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CNN Live At Daybreak

McVeigh Execution: Tensions High Across Country

Aired June 11, 2001 - 07:07   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: You heard from Dan Dunne, talking about the media witnesses, and CNN's Susan Candiotti has more on that, just across the field here in Terre Haute.

Susan, good morning.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill.

In fact, we learned the names of who those witnesses were. We know that there will be 10 of them representing the news media. And one other thing we are also trying to find out for you is whether Timothy McVeigh had taken any personal belongings with him from death row into his holding cell. We hope to learn more about that. And as the day goes on, we also hope to learn more about that final meeting between Timothy McVeigh and his two lawyers, a meeting that only was to last about 15 minutes, and took place about an hour ago.

We do know at this hour that he is being prepared for death. We were asking for more details of that. We know that part of the preparation involves having him be strip-searched, and then allowed to put clothing on, a fresh set of clothes, including a khaki shirt and pants, a pair of slip-on shoes. And then he will be shackled and eventually escorted into the adjacent execution chamber, where intravenous lines will be inserted into his arm, and eventually the medication will be inserted as well.

I wanted to tell you that the public has not seen Timothy McVeigh for several years. The last time, in fact, was five-and-a-half years ago. The last time we saw him was when McVeigh and co-conspirator Terry Nichols were escorted. And so early Sunday morning, the closest we have had to that, Timothy McVeigh inside a white Bureau of Prisons' van that was moved at 4:00 in the morning -- early hours of the morning -- from death row to the execution facility. This videotape was provided by the Bureau of Prisons. It does not show Timothy McVeigh; however, we do know that during this time he received his final breath of fresh air as he was walked in and out of the van into the execution chamber.

Let's give you a look now at what his final hours have been like and where he spent them.

Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) CANDIOTTI (voice-over): He'll be under constant watch of guards in this holding cell, it's first and only occupant since the federal death penalty was reinstated, in 1988.

Both of his attorneys can remain with him until two hours before the execution.

GREGORY HERSHBERGER, U.S. BUREAU OF PRISONS: Within an hour of the scheduled execution, Mr. McVeigh will be given a khaki shirt, a pair of khaki pants, slip-on-type shoes.

CANDIOTTI: Next, McVeigh will be escorted a few feet to the room where he'll be put to death. Prison officials refused a request from his lawyers to be allowed to watch while he's strapped to this table and I.V.s inserted.

Drapes will open to four rooms of witnesses overlooking McVeigh, including his lawyers, victims, reporters and government officials. McVeigh will be asked whether he wants to make a final statement. Then the warden will read the execution order, and the marshal will use the red phone in the corner to check for any legal reasons to stop. If there is no reprieve, the I.V. lines will open; three drugs will be used.

HERSHBERGER: They include sodium Pentothal, which causes one to fall asleep or lapse into unconsciousness. The second drug is called Pavulon. And that is a muscle relaxer which causes respiration to cease. The third drug is potassium chloride. And that effectively stops the heart from beating.

CANDIOTTI: Witnesses here and via closed-circuit TV in Oklahoma City will watch McVeigh die. Death is expected within about eight to 15 minutes. The warden will announce death, the curtains will close, and a coroner will confirm the execution is complete.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

The victim witnesses will be able to see Timothy McVeigh's face, but he will not be able to see them because the glass in that particular room has been heavily tinted, we are told, for the victim witnesses' privacy, Bill.

HEMMER: Susan, stay with us here. In a moment, we're going to come back to the execution chamber that you just talked about and describe it in more and greater detail.

In the meantime, though, the prison behind me is tight with security. That was to be expected. Late last night, this prison, with about 1,300 inmates, went to a semi-lockdown. That went into effect for security measures at the conclusion of last night's NBA championship game between the L.A. Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers.

At this time, the dawn is breaking in western Indiana. There is a small rainfall starting to fall here. However, we do not anticipate that rain to continue throughout the morning. By my watch, we're about 48 minutes away from the first lethal injection ever by the federal government and the first federal execution in more than three decades.

Susan back with us now -- let's go through the death chamber that has been established here at Terre Haute, first established in 1993. The construction began and was completed in 1995. It's the first of its kind at a federal level.

As we look at this graphic, what's important to point out?

CANDIOTTI: And as we know, it will be the first time it will ever be used as well. There are four groups of witnesses who will be watching in four separate rooms overlooking the death chamber.

First of all, you have a room that will have 10 victim witnesses who will be looking directly at Timothy McVeigh through smoky glass. They were chosen by lottery to attend. And then Timothy McVeigh himself has handpicked four witnesses. He could have had up to six.

