Oklahoma City: Day One: A Detailed Account of the Bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building Oklahoma City, Oklahoma April 19, 1995

637 Pages·1997·127.17 MB·English

by  Michele Marie Moore

OKLAHOMA CITY
DAY ONE
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PIIOTO BY JOliN IENKINS
2 7/29196.8:46 AM
OKLAHOMA CITY
DAY ONE
A Detailed Account of the
Bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
April 19, 1995
Michele Marie Moore
With a Foreword by
William Cooper
Published by
The HarvestTrust
Eagar
3 7129/96,8:47 AM
OKLAHOMA CITY: DAY ONE
A Detailed Account of (he Bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
April 19, 1995
by Michele Marie Moore, with a foreword by William Cooper
© Copyright 1996 by The Harvest Trust
FIRST EDITION
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted,
or translated in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, includ~
ing photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval
system, except for inclusion of brief quotations in a review, without permis
sion in writing from the publisher.
This is number of a 500-copy limited and signed First Edition.
Editing by Margaret Pinyan
Typography ,md Design by Sara Benjamin-Rhodes
Published by
The Harvest Trust
PO. Box 1970
Eagar, Arizona 85925 USA
ISBN 0-9653301-9-6 (acid-free paper)
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 96-77483
Printed in the USA
with vegetable-based inks on acid-free recycled paper
OK1TXT1H.PMS 4 811196,4:25 PM
'i'lnother parable put he forth unto them, saying. The kingdom o(
heaven is lil<ened unto a man which sOWl!d good seed in his field;
"But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tmrs among the
wheat, and went his way.
"But when the blade was spl7lng up, and brought fol1h (l7Iit. then
appemrd the tmrs also.
"50 the selvants o( the householder came and said unto him. 5;';
didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? From whence then hath
it tmrs?
"He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The selvants said
unto him, Wilt tholl then that go and gather them up?
WI!
"But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also
the wheat with them.
"Let both ~vw together until the hmvest; and in the time o(hmvest
I will say to the Irapers, Cather ye together first the tares. and bind
them in bundles to bum them, but gather the wheat into my bam."
- Matthew 13:24-30
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CONTENTS
l~ l~
F orewo rd --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 7
Oath ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21
Introduction --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. More Than the Wisest Man Can Answer---------------------------------- 31
April 19,1995: A Shock to America's Heartland
The Building's Namesake
The Building's Occupants and Description
The Surrounding Properties
The Outer Damage
Initial Suspicions of Middle East Terrorism
The Evidence of Multiple Explosions
2. One Very Long Moment ----------------------------------------------------------- 51
The Immediate Response
3. Turn Over the Falsehood -------------------------------------------------------- 71
The Bomb Scare, Weapons Disposal, and a Red Herring
The Sumter Video Tape
The BATF Arsenal
Investigator John Cash
4. The Scar of It Will Remain ------------------------------------------------------ 91
The Birth of the Official Story
Teamwork and Cooperation
Washington, Waco, and the Experts
Prior Knowledge
--------------------------------------------------------Ill
5. The Structure of the Play
The Media
Earlier Threats and Bomb Scares
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6. Putting Things in Order ......................................................... 121
Afternoon Repercllssions
The Second Bomb Scare
Governor Frank Keating
The \'Vaeo Anniversary
Protecting the Public: Antiterrorism Legislation
7. How Shall We Look Again ........· _ ............................................ 145
The Comnlllllity's Response
8. Like an Oak Tree .................................................................... 163
The Plight of the Rescuers and Survivors
TIle Third Bomb Scare
Counseling
9. Dragon's Teeth ........................· .............................................. 177
Peripheral Damage and Local Reports
The Anti·Islamic Reaction
10. Other Hands ............................· .............................................. 191
Heartiand Values
Militia Concern
Richard Wayne Snell
Coping
Washington Takes Over
11. The Whole House Is Built in the Air ......................................· 209
The Damning Quotes
12. Notorious ............................................................................... 227
