The Oklahoma City Bombing 25 Years Later

Retired FBI Agent Reflects on Tragic Day and How it Shaped the Bureau

April 15, 2020

On the morning of April 19, 1995, FBI Special Agent Barry Black was tracking a white-collar fugitive a few miles from downtown Oklahoma City when he heard a loud blast in the distance.

Soon after, Black was pulled from his fugitive case to begin working the massive investigation of the deadly bombing that took the lives of 168 people, including 19 children, at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.

The efforts of Black and scores of federal, state, and local investigators led to the convictions of Timothy McVeigh and his co- conspirators, Terry Nichols and Michael Fortier, in one of the worst homegrown terrorism cases in the nation’s history.

“It was a group effort. I was there doing my part just like everyone else,” said Black, who recently retired from the FBI.

The event shaped the FBI’s approach to investigating terrorism.

Aerial view of the aftermath of truck bombing of the Aflred P. Murrah federal building in Oklahoma City in April 1995.

The bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995 was the deadliest act of homegrown terrorism in U.S. history, resulting in the deaths of 168 people. In a matter of seconds, the blast destroyed most of the nine-story building, incinerated nearby vehicles, and damaged or destroyed more than 300 other buildings.

Organized Chaos During an Analog Time

More than 1,400 investigators, including Black, uncovered more than three tons of evidence.

After the bombing, one of Black’s responsibilities was tracking items from the point of collection to the FBI Laboratory, where they were examined and logged. This was 25 years ago, and the technology available at the time played a major factor in how the evidence was collected and managed.

“Managing the sheer volume of information was a real undertaking,” said Black. “Before we had digital photography, this investigation incorporated 238,000 wet film photographs. When you remembered seeing something, you had to be able to find it.”

One of the crucial pieces of evidence that Black found early in the investigation was a badly damaged rear axle. He jotted down the vehicle identification number (VIN), which was used to trace the part to the Ryder rental truck used to detonate the bomb.

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The Oklahoma City Bombing: 25 Years Later

FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent Barry Black shows the damaged rear axle of a Ryder rental truck that is on display at the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum. The serial number on the axle helped lead investigators to the bomber, Timothy McVeigh.

Ryder Truck Axle Recovered from Oklahoma City Bombing

Barry Black, a former special agent in the FBI's Oklahoma City Field Office, shows the axle from the Ryder truck used to bomb the federal building. The engraved serial number led investigators back to a rental facility in Kansas and to Timothy McVeigh. It was collected as evidence and is on display at the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum.

Employees at the shop where the truck was rented helped the FBI put together the composite drawing of McVeigh, who had used an alias during that transaction.

“You look at the Boston [Marathon] bombing and how that information was publicized. In that case, we had digital images as people of interest,” said Black. “That technology didn't exist in 1995. We relied on a sketch that generated thousands of leads and interviews.”

Local hotel employees recognized the man in the composite sketch as one of their guests—and here, McVeigh had checked in using his real name.

Piecing it all together led to the charges that ultimately resulted in McVeigh’s conviction and execution, a life sentence for Nichols, and 12 years in prison for Fortier.

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Poster Comment:

What they don't tell you about the day the bombing happened is when it was discovered some of the charges on the columns did not detonate, the EMT's were called out and the bomb squad was sent in. The Murrah Building was supposed to be a total collapse but the bombers screwed up.

Dave from the X22 Report has interviewed the bomber on his show. The X22 Report Home Page has also been hacked.