what happened. There was really no justification for it. And my heart breaks & grieves daily knowing that I had a part in such a devastating tragedy. You & and the others are in my prayers.”
However, in the same letter, he indicated he had come to believe in one of the many alternate theories about the case — that McVeigh used a different bomb in the actual attack. “I had no knowledge of that,” he wrote. “McVeigh kept me in the dark about many things.”
Coverdale is one of those who believes there were others involved in the bombing besides McVeigh and Nichols. She has said she began writing Nichols in hopes he someday would reveal their identities. She said this month she now thinks Nichols knows very little.
In the letters, Nichols also wrote about his three children, other relatives, his religious beliefs, the weather and prison conditions.
In an Aug. 30 letter, he wrote that he didn't feel like doing anything.
“Maybe I'm getting burned out on writing,” he wrote. “That's about all one can do here — write, read or watch TV. It all gets pretty monotonous doing it day after day for years.”
He wrote he is locked up in a room that is the size of a house's bathroom and gets served meals on plastic trays. He wrote he gets two 15-minute phone calls a month.
Nichols was twice spared the death penalty when juries deadlocked on his punishment. He wrote in February that he personally believes there should be a death penalty “on the books” because the Bible shows God sanctions it as a deterrent.
About McVeigh's execution, he wrote in July: “Sadly, I think he would have continued to say things that would only have caused more pain for most of the victims & survivors and that's why I think God allowed his execution to go forward so quickly.”
Criticism levied
Nichols has been criticized since he began admitting to a part in the attack. A U.S. congressman who interviewed Nichols in 2005 said Nichols is downplaying his role and his statements are manipulative and self-serving. Others in law enforcement also have called Nichols' statements self-serving.
At both trials, prosecutors put into evidence that Nichols had strong anti-government views and wrote in a note to McVeigh months before the attack, “Go For IT!!”
Inmate Terry Nichols writes letters from Colorado prison to Jannie Coverdale, an Oklahoma City woman who lost two grandsons in 1995 attack.
In letters to a victim, Oklahoma City bombing conspirator Terry Nichols wrote he believed bomber Tim McVeigh planned to blow up “some type of monument, bridge or similar structure” at night, not an occupied building.
Oklahoma City bombing conspirator Terry Nichols writes he 'grieves daily'
Nichols, 56, also wrote his heart breaks and he grieves “daily knowing that I had a part in such a devastating tragedy.”
Nichols denied for years he was involved in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. However, in 2005, he admitted his role in making the bomb — at first to the FBI and to his relatives. He told the FBI, also, that he thought McVeigh's target was going to be a monument.
McVeigh detonated the truck bomb outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building at 9:02 a.m. April 19, 1995. The explosion resulted in 168 deaths and hundreds of injuries. McVeigh, 33, was executed in 2001.
Nichols writes regularly from his Colorado prison cell to Jannie Coverdale, an Oklahoma City woman. Her two grandsons were among the 19 children killed. She shared with The Oklahoman Nichols' letters to her over the last two years.
Nichols is serving life terms in the federal prison in Florence, Colo., for his role in the attack. He cannot be paroled or released.
Excerpts from letters
In an August 2010 letter, Nichols wrote: “No, Tim did not tell me that it was going to be the Murrah Bldg that he planned to bomb but he did say he was going to make ‘his statement' at night. And from what he said (indirectly) that it was not going to be an occupied structure leading me to believe it was going to be some type of monument, bridge or similar structure and thus no loss of lives.”
In an April 2010 letter, Nichols wrote: “It was just so wrong as to what happened. There was really no justification for it. And my heart breaks & grieves daily knowing that I had a part in such a devastating tragedy. You & and the others are in my prayers.”
However, in the same letter, he indicated he had come to believe in one of the many alternate theories about the case — that McVeigh used a different bomb in the actual attack. “I had no knowledge of that,” he wrote. “McVeigh kept me in the dark about many things.”
Coverdale is one of those who believes there were others involved in the bombing besides McVeigh and Nichols. She has said she began writing Nichols in hopes he someday would reveal their identities. She said this month she now thinks Nichols knows very little.
In the letters, Nichols also wrote about his three children, other relatives, his religious beliefs, the weather and prison conditions.
In an Aug. 30 letter, he wrote that he didn't feel like doing anything.
“Maybe I'm getting burned out on writing,” he wrote. “That's about all one can do here — write, read or watch TV. It all gets pretty monotonous doing it day after day for years.”
He wrote he is locked up in a room that is the size of a house's bathroom and gets served meals on plastic trays. He wrote he gets two 15-minute phone calls a month.
Nichols was twice spared the death penalty when juries deadlocked on his punishment. He wrote in February that he personally believes there should be a death penalty “on the books” because the Bible shows God sanctions it as a deterrent.
About McVeigh's execution, he wrote in July: “Sadly, I think he would have continued to say things that would only have caused more pain for most of the victims & survivors and that's why I think God allowed his execution to go forward so quickly.”
Criticism levied
Nichols has been criticized since he began admitting to a part in the attack. A U.S. congressman who interviewed Nichols in 2005 said Nichols is downplaying his role and his statements are manipulative and self-serving. Others in law enforcement also have called Nichols' statements self-serving.
At both trials, prosecutors put into evidence that Nichols had strong anti-government views and wrote in a note to McVeigh months before the attack, “Go For IT!!”
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