Court TV Host: We're going to be talking about the Oklahoma City bombing. Today marks the sixth anniversary of the most deadly single terrorist incident on American soil, And we're less than a month away from the scheduled execution of Timothy McVeigh. We're going to be talking to Court TV executive producer Tim Sullivan, who covered the Oklahoma City bombing trials.

Court TV Host: Welcome, Tim.

Tim Sullivan: Hello. It's good to be back at Court TV.com

iknowyou22000: Will there ever be a day when we can forget this whole thing and move on? Or will we always have anniversaries reminding us of all the deaths?

Tim Sullivan: I don't think it will ever be forgotten for lots of reasons. First, it's the biggest crime in US history. There's never been a mass murder that even approaches this, if only in terms of death toll. Secondly, the victims/survivors will never let the nation forget this date—and they should not. It was a significant event in our history, and it should never be forgotten. Having said that, I agree that it would be a good thing if, eventually, the anniversary observations were a little less hyped by the media...perhaps someday it will have a more toned-down status. This year, of course, the execution is making the anniversary even more prominent in the minds of many.

strawter_1999: Where is the McVeigh family? Is his mother still alive? How many children does he have?

Tim Sullivan: McVeigh's parents divorced when he was about 12 years old, I believe. His mother was living in Florida during the trial in 1997. His father still lives outside of Buffalo, NY. Tim McVeigh has two sisters. He was closest to Jennifer, who testified against him at trial and is now living anonymously someplace, I'm not certain where. He has no children; never married, either.

pcook220: It should NEVER be forgotten.

Tim Sullivan: It cannot be forgotten. It's too significant historically. It was more than a mass murder. It was an act of treason.

Tim Sullivan: I think it's also true that the siege at Waco will never be forgotten. To me, the most important thing about the new book based on many interviews with McVeigh is the fact that McVeigh is now, finally, confirming everything the government alleged at the trial. He now admits he's guilty. More importantly, he now admits he was motivated by the killing of approximately 80 civilians at Waco. For years, people have been asking why he did it, wondering whether we'll ever know. Well, we have always known. The prosecutors proved why he did it: he did it for revenge due to what happened at Waco. McVeigh's defense team tried, during the death penalty phase of the trial, to explain the Waco connection, and to prove that the federal government bore a large share of responsibility for the deaths at Waco. They failed, partly because the judge would not allow them to put on the case they hoped to put on. But, the fact is, they were right to some degree. The government does bear responsibility for Waco, and the fact that Janet Reno said "the buck stops with me" was not enough to forgive that responsibility in the minds of many people.

cindijo2000us: Why do you think he finally decided to confess in the book?

Tim Sullivan: I'm not surprised. He wants to be famous forever. He wants to take what he would consider "credit" for what he did. I believe he's proud of what he did; he thinks it was the right thing to do. Also, he knew it was a guaranteed way to make him a media star again. And finally, I think there's a lot to the theory that McVeigh's obsession with the novel "The Turner Diaries" goes beyond the norm. I think he believes, in some ways, that he is Earl Turner, the terrorist hero of the novel, and he wants to be remembered as somebody who's proud of what he did...not as the coward that he truly is.

biker45459: When it gets close to execution time, if McVeigh tries to implicate others, will his execution be postponed?

Tim Sullivan: That's a great question. I can't imagine McVeigh doing such a thing. And I think that even if he did, it's not likely the execution would be stopped. The government has already investigated lots of other people, and was supposedly unable to develop enough evidence to indict anybody else. But McVeigh can stop the execution if he want to, up until two hours before it happens. So, he has the power to stop it and come clean if he chooses. Don't hold your breath.

xx_ghost_of_the_navigator_xx: He couldn't have done it by himself, it was physically impossible—why is all the blame being put on him?

Tim Sullivan: I agree that he did not do it by himself. All of the blame is not being put on him. Terry Nichols was also convicted, and is serving a life sentence. He was also assisted by Michael Fortier, who's serving a total of about 15 years. I believe, as do many other people, that a handful of others were involved, too. But the government says it never developed enough evidence to indict them. It's possible that the co-conspirators were very skilled, and they left McVeigh to take the fall. It's also possible that he's protecting others. He is, after all, a psychopath. Don't expect rational behavior.

pcook220: Do the people in Oklahoma want to see the McVeigh execution live?

kewlchic2die4: Do the family members want to witness this?

