Timeline of the Oklahoma City bombing case
Chronology of the Oklahoma City bombing case:
April 19, 1995 - Bomb rips through Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building at 9:02 a.m.
Timothy McVeigh arrested 90 minutes later on firearms charge after traffic stop near Billings, Okla.
April 20 - Authorities release sketches of suspects John Doe No. 1 and John Doe No. 2.
April 21 - Federal authorities arrest McVeigh, who resembles John Doe No. 1, in connection with bombing hours before he was expected to make bail on firearms charge.
Terry Nichols surrenders in Herington, Kan., after learning police are looking for him. Nichols and his brother James are held on material witness warrants.
May 10 - Terry Nichols charged in bombing.
May 23 - James Nichols released; charges against him are later dropped.
June 14 - Authorities admit sketches of John Doe No. 2 resemble innocent Army private at Fort Riley, Kan.
Aug. 7 - McVeigh attorney Stephen Jones suggests unidentified leg found in rubble could belong to ''the real bomber.''
Aug. 8 - McVeigh friend Michael Fortier and his wife testify before grand jury.
Aug. 11 - Grand jury indicts McVeigh and Nichols on murder and conspiracy charges. Fortier pleads guilty to minor firearms charge in plea bargain. U.S. District Judge Wayne Alley assigned to case.
Sept. 14 - Alley denies requests from both sides that he step aside because his office and courtroom were damaged by bomb. He sets trial for May 17 in Lawton, 90 miles from Oklahoma City.
Oct. 20 - Attorney General Janet Reno authorizes prosecutors to seek death penalty.
Nov. 21 - Defense attorneys seek to move trial out out of Oklahoma, arguing that intense media coverage tainted jury pool.
Dec. 1 - Federal appeals court removes Alley, ruling that bomb damage to his courtroom and chambers could raise doubts about his impartiality.
Dec. 4 - Chief U.S. District Judge Richard Matsch of Denver appointed to preside.
Dec. 12 - Matsch strikes May 17 trial date.
1996
Feb. 20 - Matsch moves case to Denver, ruling that McVeigh and Nichols have been ''demonized'' by intense media coverage in Oklahoma.
Feb. 23 - Medical examiners announce that mystery leg belonged to previously identified victim.
April 19 - Mourners gather at bombing site on first anniversary, pausing for 168 seconds of silence.
May 29 - Matsch rejects Nichols' challenge to federal death penalty.
June 26 - Matsch tells survivors and family members they cannot watch trial proceedings if they plan to testify.
July 15 - Matsch says law establishing closed-circuit telecast of trial is constitutional. He later orders telecast to be shown in government auditorium near Oklahoma City airport.
Aug. 14 - Matsch refuses to throw out bulk of evidence, and says statements Nichols made to authorities after his arrest could be used against him, but not against McVeigh.
Sept. 25 - Matsch rules federal death penalty is constitutional.
Oct. 25 - Matsch orders McVeigh and Nichols to be tried separately, ruling their rights could be compromised by joint trial. Nichols will be tried after McVeigh, but no date has been set.
1997
Jan. 27 - Four FBI workers who evaluated evidence are transferred out of crime lab in wake of federal report critical of lab procedures.
Jan. 29 - Matsch bans news media from closed-circuit telecast in Oklahoma City.
Feb. 5 - Matsch decides to draw prospective jurors from a 23-county area around metropolitan Denver, rejects defense requests to throw out hair, fiber and handwriting analyses on grounds they are a ''junk science.''
Feb. 20 - Matsch denies defense requests to eliminate testimony of six prosecution eyewitnesses who changed portions of their accounts.
Feb. 28 - Dallas Morning News reports that McVeigh confessed. Two other reports on purported confession follow.
March 17 - Matsch refuses to move or delay McVeigh's trial.
March 19 - President Clinton signs bill allowing victims who are possible witnesses to attend trial.
March 31 - Jury selection begins.
April 15 - Justice Department inspector general issues report in Washington about problems in the FBI crime lab. Inspector general accuses top FBI explosives expert of making scientifically invalid conclusions about size and nature of Oklahoma City bomb. Another FBI scientist is accused of improperly testing McVeigh's shirt and knife.
April 22 - Jury seated.
