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Grand jury ignores evidence of conspiracy { December 30 1998 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.cnn.com/US/9812/30/bombing.grand.jury.02/http://www.cnn.com/US/9812/30/bombing.grand.jury.02/
Oklahoma City grand jury finds no wider conspiracy
December 30, 1998
Web posted at: 2:06 p.m. EST (1906 GMT)
In this story:
The findings
Judge addresses conspiracy theorists
Cover-up?
OKLAHOMA CITY (CNN) -- A county grand jury that spent 18 months investigating the Oklahoma City bombing reported Wednesday that it found no additional conspirators and no evidence that federal agents were involved in, or had prior knowledge of, the 1995 attack that killed 168 people.
The panel also returned an indictment that was sealed, meaning no details were released. Sources told CNN it names a person believed to be in Oklahoma City.
"We have returned one indictment. We leave other charging decisions in this matter to the appropriate authorities," their report said.
"We cannot affirmatively state that absolutely no one else was involved in the bombing," grand jurors said. "However, we have not been presented with or uncovered information sufficient to indict any additional conspirators."
The grand jurors also called on Oklahoma City's district attorney to carry through with plans to bring state charges against Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, who last year were convicted of federal charges.
The blast that destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City also injured 500 people.
The findings
In a lengthy report read aloud in court by Oklahoma County District Judge Bill Burkett, the grand jury said it found:
No evidence that the truck bombing was the result of a U.S. government sting operation that had gone bad. ( 249 K/5 sec. AIFF or WAV sound)
No evidence that federal agents or local officials were involved in a conspiracy.
No connections between the bombing and the white separatist community of Elohim City in eastern Oklahoma or anyone overseas. The bombing was "perpetrated by Americans on Americans," the grand jury said.
No evidence of a second bomb explosion.
The panel went step-by-step over ground that had been covered in the federal bombing trials of McVeigh and Nichols.
Grand jurors heard from 117 witnesses, watched 100 hours of video and audio tapes and reviewed several thousand pages of printed documents. Burkett praised them as conscientious and open-minded, saying he was "proud to be associated with them."
Judge addresses conspiracy theorists
Even before the panel's findings were released, critics who believe McVeigh and Nichols did not act alone said the report would be incomplete, because grand jurors should have heard from more witnesses.
Addressing those complaints, Burkett denied allegations he had influenced how the grand jurors did their work.
"I would be happy to claim responsibility for their outstanding and painstaking work, except that ... I was only allowed to communicate with them in open court."
In separate trials in Denver last year, one-time Army buddies McVeigh and Nichols were convicted of carrying out the bombing.
McVeigh was found guilty of murder, and sentenced to death. Nichols was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and conspiracy and got a life sentence.
A third man, Michael Fortier, pleaded guilty to knowing about the bomb plot in advance but failing to warn anyone. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Coverup?
The special grand jury was impaneled in June 1997 as the result of a citizens' petition drive -- and over the objections of:
* Oklahoma's attorney general, Drew Edmondson, who called it "the worst kind of conspiracy pandering."
* Oklahoma City District Attorney Bob Macy, who plans to try McVeigh and Nichols on state murder charges.
Former State Rep. Charles Key, one of the petition drive's organizers, believes the bombing may have been part of a larger conspiracy.
He contends that McVeigh and Nichols did not act alone and has suggested the attack may have been a plot by white supremacists and non-U.S. citizens.
Key also says suggestions that federal agents knew about the plot in advance should have been investigated. The government has denied having any prior knowledge of the attack.
"We're dealing with FBI agent falsification of witness statements and perjury and many other problems in this case," Key told CNN on Wednesday prior to the report's release.
Asked why the government might want to cover up information, Key said, "That's what we want to know."
Before the grand jury began its probe, he said there were 20 witnesses with knowledge of John Doe No. 2, the mystery suspect depicted in FBI sketches shortly after the attack.
"(Grand jurors) have heard a lot, but not from all the people they should have," Key said.
"Not only was there a John Doe No. 2," he said, "but there were several other people that were helping Timothy McVeigh and others carry out this crime," Key said.
"The evidence is overwhelming. There are many witnesses that saw McVeigh pull that truck up in front of the Murrah building and there was somebody in that truck with him. They also saw, earlier in the morning, other people with him at various locations and at the (location where the) Ryder truck (was rented)," Key said.
Key said his separate investigative group, called the Oklahoma Bombing Investigating Committee, would issue its own findings next month.
Correspondent Sean Callebs and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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