Naman Shrestha
In April 1995, the entire nation was stunned when the Oklahoma City federal building became the target of a destructive bombing that resulted in hundreds of deaths. Amidst the shockwaves and losses that the unexpected tragedy caused, the investigators worked to find out the individuals behind the explosion. In a matter of days, they learned that three men were responsible for the planning and execution of the bombing, one of whom was Terry Nichols. Netflix’s ‘Oklahoma City Bombing: American Terror’ sheds light on the entire ordeal and how Terry was apprehended and eventually brought to justice.
Terry Nichols Was Instrumental in the Oklahoma City Bombing
Terry Lynn Nichols was born on April 1, 1955, in Lapeer, Michigan, to Joyce and Robert Nichols. Growing up alongside his three siblings, including a brother named James, Terry helped his parents with farm work. In his professional career, he wore many hats as he worked as a farmer, realtor, ranch hand, and grain elevator manager. For a year or so around 1989, he also served in the US Army, where he crossed paths with Timothy McVeigh and Michael Fortier. The trio formed a friendship based on their shared anti-government beliefs — a friendship that would later lead to the deaths of hundreds of innocent people in Oklahoma City.
Enraged by the infamous Waco massacre in 1993, Terry, Timothy, and Michael started working on a plan to get back at the government, and thus, the idea of bombing the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City was born. Leading up to the attack, Terry played a significant role in bringing the plan to life. According to reports, he was responsible for stealing over 500 blasting caps, nearly 300 sticks of water-gel explosives, and detonating cord from a quarry located in Marion, Kansas. He also reportedly rented storage lockers, where they supposedly kept the items. There was evidence of him robbing an Arkansas-based gun collector in order to collect the funds required for the bombing conspiracy.
Terry Nichols Voluntarily Went to the Police Station For His Interview and Subsequent Arrest
On September 30, 1994, Terry also allegedly bought 40 5-pound bags of ammonium nitrate fertilizer in McPherson, Kansas. It would turn out to be the primary ingredient in the explosive. Just a few days prior to the deadly bombing, he allegedly dropped off the getaway car in Oklahoma City. After several months of conspiring and laying the bricks for the truck bombing, the trio finally went ahead with it on the morning of April 19, 1995, at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. The explosion took the lives of 168 people and left many others severely injured and traumatized.
Soon after the tragedy, the authorities wasted no time in searching for the men responsible for the bombing. The investigation led to the arrest of Timothy McVeigh, before Terry Nichols was considered another suspect. Despite being at home in Herington, Kansas, which is a hundred miles away from the bombing site, his contribution to the crime did not go unnoticed. When his wife, Marife Nichols, was questioned about his whereabouts on April 18, she could not provide the authorities with any details. The detectives also interviewed his former wife, Lana Padilla, who claimed that he had given him a package containing a letter meant for Timothy. In the letter, the former farmer suggested to his friend, “Go for it!”
A couple of days after the bombing, Terry surrendered himself to the local Herington Police as the investigators zeroed in on him. He claimed that he had found out on the news that he was considered a material witness, which is why he had voluntarily come down to the station for an interview. Throughout the 10-hour-long interrogation, he was calm and composed and appeared to be cooperative with the detectives. In the middle of the questioning, an arrest warrant was out for him, and by the end of it, he was arrested for being involved in the Oklahoma City bombing. A few weeks later, on May 10, he was formally charged with the crime.
Terry Nichols is Currently Behind Bars in a Colorado Prison Facility
Finally, on August 10, 1995, Terry Nichols was officially indicted alongside Timothy McVeigh by a federal grand jury. Both were charged with conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, the use of a weapon of mass destruction, destruction by explosives, and eight counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of federal employees in the incident. In September 1997, a few months after Timothy was convicted, Terry’s trial commenced. Over the course of the following nine weeks, the prosecution called about 100 witnesses in order to prove his involvement with Timothy and the bombing. The records and evidence of him purchasing and stealing bomb ingredients were also presented in court.
On the other hand, the defense called witnesses to discredit the claims of the prosecution and argued that the defendant was being framed by manipulating the evidence. Despite the best efforts from the prosecutors, the case against Terry still lacked a strong motive and incriminating physical evidence. Thus, after 41 hours of deliberation in the span of six days, the jury returned with a verdict. On December 24, 1997, although the bomber was acquitted of detonating the bomb, he was found guilty of conspiring with Timothy to use a weapon of mass destruction and eight counts of involuntary manslaughter. After avoiding the death penalty due to a deadlocked jury, he received a life imprisonment sentence without the possibility of parole on June 4, 1998.
Despite his attempts to avoid facing the state charges of murder, Terry Nichols was convicted of 161 counts of first-degree murder, including first-degree arson, one count of fetal homicide, and conspiracy, on May 26, 2004. The sentencing hearing lasted for five days in June 2004, leading to the longest prison sentence handed down to an individual. He was sentenced to 161 consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. As of today, he is serving his life sentences at the supermax or “control unit” prison, USP ADX Florence, in Florence, Colorado.
Read More: Luke Franey: Where is the Oklahoma City Bombing Survivor Now?