April 24 - Opening statements begin.
Chronology of the Oklahoma City bombing case:
April 19, 1995 - Bomb rips through Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building at 9:02 a.m.
Timothy McVeigh arrested 90 minutes later on firearms charge after traffic stop near Billings, Okla.
April 20 - Authorities release sketches of suspects John Doe No. 1 and John Doe No. 2.
April 21 - Federal authorities arrest McVeigh, who resembles John Doe No. 1, in connection with bombing hours before he was expected to make bail on firearms charge.
Terry Nichols surrenders in Herington, Kan., after learning police are looking for him. Nichols and his brother James are held on material witness warrants.
May 10 - Terry Nichols charged in bombing.
May 23 - James Nichols released; charges against him are later dropped.
June 14 - Authorities admit sketches of John Doe No. 2 resemble innocent Army private at Fort Riley, Kan.
Aug. 7 - McVeigh attorney Stephen Jones suggests unidentified leg found in rubble could belong to ''the real bomber.''
Aug. 8 - McVeigh friend Michael Fortier and his wife testify before grand jury.
Aug. 11 - Grand jury indicts McVeigh and Nichols on murder and conspiracy charges. Fortier pleads guilty to minor firearms charge in plea bargain. U.S. District Judge Wayne Alley assigned to case.
Sept. 14 - Alley denies requests from both sides that he step aside because his office and courtroom were damaged by bomb. He sets trial for May 17 in Lawton, 90 miles from Oklahoma City.
Oct. 20 - Attorney General Janet Reno authorizes prosecutors to seek death penalty.
Nov. 21 - Defense attorneys seek to move trial out out of Oklahoma, arguing that intense media coverage tainted jury pool.
Dec. 1 - Federal appeals court removes Alley, ruling that bomb damage to his courtroom and chambers could raise doubts about his impartiality.
Dec. 4 - Chief U.S. District Judge Richard Matsch of Denver appointed to preside.
Dec. 12 - Matsch strikes May 17 trial date.
1996
Feb. 20 - Matsch moves case to Denver, ruling that McVeigh and Nichols have been ''demonized'' by intense media coverage in Oklahoma.
Feb. 23 - Medical examiners announce that mystery leg belonged to previously identified victim.
April 19 - Mourners gather at bombing site on first anniversary, pausing for 168 seconds of silence.
May 29 - Matsch rejects Nichols' challenge to federal death penalty.
June 26 - Matsch tells survivors and family members they cannot watch trial proceedings if they plan to testify.
July 15 - Matsch says law establishing closed-circuit telecast of trial is constitutional. He later orders telecast to be shown in government auditorium near Oklahoma City airport.
Aug. 14 - Matsch refuses to throw out bulk of evidence, and says statements Nichols made to authorities after his arrest could be used against him, but not against McVeigh.
Sept. 25 - Matsch rules federal death penalty is constitutional.
Oct. 25 - Matsch orders McVeigh and Nichols to be tried separately, ruling their rights could be compromised by joint trial. Nichols will be tried after McVeigh, but no date has been set.
1997
Jan. 27 - Four FBI workers who evaluated evidence are transferred out of crime lab in wake of federal report critical of lab procedures.
Jan. 29 - Matsch bans news media from closed-circuit telecast in Oklahoma City.
Feb. 5 - Matsch decides to draw prospective jurors from a 23-county area around metropolitan Denver, rejects defense requests to throw out hair, fiber and handwriting analyses on grounds they are a ''junk science.''
Feb. 20 - Matsch denies defense requests to eliminate testimony of six prosecution eyewitnesses who changed portions of their accounts.
Feb. 28 - Dallas Morning News reports that McVeigh confessed. Two other reports on purported confession follow.
March 17 - Matsch refuses to move or delay McVeigh's trial.
March 19 - President Clinton signs bill allowing victims who are possible witnesses to attend trial.
March 31 - Jury selection begins.
April 15 - Justice Department inspector general issues report in Washington about problems in the FBI crime lab. Inspector general accuses top FBI explosives expert of making scientifically invalid conclusions about size and nature of Oklahoma City bomb. Another FBI scientist is accused of improperly testing McVeigh's shirt and knife.
April 22 - Jury seated.
April 24 - Opening statements begin.
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