Terry Nichols: Difference between revisions
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|goals = Blow up a federal building (partially successful) | |goals = Blow up a federal building (partially successful) | ||
|crimes = Mass [[murder]]<br>[[Terrorism]]<br>Conspiracy<br>[[Arson]] | |crimes = Mass [[murder]]<br>[[Terrorism]]<br>Conspiracy<br>[[Arson]] | ||
|hobby = Making bombs}}'''Terry Nichols''' (April 1st, 1955 - ) was [[Timothy McVeigh]]'s accomplice in [[the Oklahoma City Bombing]] of April 1995. He is currently serving a life sentence, and has since apologized for his involvement in the bombing plot. | |hobby = Making bombs}} | ||
'''Terry Nichols''' (April 1st, 1955 - ) was [[Timothy McVeigh]]'s accomplice in [[the Oklahoma City Bombing]] of April 1995. He is currently serving a life sentence, and has since apologized for his involvement in the bombing plot. | |||
==Biography== | ==Biography== | ||
Nichols was born in Lapeer, Michigan. He was raised on a farm, the third of four children of Joyce and Robert Nichols. Growing up, he helped his parents on the farm, learning to operate and maintain the equipment. According to the ''Denver Post'', he also cared for injured birds and animals. | Nichols was born in Lapeer, Michigan. He was raised on a farm, the third of four children of Joyce and Robert Nichols. Growing up, he helped his parents on the farm, learning to operate and maintain the equipment. According to the ''Denver Post'', he also cared for injured birds and animals. | ||
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In February 1992, he attempted to renounce his US citizenship by writing to the local county clerk in Michigan, stating that the political system was corrupt, and declaring himself a "non resident alien". Several months later, he appeared in court and tried to avoid responsibility for some of his credit card bills (he owed approximately $40,000 altogether), refusing to come before the bench, and shouting at the judge that the government had no jurisdiction over him. On October 19, 1992, he signed another document renouncing his US citizenship. In May 1993, Nichols appeared before a county judge regarding an $8,421 unpaid credit card debt. He also renounced his driver’s license. | In February 1992, he attempted to renounce his US citizenship by writing to the local county clerk in Michigan, stating that the political system was corrupt, and declaring himself a "non resident alien". Several months later, he appeared in court and tried to avoid responsibility for some of his credit card bills (he owed approximately $40,000 altogether), refusing to come before the bench, and shouting at the judge that the government had no jurisdiction over him. On October 19, 1992, he signed another document renouncing his US citizenship. In May 1993, Nichols appeared before a county judge regarding an $8,421 unpaid credit card debt. He also renounced his driver’s license. | ||
Prior to his incarceration, he held a variety of short-term jobs, working as a farmer, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grain_elevator grain elevator] manager, real estate salesman and ranch hand. He met his future co-conspirator, [[Timothy McVeigh]], during a brief stint in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army U.S. Army], which ended in 1989 when he requested a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_discharge#Reasons_for_discharge hardship discharge] after less than one year of service.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-nytimes_second_5-1">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Nichols#cite_note-nytimes_second-5 [5]]</sup> In 1994 and 1995, he conspired with McVeigh in the planning and preparation of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_City_bombing Oklahoma City bombing] – the | Prior to his incarceration, he held a variety of short-term jobs, working as a farmer, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grain_elevator grain elevator] manager, real estate salesman and ranch hand. He met his future co-conspirator, [[Timothy McVeigh]], during a brief stint in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army U.S. Army], which ended in 1989 when he requested a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_discharge#Reasons_for_discharge hardship discharge] after less than one year of service.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-nytimes_second_5-1">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Nichols#cite_note-nytimes_second-5 [5]]</sup> In 1994 and 1995, he conspired with McVeigh in the planning and preparation of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_City_bombing Oklahoma City bombing] – the truck bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_City Oklahoma City], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma Oklahoma], on April 19, 1995. The bombing claimed the lives of 168 people, including 19 children.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-bio_6-0">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Nichols#cite_note-bio-6 [6]]</sup> | ||
After a federal trial in 1997, Nichols was convicted of | After a federal trial in 1997, Nichols was convicted of conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction and eight counts of involuntary manslaughter for killing federal law enforcement personnel.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-wp1_7-0">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Nichols#cite_note-wp1-7 [7]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-npr1_8-0">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Nichols#cite_note-npr1-8 [8]]</sup> He was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole because the jury deadlocked on the death penalty.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-bio_6-1">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Nichols#cite_note-bio-6 [6]]</sup> He was also tried in Oklahoma on state charges of [[murder]] in connection with the bombing. He was convicted in 2004 of 161 counts of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder#Degrees_of_murder_in_the_United_States first degree murder], including one count of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feticide fetal homicide];<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-bio_6-2">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Nichols#cite_note-bio-6 [6]]</sup> first-degree [[arson]]; and conspiracy.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-msnbc1_9-0">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Nichols#cite_note-msnbc1-9 [9]]</sup> As in the federal trial, the state jury deadlocked on imposing the death penalty.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-bio_6-3">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Nichols#cite_note-bio-6 [6]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-cnn1_10-0">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Nichols#cite_note-cnn1-10 [10]]</sup> | ||
He was sentenced to 161 consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-msnbc2_3-2">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Nichols#cite_note-msnbc2-3 [3]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-bio_6-4">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Nichols#cite_note-bio-6 [6]]</sup> and is incarcerated at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADX_Florence ADX Florence], a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supermax super maximum] security prison in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence,_Colorado Florence, Colorado]. He shares a cell block that is commonly referred to as "Bombers Row" with [[Ramzi Yousef]], [[Ted Kaczynski]], and [[Eric Rudolph]]. | He was sentenced to 161 consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-msnbc2_3-2">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Nichols#cite_note-msnbc2-3 [3]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-bio_6-4">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Nichols#cite_note-bio-6 [6]]</sup> and is incarcerated at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADX_Florence ADX Florence], a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supermax super maximum] security prison in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence,_Colorado Florence, Colorado]. He shares a cell block that is commonly referred to as "Bombers Row" with [[Ramzi Yousef]], [[Ted Kaczynski]], and [[Eric Rudolph]]. | ||