Timothy McVeigh
By: Jonathan Villacis
Background Information
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McVeigh was a child of divorced parents and was raised by his father.
McVeigh was shy student, he had few friends, and was often the victim of bullying.
Upon graduating high school he attended Bryant and Stratton College until
dropping out and joining the army.
McVeigh served in the Gulf War and Operation Desert Storm, and was a decorated
soldier. His anti-government feelings originated during his time in the military.
He attempted to join the Army’s Special Forces, but was deemed unfit by the
psychiatric profile test and quit.
He then worked many dead end jobs, until he traveled across the country in search
of his old army friends.
McVeigh would write letters to newspapers and local government leaders
complaining about taxes, laws, and other social issues.
He tried finding love, but after being rejected he began obsessively gambling and
fell into major financial debt.
McVeigh had an interest in firearms, he spent much of his time attending gun
shows and reading gun magazines.
Crimes
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Timothy McVeigh constructed and detonated a ANMM
explosive device, placed it in a rented truck, and parked the
truck in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in
Oklahoma City, OK. The explosion killed one hundred sixty
eight people and injured more than five hundred others. This
was his first criminal offense. McVeigh was indicted on
eleven federal counts, including conspiracy to use a weapon of
mass destruction, use of a weapon of mass destruction,
destruction by explosives, and eight counts of first-degree
murder. The defense argued that McVeigh’s bombing of the
Murrah was a justifiable response to the U.S. government
sieging the Branch Davidian Complex for fifty one days which
resulted in the deaths of seventy six people.
Criminal Terms
Weapon of mass destruction- a
chemical, biological or radioactive weapon
capable of causing widespread death and
destruction.
 Indict- formally accuse of or charge with
a serious crime.
 First Degree Murder- an unlawful killing
that is both willful and premeditated,
meaning that it was committed after
planning or "lying in wait" for the victim.
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Evidence/Sentence
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When police found McVeigh after the bombing he was wearing T-shirt with
a picture of Abraham Lincoln and the motto “Thus Always to
Tyrants,”the state motto of Virginia and the words shouted by John Wilkes
Booth after he shot Lincoln. On the back it had a tree with a picture of
three blood droplets and a Thomas Jefferson quote, “The tree of liberty
must be refreshed from the time to time with the blood of patriots and
tyrants. The FBI traced the Vehicle Identification Number to back to
automobile rental place. The workers helped the FBI compose a sketch of
the renter and identified him as Timothy McVeigh. McVeigh wrote two
letters to the Bureau of Alcohol and Tobacco and Firearms claiming he was
done with the propaganda stage on to the action stage. He also confessed
his plans to his friends Gwenda Strider and Fortier.
McVeigh was found guilty on all eleven counts of federal indictment and
was given the death penalty by the jury. McVeigh was executed by lethal
injection in the U.S. Federal Penitentiary in Indiana.
Quotes/Nicknames
“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.” said by Timothy
McVeigh
 "Without saying a word, he got the final word.” said
by Larry Whicher after McVeigh refused to make a
verbal statement before he was executed.
 Bullies called him “Noodle McVeigh” was called
“The Road Warrior” for owning a Chevy Geo
Spectrum. Used the alias’s Tim Tuttle, Darel Bridges,
and Robert Kling while attending gun shows.
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Cultural References
There are several cultural references made about
Timothy McVeigh including the songs:
 "Chaos Aggressor" –Hexen
 "Framed" – U.S. Bombs
 "The Ballad of Timothy McVeigh" – Snog
 "The Proud" – Talib Kweli
 "Little Timmy Scumbag" – Cruachan
However there are no mentions of McVeigh in
television or movies.
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Sociological Theory
The sociological theory that describes Timothy McVeigh and his
criminal actions is the Conflict theory. Since McVeigh could not find a successful
career or achieve true love and settle down he took out his anger and frustration
on society in a form of rebellion. He believed that society was unfair and the
people in power were corrupt and make laws that keep citizens down. McVeigh
thought that the tax system was unfair and he thought the government was trying
to take away everything from him. McVeigh felt the only way to change society
and the government was through taking action. He was done having his antigovernment propaganda ignored.
McVeigh was devoted to the United States Declaration of Independence.
In McVeigh’s eyes anyone that supported the government was a traitor and
equally guilty. McVeigh thought U.S. citizens deserved more freedoms, but were
having there rights limited by unjust and unfair laws. He would visit conspiracy
sites to defy the government’s restrictions. After he committed the bombing of
the Murrah building he thought he was saving the U.S. from the tyrants that are
government officials. McVeigh would have done it again because in his mind it
was the only way to bring any change.