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Arrangements for Victim Viewing

On April 12, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft announced that victims of the Oklahoma City bombing would be permitted to participate in viewing the execution of Timothy McVeigh in two ways. Ten persons have been selected to go to Terre Haute, Ind., to witness the execution in person. Others will be permitted to view a closed-circuit telecast in Oklahoma City. The victims were sent a letter this week advising them of the arrangements made by the Department of Justice for their participation in viewing the execution. Those arrangements are summarized here.

Attendance at Terre Haute

Ten persons were selected on Wednesday, April 18 to go to Terre Haute from among those previously expressing their desire to be considered to witness the execution. The selections were made by lottery, except that no more than one person from the same family was selected. The lottery was structured to make the selections according to the same categories of victims as were used in allocating seats for the Denver trials and in the proportions most closely approximating those used for the trials: families of deceased victims (7 seats), survivors with physical injuries (2 seats), and other survivors (1 seat). Victims who suffered only property damage were not be included in the lottery for the Terre Haute positions.

The 10 persons selected to go to Terre Haute will be advised privately of their selection. In order to protect the privacy of those selected, there will be no public announcement of the identity of the persons selected.

Some victims have indicated they wish to go to Terre Haute even if they are not among the 10 selected to actually view the execution. The Attorney General has directed that a reserved area be established at the Terre Haute facility to accommodate those victims. Any victim desiring to pursue this option is being asked to contact the U. S. Attorney's office in Oklahoma City so that information about the reserved site can be provided. Persons going to Terre Haute other than the 10 witnesses selected will be responsible for any travel or other costs. There will not be public funds available for this purpose.

Remote viewing - Oklahoma City

The Attorney General has determined that victims and survivors not selected to go to Terre Haute will be permitted to witness the execution via closed-circuit television in Oklahoma City. In order to aid the Bureau of Prisons in making final preparations, all victims desiring to attend the closed circuit session are being asked to confirm or reconfirm their wishes to the U.S. Attorney's office by May 1, 2001.

Attendance at the closed circuit site will be limited to those victims who confirm or reconfirm their intentions to attend by May 1, 2001. Further, only persons 18 years of age or older will be permitted to attend.

Those viewing the execution at the closed-circuit site will report to the U.S. Marshal's Air Operations Hangar, 5900 Air Cargo Road, no later than 5:00 a.m. on May 16. After confirmation of status, victims will be transported by bus to the actual viewing site, the training facility for the Federal Transfer Center in Oklahoma City. Following the execution, victims will be returned to the Air Operations Hangar.

At the viewing site in Oklahoma City (as well as Terre Haute), there will be a briefing prior to the execution to explain the procedures which will be followed and to acquaint those attending with what they may expect to see.

The victims have been advised that strict rules have been established as to what items may or may not be brought into the viewing facility. Video cameras, recording devices, cell phones, or electronic devices of any kind will be prohibited. These rules are to ensure that the closed-circuit viewing is not recorded or otherwise made public.

Each person desiring to view the execution via closed-circuit in Oklahoma City is responsible for his or her own transportation costs and other expenses.

Arrangements are currently being finalized for press access to those victims desiring to be interviewed, and information about that process will be provided to the media when it is available.

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