Terry Nichols

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Terry Lynn Nichols (born April 1, 1955 in Lapeer, Lapeer County , Michigan ) is an American terrorist who was involved in the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City together with Timothy McVeigh and Michael Fortier .

Life

Nichols lived most of his adult life in Lapeer and Sanilac Counties , Michigan. There was a climate of deep distrust of the American federal government there, especially since many farms in the 1980s no longer got loans and went bankrupt. During this time he is said to have radicalized together with "government enemies".

In 1992, he wrote to the Michigan local authority, wanting to renounce his citizenship because the political system was corrupt. In it he declared himself "stateless". His friendship with Timothy McVeigh, whom he had met in 1988 in the Army, grew during this time.

In December 1991, McVeigh followed Nichols to Michigan to sell weapons at gun shows. When both saw the pictures of the Davidian sect's property being cleared in Waco , Texas , their radical hatred of the government only intensified. A fanatical sect leader holed up on a farm there and fought a shootout with the FBI, which resulted in the death of several sect members. McVeigh and Nichols blamed the government for the bloodbath.

Nichols later moved to Las Vegas to work on construction sites and later on a ranch in Marion , Kansas. In the fall of 1994, Nichols resigned to "do business with McVeigh". Both began preparing for the attack.

Bomb attack and conviction

On April 19, 1995, both of them destroyed the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City with a self-made bomb, killing 168 people.

The two-month trial of Nichols began in late October 1997. He was charged with eleven counts of murder, public hostility and illicit gun possession. Prosecutors moved for the death penalty , the defense attempted to describe McVeigh as the dominant person who manipulated Nichols, and emphasized Nichols' serious devotion to Christianity . Nichols apologized to the victims, and the jury ruled against the death penalty. Numerous victims expressed their disappointment and lack of understanding about the verdict.

On June 4, 1998, he was sentenced to 161 life imprisonment and is currently in ADX Florence Federal Prison in Florence, Fremont County , Colorado .

Terry Nichols is married with two children. He met his Filipino wife Marife (née Torres) through a catalog marriage agency. She now lives with the children again in the Philippines in Cebu City .

Following a tip from bully Greg Scarpa, Jr., who shared a cell with Nichols for a period, the FBI found more explosives that Nichols had buried on his property ten years after the attack.

Others

Terry's brother James Nichols was interviewed by Michael Moore for his documentary Bowling for Columbine . James was also charged with alleged involvement in the bombing, but was acquitted. In the interview, James is very negative about the government and says that if people found out how they were exploited and enslaved by the government, there would be merciless anger and blood would run through the streets.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Terry Nichols .
  2. ^ A b The Oklahoma City Bomb Trial: The Denver Post Online .
  3. ^ The Second Suspect - A special report .; With Extremism and Explosives, A Drifting Life Found a Purpose . May 28, 1995.
  4. ↑ Stefan Elfenbein: Even after the trial of Terry Nichols, the Oklahoma assassination will occupy America: The second man .
  5. ↑ truTV Official Website - TV Show Full Episodes and Funny Video Clips .
  6. ^ Rimer, Sara (May 28, 1995). "The Second Suspect - A special report .; With Extremism and Explosives, A Drifting Life Found a Purpose". New York Times.
  7. ↑ New OKBOMB Documents show Threats To Nichols' Family After FBI Investigation Reopened in 2005 , news.intelwire.com
  8. ↑ [ http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/b/bowling-for-columbine-script-transcript.html Bowling For Columbine Script - transcript from the screenplay and / or Michael Moore movie] .

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Nichols, Terry
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Nichols, Terry Lynn (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American terrorist
DATE OF BIRTH April 1, 1955
PLACE OF BIRTH Lapeer (Michigan) , Michigan