Tim Sullivan: There are several hundred people in Oklahoma who want to see it live, so the feds will feed it back to Oklahoma City on closed-circuit TV. Only victim's families and survivors will be permitted to see it. As for McVeigh's family, he has reportedly asked his father not to attend the execution. I'm not aware that any other family members of McVeigh will attend, either.

chort1532: When will the telecast begin, before or after he is hooked up to the IV?

Tim Sullivan: I'm not certain of that. But the attorney general has said that it will begin at such a time that the viewers in Oklahoma City will be able to hear whatever McVeigh's last words are.

ctv_warhorse46: Do you think Tim McVeigh is "grandstanding" from his prison cell now? Gaining all he can from his notoriety?

Tim Sullivan: Absolutely. He is now getting everything he always wanted. He's the star, the center of attention, and I'm sure he's happy to get all of the "credit" for this crime. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he called it all off, just to make sure the media goes through all of this hoopla for him a second time.

He_iz_DropDeadGorgeous: How do you know McVeigh's a 'psychopath'?

Tim Sullivan: Well, if murdering 168 people doesn't qualify, I don't know what would.

biker45459: Where did McVeigh get the money to finance his bomb?

Tim Sullivan: It didn't take much. He did odd jobs, and Terry Nichols worked as a farmhand. Also, they trafficked in stolen goods with Michael Fortier. It's also possible he had some donations from militia figures, although that has not been proven and it's believed by some conspiracy theorists that he was part of a bank robbery gang.

roycoffey: Reportedly, his final words will be the famous quote from the poem "Invictus." Does that reveal his real reason for terminating his appeals? To prove he is in command, not the government?

Tim Sullivan: I don't know the quote, please send it along...... But I'll be shocked if he does not make some statement. At his sentencing, he quoted Supreme Court Louis Brandeis, who wrote: "Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example." This has been interpreted to have two possible meanings for McVeigh: one is a reference to the government's actions at Waco. The other is a comment on the death penalty itself: for example, if the government executes McVeigh, is it any better than he has been? I believe it's a Waco reference. He's saying that he learned from Waco what the government is really about and so he struck back in kind.

Court TV Host: Roy has sent in the lines from the poem he mentioned...

roycoffey: "I am the master of my fate, the captain of my soul."

Court TV Host: Roy, where did you see the report that he would quote that poem?

Tim Sullivan: That makes sense, especially in the context of McVeigh believing he's Earl Turner.That character, in the novel, ends the story with a suicide bombing mission. If McVeigh were to say, "I'm the master of my fate," that would indicate that he intended to be executed, that the bombing was a suicide mission. I think he is crazy enough to have taken on a suicide mission, and it would make sense to him now to use the quote as a way of denying that was caught by the government and brought to justice.

Court TV Host: Thanks, Roy...and also for sending in this about the source of the information...

roycoffey: In a local newpaper article. The Indianapolis Star, I think. (

NOTE: Later on, Roycoffey contacted us and said that he originally found the report in an Associated Press report that he found at http://news.findlaw.com/ap/o/1110/4-16-2001/20010416172516960.html".)

cummings_is_mystical: Are you afraid there is a partner of some sort running with this guy? Who will strike tonight or tomorrow?

pcook220: Do you think there could be copycat types to take on McVeigh's cause?

Tim Sullivan: No. I think there's always the possibility of domestic terrorism, and I will not be surprised. But I don't think it's going to be specific to McVeigh. He does not seem to have had any real influence in the militia movement. I think he's seen as a misguided loser.

Tim Sullivan: This date, April 19, was significant to the militia movement long before the Oklahoma City bombing. In fact, McVeigh chose the date on purpose. And some people believe that the FBI chose to raid the Waco compound, after just sitting there for 51 days, on April 19 specifically because they knew it was a special holiday to the militia movement, and they consider the Branch Davidians a part of that movement. So, it would not be surprising for future anti-government terrorism to happen on this date; it won't necessarily mean that it's some sort of tribute to McVeigh. It is important to the militias, by the way, because it's the anniversary of the battle of Lexington and Concord. In Massachusetts, April 19 is a state holiday called Patriot's Day. People in the militia movement call themselves patriots. Timothy McVeigh considers himself a patriot.

cindijo2000us: Please explain why McVeigh can call off the execution.

Tim Sullivan: I believe it's because he voluntarily waived his right to further appeals. Under the law, he can change his mind about that and file all of the appeals to which he was originally entitled.

momamiappp: Do you think he will stop the execution?

Tim Sullivan: No, I think it will go forward on May 16. But nothing this guy does would shock me.

Court TV Host: We've run out of time...Thanks, Tim Sullivan, for joining us today online.

Tim Sullivan: It's always a pleasure.