Witness Says Nichols Had Fertilizer to Sell

An acquaintance of Terry L. Nichols told a federal jury in Denver that the Oklahoma City bombing suspect was selling ammonium nitrate at gun shows, backing up the defense’s explanation for why Nichols had large amounts of the bomb’s major ingredient. The defense says Nichols was building a military-surplus business--not plotting the April 19, 1995, bombing. Nichols is on trial for 11 counts of conspiracy and murder in the bombing, which killed 168 people. Sheila Nicholas said he visited her Michigan home in January 1995 with jars of the fertilizer for sale. No witness has testified to seeing Nichols actually sell the fertilizer. A defense investigator testified that he found 749 ammunition cans, about 150 shovels and infantry kits at Nichols’ home.