Missing FBI Files in McVeigh Case

Re “More McVeigh Files Found; FBI Orders Massive Search,” May 15: Defense lawyers for Timothy McVeigh are taking advantage of the fact that people don’t know that 3,000 sheets of paper equals less than one small box--absolutely nothing to make such a brouhaha about when hundreds of thousands of pages of documents exist and were turned over.

The “incident” regrettably has become another opportunity to point fingers at the FBI, but that’s silly. In a massive investigation such as this, which involved dozens of field offices across the United States and Europe, not every error is of monumental proportions (even in a death penalty case), not every misstep is purposeful or conspiratorial or evidence of mismanagement and complete agency failure.

If there is no evidence in the papers clearly exculpating McVeigh, it is unlikely that a new trial will be granted. Whether McVeigh should be executed or given life without parole, that’s another matter. Here, the question is whether society wants to punish and deter or make McVeigh a martyr.

Stephany Yablow

Sherman Oaks

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No matter what happens and how long it is continued, McVeigh will be put to death for the killing of innocent people in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. Most heinous was the children whose lives were taken without the slightest idea of what was going on or of the ideological reasons for McVeigh’s motives.

But in our rush to punish McVeigh, are we going to have an extra gurney next to him on which to strap former Atty. Gen. Janet Reno for the death by burning of the innocent children in the Waco attack? Those children were just as innocent and just as clueless as to what was going on when the FBI fired incendiary projectiles and burned them alive.

Maybe an indictment is coming any day now.

Miguel Rosales

Cerritos

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Does FBI stand for Freeh’s Bunch of Incompetents?

Matt Oganesov

Hacienda Heights