Naman Shrestha
In Netflix’s ‘Oklahoma City Bombing: American Terror,’ the focus is on the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 and the impact it had on the entire nation. Although initially the authorities were under the impression that it might be an accident caused by a gas leak, they uncovered a well-planned plot behind the bombing, which was led by Timothy McVeigh, Terry Nichols, and Michael Fortier. The detectives apprehended all three conspirators and ended up making a deal with Michael, who turned into a star witness for the prosecution in the trials of the other two bombers.
Michael Fortier Took a Plea Deal and Testified Against His Co-Conspirators in Court
Son of Irene and Paul Fortier, Michael Fortier was one of the three conspirators, alongside Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, responsible for the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. In the late 1980s, while he was serving in the US Army, Michael shared a room with Timothy, eventually becoming friends with him and Terry, who was also part of the military at the time. Since they had multiple common interests and beliefs, their friendship had a solid foundation. Michael was particularly close to Timothy, whom he reportedly assigned as best man during his wedding to Lori, with whom he welcomed a son named Michael and a daughter named Kayla.
After the 1993 Waco massacre that resulted in the deaths of dozens of Branch Davidians, Timothy was determined to retaliate against the government and make a statement. So, he came up with a plan for the bombing and recruited both Terry Nichols and Michael Fortier, who refused to become a part of the conspiracy initially, to participate in the project. Michael and his wife, Lori, were shown a rough diagram of the bomb Timothy wanted to build in October 1994. To help him in his quest, Michael not only sold stolen weapons to gather funds and sent the money to the mastermind, but he also handled blasting caps and other explosives, making him an accomplice. A few months prior to the bombing, in December 1994, he also drove down to Oklahoma City with Timothy to scout the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.
Lori also helped the head conspirator to laminate his fake driver’s license, which was used to rent the Ryder truck. The Fortiers also reportedly aided in the bombing by allowing Timothy to stay with them for a brief time. So, when the explosion on April 19, 1995, took the lives of hundreds in the Federal Building and indirectly affected the lives of thousands, Michael Fortier was eventually tied to the tragic bombing. In August 1995, he was arrested and charged with conspiring to transport stolen weapons, transporting stolen weapons, and making false statements to the FBI.
Michael Fortier Has Been Leading a Quiet Life With His Family Away From the Prying Eyes of the Media
In exchange for a shorter sentence and immunity for his wife, Michael Fortier pleaded guilty to all the charges against him and agreed to be the key witness for the prosecution in the trials of his conspirators — Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols. In 1997, he and Lori testified against both of them, revealing that Timothy had fixed the date for the bombing and harbored a strong amount of hatred for the government. They also came clean about how much they knew and did to facilitate the tragedy. On May 27, 1998, Michael was finally sentenced to 12 years in prison and ordered to pay $75,000 for not alerting the authorities about the explosion despite knowing the time and place.
After serving about 85 percent of his term, he was released from federal prison on January 20, 2006. However, he remained under federal supervision for the next three years. Upon his release, there was a concern regarding his safety and that of his family. Thus, he and his family were transferred into the Federal Witness Protection Program and provided with new identities and housing to start afresh. While nothing was certain about what the Fortiers’ future looked like, it was clear that they seemingly spent a lot of quality time with each other while staying out of the limelight. His attorney told the Dallas Morning News, “I don’t think they know for sure what they’re going to do and where they’re going to go. It’s going to take them a while to settle in.”
Ever since Michael Fortier’s release, they have been leading a private life outside of Kingman, Arizona, where they previously resided at the time of the tragic bombing. As per the Federal Witness Protection Program, the family has also been ordered not to do media interviews and sever ties with their old friends. To this day, in order to maintain privacy, the only way they can get in touch with their family members is through federal agents.
Read More: Terry Nichols: Where is the Oklahoma City Bomber Now?