TIle World Responds
Community Action
The Conflicting Evidence
13. That Which Was Before .......................................................... 251
The Body Counts
Connie Chung
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•••••
"
,
Table ofC ontents \~ 9
14. Surging Toward the Bars ...................................- --------------------265
Preparing the Initial Report
Daina's Dramatic Rescue
Seismic Rumors
"The Hour of the Time"
15. Hope Is Necessary ------------------------------------------------------------------283
The Last Survivors
The Conn course
Brandi Liggons
EP ilo gue ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------295
Appendix A: Biographicallnformation ---------------------------------------297
Mitchel Anthony Burns, President, CEO of
Ryder Rental Systems --------------------------------------------------------297
Sam Cohen, Assisted Development of the Neutron Bomb ---------- 299
William Cooper, Commanding Officer, Intelligence Service -------- 299
Stephen Jones, Defense Attorney for Timothy McVeigh -------------- 300
Fnmk Anthony Keating II, Governor of Oklahoma --------------------- 302
Resume ----------------------------------------------------------------------------302
Governor Keating Bio --------------------------------------------------------306
Oath of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre -------------------------- 307
Frank Keating and the Knights of Malta ------------------------------- 307
Other Famous Knights of Malta ------------------------------------------310
Dr. Charles John Mankin, University of Oklahoma
Geological Survey --------------------------------------------------------------311
Ronald J. Norick, Mayor of Oklahoma Ciry --------------------------------312
Brigadier General Benton K. Partin ------------------------------------------313
Appendix B: Seismic Records and Statements -----------------------------316
First Report Re: Dr. Ken Luza --------------------------------------------------316
Official Notice of the Oklahoma Geological Survey ------------------317
Seismogram from April 19,1995, Oklahoma
Geological Survey --------------------------------------------------------------318
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Appendix B: Seismic Records and Statements (cont.)
Second Report Re: Dr. Ken Luza .............................................. 319
Transcript of Second Meeting with Dr. Ken Lma ······················320
Report from the OnUliplex ..................................................... 323
Seismogram from April 19, 1995, Omniplex Museum ·················325
Seismogram from May 23, 1995, Oklahoma Geological Survey:
Demolition of the Murrah Building Remains ·························327
Seismogram from May 23, 1995, OnUliplex Museum:
Demolition of the Murrah Building Remains ·························328
Transcript of Meeting with Dr. Charles Mankin ·························329
Statement by Dr. Raymon 1. Brown, May 9, 1995 ·······················338
Letter from Dr. Raymon 1. Brown,)une 27, 1995 ....................... 341
Letter from Dr. Raymon 1. Brown,June 29, 1995 ·······················342
Comparative Seismograms-April 19 and May 23, 1995,
Oklahoma Geological Survey ···············································346
Comparative Seismograms-April 19 and May 23, 1995,
Onmiplex Museum ----------------------------------------------.--------------347
Dr. Raymon 1. Brown, Rough Sketch of Omniplex
Museum Recording, OKC Explosion ···································348
Appendix C: Evidence oflnternal Explosions ·····························349
"Oklahoma City Bombing:America's Reichstag Fire,"
Relevance, May 1995 ......................................................· ···349
Written Statement of Sam Cohen ············································349
Benton K. Partin,JlUle 30, 1995, Press Conference
Exc erp ts ........................................................................... 350
Letter from Rodger A. Raubach, Ph.D. July 18,1995 ···················371
Letter from Sam Gronning, Explosives Expert ···························372
Bomb Damage Analysis of Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building,
Oklahoma Ciry, Oklahoma, July 30, 1995,
by Benton K. Partin ............................................................ 373
Appendix D: Prior Knowledge ..................................................... 389
u.S. Department of Justice, Letter of Immuniry,
September 14, 1994 ........................................................... 390
"Lawmen Get Warning of Plot on U.S. Targets,"
Stll/eledger, March 22, 1995 ················································392
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