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CNN Live Sunday

McVeigh Moved to Holding Cell in Anticipation of Execution

Aired June 10, 2001 - 16:00   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.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: There are now 16 hours until the execution of convicted Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. At this hour, final preparations are being made at federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana.

CNN's Bill Hemmer is there. He joins us now with a live update -- Bill.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Donna, good afternoon to you. At this time, we are waiting for two attorneys for Timothy McVeigh to come to reporters and step up to microphones and brief one their most recent and one of their final visits with Timothy McVeigh. Earlier today, the attorneys arrived at the prison and again, we do expect that momentarily.

In the meantime, though, Donna, as you mentioned, we are 16 hours now and counting down to the execution of McVeigh, to happen early Monday morning. Now, it was under the cover of darkness earlier today, about 4:00 a.m. local time or 5:00 a.m. Eastern time when Timothy McVeigh was moved, transported inside this van here from death row into his current holding cell, which is where McVeigh is right now.

McVeigh was moved early this morning. The escort by prison guards described him as being cooperative. However, in this videotape, McVeigh was never seen. At this time, he is in that 9-by- 14 foot holding cell, equipped with just a metal bed, a table, and a 24-hour supervised watch by prison guards.

Late this afternoon, though, a break in procedure. The prison warden informs us that he has allowed Timothy McVeigh to have small television inside that holding cell. The videotape you see here was taken a few hours ago.

Again, the attorneys here, Robert Nigh and Nathan Chambers, on their way from the hotel to the prison here. They had very little words with reporters as they left that hotel, but again, we do anticipate at some time very soon they will brief reporters as to what their conversations were about inside the prison this afternoon.

As for Timothy McVeigh, again, he is talking once again. For several weeks and even months for that matter, he has had correspondence with a number of people across the country. His latest correspondence went to two reporters with "The Buffalo News." In today's edition of that newspaper, McVeigh is quoted on a number of items, including the following, a quoting now.

Timothy McVeigh says, quote: "If there would not have been a Waco, I would have put down roots somewhere and not been so unsettled with the fact that my government was a threat to me." He continues: "Everything that Waco implies was on the forefront of my thoughts. That sort of guided my path for the next couple of years," end quote.

Again, the words from Timothy McVeigh, appearing today in the Sunday edition of "The Buffalo News." Once again, we are waiting for the attorneys to come to the microphones in Terre Haute, Donna, and certainly, we will have live coverage when that happens. In the meantime, that clock continues to tick down, ticking toward 8:00 a.m. Eastern time when the lethal injection will be given to Timothy McVeigh, and he shall live his final moments here on earth -- Donna.

KELLEY: Bill Hemmer in Terre Haute.

In Oklahoma City, McVeigh's impending execution has affected bombing survivors and victims' family members in strikingly different ways. Some favor the execution, some oppose, while others are torn with conflicting thoughts, as CNN's national correspondent Gary Tuchman has learned actually firsthand. He's in Oklahoma City and he joins us with details -- Gary.

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Donna, 2,244 days ago, Timothy McVeigh parked a rental truck right behind me and blew up the Murrah Federal Building. And because of that, he has one day of life left.

And it's fair to say that most family members of the victims and survivors are in favor of Timothy McVeigh getting the ultimate penalty, but no everyone feels that way. One such woman is Kathy Wilbur, who lost two of the loves of her life.

(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.

TUCHMAN (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 and 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 aware 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, it will be all right, it will be all right." But I knew in my heart it was never going to be all right.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TUCHMAN: If not for Timothy McVeigh, little Chase would be nearing his 10th birthday; Colten would be almost nine. Now, there will be 330 people approximately watching the closed-circuit version of the execution here in Oklahoma City tomorrow. Kathy Wilburn may be against the execution, but she says she plans on watching it.

Donna, back to you.

KELLEY: Gary, on that point of watching, witnesses to McVeigh's execution will be in two separate locations. About 30 people will be inside the execution facility, and they will watch from four rooms that are highlighted in the pictures we will show you here in green.

The viewing rooms look directly into the execution room in the center of building. Ten survivors or family numbers of victims will be in one room. Other witnessed will include five people chosen by McVeigh, media representatives and government officials.

Another 300 survivors and victims' family members will view a closed-circuit feed of the execution. The screening room is at Will Rogers Airport in Oklahoma City. The execution will be projected onto a large movie screen.

The execution presents a few challenges for mental health workers. Joining us now for a look at how people will react or may react to the execution and what mental health services are being offered in Oklahoma is Luanne Smith. She's of the Oklahoma County Crisis Intervention Center

Luanne, we're glad you could come to talk to us. Thank you.

LUANNE SMITH, OKLAHOMA COUNTY CRISIS INTERVENTION CENTER: You're welcome.

KELLEY: I don't know if you were able to hear Gary's report, but in it, he was just talking with one of the grandmothers who lost two little grandsons, and she said it haunts her to this day. Can you tell us, the people that you've talked to, and you've worked with a lot of them since the bombing happened, how they feel at this point and what they're expecting?

SMITH: There are different reactions, Donna. It's on an individual basis. We have individuals that are ready for the execution, that are mentally preparing, and then there are those that still are not sure if they are ready for this. So, again, as far as my work, it's a very individual reaction for the person.

KELLEY: And it does depend on the person. Do most of them think it will help or hurt?

SMITH: I think that I would have to say that would be kind of split, again on the individual. There are those who do think it will help and then there are those that are not sure. So, I think it would -- it's just going to depend on tomorrow.

KELLEY: In your past experience, does it help, as people go through the stages of healing and grief like this, does something like this, and it's familiar word that people have heard, does it bring closure?

SMITH: I think closure is a word that we have tried to, as far as put another word that maybe it's like a book, a chapter that this will be an end of a chapter in your book. So, closure is not -- I had one person put it to me very nicely. He lost his mother and he said that when my book is through, whenever I'm gone, then that will be to me as far as closure for the April 19, 1995 bombing.

KELLEY: Tell us some of the services that you're offering to folks.

SMITH: We will have phone bank available at the Department of Mental Health for people to call in. That number will 1-800-522-9054. We will be open tomorrow morning from six until tomorrow night at midnight. It is open today, right now, and then we will also have counselors available at the memorial site and there will also be counselors available at the federal transfer center to be with the families and survivors that will be viewing.

KELLEY: Can you can give us that phone number once again, that 800 number, please. I wrote it down, but I want you to give it to us again.

SMITH: Yes, surely, Donna. It's 1-800-522-9054.

KELLEY: OK, Luanne Smith is with the Oklahoma County Crisis Intervention Center. We appreciate you coming to talk with us.

SMITH: You're welcome.

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