Those will be both of his attorneys, as well as a woman by the name of Cate McCauley of Providence, Rhode Island -- she used to work as a defense investigator during the appeals process -- as well as "Buffalo News" reporter Lou Michel. He was also one of Timothy McVeigh's two biographers. Author Gore Vidal was also supposed to be there, but he could not make it from Italy.

In another room: 10 media witnesses -- you heard their names announced earlier by the Bureau of Prisons. And in the final room will be a group of prison and government officials -- Bill.

Also, I might add, as a matter of fact, that there is also a red telephone inside the death chamber and. Of course, if there is any possibility of a last-minute reprieve -- and none is expected -- the phone call would come on that telephone.

As well, when the curtains open, that is the first time that the witnesses will see him. And that will be after the I.V. lines have already been inserted. At that time, the people who are watching in Oklahoma City via closed-circuit television will also get their first look at Timothy McVeigh. There is a camera trained just on his upper torso.

At that time, Timothy McVeigh will be asked by the warden if he wishes to make a final statement. And, in fact, he is expected to do so. And afterwards, that is when the warden will make a phone call to the Department of Justice in Washington to see if, in fact, there are any legal impediments to proceeding. If not, the final execution order will be read and then carried out -- Bill.

HEMMER: All right, Susan.

Again, we'll take a look a bit later at the execution chamber. You may have remarked there, the blue areas are the areas marked not only for the chemical room, but also the holding cell where McVeigh has been held since the predawn hours of Sunday morning. It is just a few short steps into the execution room where that T-shaped gurney, padded -- brown padding attached to that chair where McVeigh will be strapped within the hour. And again, the drugs, three of them, will be administered into McVeigh's veins.

You may have heard over the weekend -- and especially on Sunday -- the amount of correspondence McVeigh has had with a number of people throughout the country. Part of that correspondence has been with two reporters for "The Buffalo News." In yesterday's Sunday edition, several quotes were attributed to McVeigh in recent letters that he has given the newspaper. We're going to take a look now at two of those and the first one, which has caused a number of questions here in Terre Haute and also back in Oklahoma City.

Quoting McVeigh -- again, according to these letters -- "I am sorry these people had to lose their lives but that's the nature of the beast. It's understood going in what the human toll will be."

In addition to this, Timothy McVeigh has said in a book and also in various letters that he is agnostic: He neither believes in a god nor does not believe. But he believes at this time that he will improvise if indeed there is an afterlife. And according to him, "If I am going to hell, I'm going to have a lot of company" -- again, the words of Timothy McVeigh printed in the Buffalo newspaper yesterday.

That first quote we talked about used the word "sorry." And yesterday two attorneys who made some of their last visits with McVeigh behind the prison walls came out and spoke with reporters. In part they came out to explain what that first quote meant.

From yesterday afternoon now here is Robert Nigh, defense attorney for the convicted bomber.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT NIGH, MCVEIGH DEFENSE ATTORNEY: He will have final words. His mind over the last weekend has been to prepare for his execution tomorrow. He has prepared previously -- he had indicated previously -- and he's never changed his thinking on this -- that he prefers to be executed than to spend a lengthy life in prison without the possibility of release. And he still feels that way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Again, Robert Nigh from an interview yesterday with reporters here in Terre Haute.

Coming up shortly, we'll have another look at the procedure, that step-by-step procedure that follows strict and rigid guidelines here for Terre Haute -- about 40 minutes away from the execution of Timothy McVeigh, who back in high school was quoted in his annual when he was a senior as saying -- regarding life -- he will, -- quote -- "Take it as it comes, buy a Lamborghini, California girls" -- the words, again, of Timothy McVeigh several years ago.

HEMMER: Back with more live in Terre Haute, momentarily -- but for now, back to Atlanta and more with Colleen and Carol. CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, thank you very much, Bill.

Now we move on to Oklahoma City where hundreds of bombing victims and families who lost loved ones are gathering to watch the execution.

CNN's Gary Tuchman joins us now with their story -- Gary.

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, this is an important story nationally and internationally. But in Oklahoma City, it's a local story, a very personal story. And today is the headline that people here have been waiting for -- a lot of people -- because it honors the 168 people who died. And the headlines of the "Daily Oklahoman" says, "Judgment Day."

It's been 53,877 hours since Timothy McVeigh parked a Ryder rental truck right behind me, blew up the Murrah Federal Building and ended all those lives. And now, because of that, his life will end in less than an hour.

It's fair to say that most of the family members of the victims favor the death penalty for Timothy McVeigh. They feel this is what should happen, that it's justice. However, not everyone feels that way. And one of them who feels differently is Kathy Wilburn, despite her excruciating loss.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATHY WILBURN, GRANDMOTHER OF BOMBING VICTIMS: This is Chase on the beach in March. And this is when we took him to Disneyland.

