BBC Wednesday, 6 June, 2001, 18:00 GMT 19:00 UK

McVeigh execution to go ahead

A US federal judge has ruled that the execution of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh will go ahead as planned.

Judge Richard Matsch, who presided over McVeigh's trial, told the hearing in Denver, Colorado, that there would be no stay of execution, due to be held on Monday.

The US Attorney General, John Ashcroft, hailed the decision as a "ruling for justice".

The judge, who had earlier said he found "shocking" the fact that documents had been withheld in the case until last month, said the newly released documents did not change the fact that McVeigh was guilty.

McVeigh's lawyers said they would appeal against the execution ruling.

Judge Matsch said: "I find there is no good cause to delay the execution.

"Whatever in time may be disclosed about the possible [actions] of others it will not change the fact that Timothy McVeigh was the instrument of death and destruction."

Gulf War veteran McVeigh, 33, is scheduled to die by lethal injection on Monday for the 1995 bombing of a federal building that killed 168 people and injured hundreds of others.

McVeigh's execution had been set initially for 16 May. But it was postponed after the Justice Department handed in about 4,000 FBI documents it admitted should have been given to McVeigh's lawyers during his trial.

Conspiracy claims

In papers filed before the hearing, McVeigh's lawyers said the government "misled" the court.

They said the government was aware that others were involved in the bombing and that the FBI knew about the bomb plot in advance.

The defence team said they believed that "the government - at least some FBI agents - knew ... that other people in addition to Mr McVeigh and Mr Nichols were responsible for the bombing".

Legal experts said the defence would have had to prove that the newly released FBI documents would have changed the outcome of the trial.

Prosecutors reject plea

Federal prosecutors had been opposing calls for a further stay of execution.

Prosecutor Sean Connelly said the newly released documents did not have any bearing on McVeigh's conviction and sentence.

In the past, McVeigh has waived opportunities to appeal, believing his execution would help publicise his anti-government crusade.

McVeigh's execution will be the first carried out on a federal prisoner in 38 years.

McVeigh said the bombing - the worst act of mass killing in modern US history - was motivated by anti-government rage, including retribution for the 1993 raid on the Branch Davidian cult in Waco, Texas.

-- Anonymous, June 06, 2001

Answers

So many thoughts about this... and so little time (5 days).

Honestly, I am bummed that he didn't get a stay. Not for the reasons that many of you may think. He should have been given a stay of one hour, one day, one month, or one year. ANYTHING that would have said that he got his dutiful justice.

What I'm getting at, is if he had gotten a stay, then the presidence (sp) would not now be set that it is A-OKAY for the government not to turn over ALL documents/evidence as required by law. He's gonna fry, and he knows it. We all know it. Just don't let the hands of justice become soiled by not doing it the proper way.

Sad day in America.

-- Anonymous, June 06, 2001