Twenty years after the Oklahoma City bombing, key questions remain unanswered despite a vast FBI investigation and three trials. On 19 April 1995, Timothy McVeigh destroyed a federal building, killing 168 people. Within 90 minutes, he was arrested alone in a conspicuous getaway car, raising doubts about the official narrative.
The federal indictment against McVeigh and co-conspirator Terry Nichols mentioned 'others unknown', and the presiding judge urged further investigation, but the plea was largely ignored. Over 20 eyewitnesses told the FBI McVeigh was not alone on the morning of the bombing, yet the identities of others seen with him remain unknown.
Investigative files reveal leads left dangling or shut down. Obvious suspects were offered deals, and half a dozen rightwing radicals identified by informants were not questioned. Interagency rivalry between the FBI and ATF, exacerbated by the Waco siege, hampered efforts; the ATF failed to share intelligence about an informant who reported bomb talk before the attack.
The exact origin of the plot and the number of perpetrators remain unclear. McVeigh and Nichols lacked advanced explosives training, and the source of their bomb-making knowledge is unexplained. Witnesses reported a second Ryder truck and other individuals at key locations, but these leads were not pursued.