(voice-over): Kathy Wilburn lost her two grandsons on April 19, 1995. Chase Smith and his little brother, Colton, were in the Murrah Federal Building day care center when the bomb exploded. They lived with their mother and grandmother.

WILBURN: The coroner's report said that when Chase was brought in that he had on little chipmunk underwear so I keep these as little reminders. Some people I think believe it's odd that I've kept everything and all of the toys but this is all I have left of Chase an Colton.

TUCHMAN: The boys' mother, Edie, and their grandmother were initially told the children were missing. Hours later they got the horrifying news.

WILBURN: Edie or I, neither one ever got to see the boys again after the bombing because of the condition their bodies were in. It haunts we to this day. I'm sorry I didn't see them even if they would have been in bad condition. I never got a chance to tell them good bye.

TUCHMAN: From nearly the beginning, Kathy Wilburn has believed there is more to the bombing story than has been told. She thinks more people were involved in the crime and says that's why she would prefer timothy McVeigh not be executed. WILBURN: I think for what he did he certainly deserves to die but I'm not in favor of killing him because I believe with McVeigh dies the truth.

TUCHMAN: The grandmother has taken the unusual step of investigating the bombing on her own. A production team is shooting a documentary about her and her investigative travels. She has met with Timothy McVeigh's father and sister and established a writing relationship with Terry Nichols, now serving a life sentence in prison for his role in the bombing.

WILBURN: Well, I'm a person that's interested in the truth and I don't believe the truth has been forthcoming and who would know more about the bombing than -- the Oklahoma City bombing -- than Terry Nichols?

TUCHMAN: Kathy Wilburn has a collection of letters from Terry Nichols. In this one he says, "Dear Kathy, I bet you're surprised I'm writing to you." And later on says if he knew God like he does now, "it would have prevented me from making numerous mistakes over the years, but that's the past and no one can change it." No one's more of that than Kathy Wilburn.

WILBURN: And always in Edie's life if she ever had a problem she came to her mother and her mother fixed it. And this was one I couldn't fix. And I had found myself lying to Edie. I said, "Edie, I will be all right, it will be all right." But I knew in my heart it was never going to be all right.

TUCHMAN (on camera): When did you realize it wasn't going to be all right -- how quickly after that?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TUCHMAN: Despite her feeling about the death penalty for Timothy McVeigh, Kathy Wilburn has made the decision to watch the execution via closed-circuit here in Oklahoma City. And that's where she is this morning.

You know, we stood near this exact same site on April 19, 1995, hours after the bombing happened. It was one of the most violent backgrounds you would ever see. It was absolutely sickening -- now behind me the museum of the Oklahoma City bombing, to my left the outdoor memorial. It's one of the most peaceful, quiet, soothing sights you'd ever hope to see. And it has become a shrine of sorts -- Carol, back to you.

LIN: Gary, a very different picture indeed. Can you describe some of the circumstances around the families, where they're going to be watching closed-circuit television and how many of the people have arrived so far?

TUCHMAN: The site is about 10 miles away from where we're standing here where the Murrah Building used to be. It is a federal prison facility. They call it the Federal Transfer Center because it's where federal prisoners are transferred to their final destination, the final prisons wherever they're going to be.

So they've set up about 350 chairs inside that Federal Transfer Center. The closed-circuit-encrypted feed will come shortly before the execution starts; 1,111 people were invited to attend to watch the closed-circuit presentation. They were deemed eligible to watch it; 330 responded affirmatively. It's believed there won't be that many watching it. We do know five busloads have left for the Federal Transfer Center. Everyone is now in place. They will be watching the execution. And then, when they're done, many of them will be talking to us about what they saw.

LIN: Gary, did any of the families in the past several days you've been there tell you what they hope to walk away with after watching this execution?

TUCHMAN: One thing that's so important to stress, Carol, is we hear a term a lot. That term is, -- quote, unquote -- "closure." People here regard that as a cliche. It's something that's impossible to achieve.

They look at it this way: that it's the end of a chapter. And, indeed, that's what therapists tell them. This is an end of a chapter. Hopefully, it will make you feel better, but don't ever think that this is going to provide closure. You've lost a loved one, you'll never have closure.

But people are hoping that it makes them feel better after watching this.

LIN: I'm sure you've seen a lot of it as people come to the memorial leading up to the execution later today to pay their respects to the victims. Thank you very much -- Gary Tuchman reporting live this morning from Oklahoma City.

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