DATE= 11/3/97 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-222110 TITLE=NICHOLS TRIAL (L-UPDATE) BYLINE=RICK SALLINGER DATELINE=DENVER, COLO. CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: PROSECUTORS AND DEFENSE ATTORNEYS HAVE COMPLETED THEIR OPENING STATEMENTS TODAY (MONDAY) IN THE DENVER (COLORADO) TRIAL OF TERRY NICHOLS. HE IS ACCUSED OF CONSPIRING WITH TIMOTHY MCVEIGH TO BOMB THE FEDERAL BUILDING IN OKLAHOMA CITY IN 1995 -- A BOMBING THAT KILLED 168 PEOPLE ... THE WORST ACT OF DOMESTIC TERRORISM IN U-S HISTORY. RICK SALLINGER REPORTS FROM DENVER. TEXT: DEFENSE ATTORNEY MICHAEL TIGAR TOLD THE JURY TERRY NICHOLS WAS BUILDING A LIFE -- NOT BUILDING A BOMB. THAT WAS ONE OF TWO THEMES HE HAMMERED HOME IN OPENING STATEMENTS. THE OTHER WAS THAT TERRY NICHOLS WASN'T THERE WHEN THE BOMB EXPLODED IN OKLAHOMA CITY, KILLING 168 PEOPLE. BUT PROSECUTOR LARRY MACKEY HAD EARLIER TOLD THE JURY THAT TERRY NICHOLS PLANNED IT JUST THAT WAY. MR. MACKEY ADDED THE DEFENDANT KNEW FROM THE BEGINNING THE INTENT OF THE PLOT -- AND HELPED THAT PLAN SUCCEED. THE PROSECUTION CONTENDS MR. NICHOLS AND THE ALREADY-CONVICTED TIMOTHY MCVEIGH CARRIED OUT THE BOMBING AS AN ACT OF REVENGE FOR THE FEDERAL ASSAULT ON THE "BRANCH DAVIDIAN" COMPOUND AT WACO, TEXAS, TWO YEARS TO THE DAY BEFORE THE OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING. MR. NICHOLS' ATTORNEY, MICHAEL TIGAR, PUT THE BLAME FOR THE BOMBING ON MCVEIGH AND SAID MR. NICHOLS WENT DIRECTLY TO POLICE WHEN HE HEARD HIS NAME IN BROADCAST REPORTS. MR. TIGAR ALSO CONTENDED THE F-B-I LABORATORY IGNORED VITAL EVIDENCE IN THE CASE. THE JURORS WERE LEFT WITH TWO ENTIRELY DIFFERENT IMPRESSIONS OF MR. NICHOLS -- THE DEFENSE PORTRAYAL OF A FAMILY MAN ... AND THE GOVERNMENT EQUATION THAT TIMOTHY MCVEIGH, PLUS TERRY NICHOLS, EQUALED THE DESTRUCTION OF THE MURRAH FEDERAL BUILDING. (SIGNED) NEB/RS/RRM 03-Nov-97 5:06 PM EST (2206 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America
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